Summary
The North West's £1.19bn investment haul in H1 2026 exceeds any other region outside London, according to Barclays' Regional Investment Map. Digital and technology businesses captured more than £1.01bn of this total, with professional and business services attracting £122.1m, life sciences £65.6m, and financial services £37.9m.
Ineffable Intelligence, an Altrincham-based artificial intelligence firm developing reinforcement learning software, accounted for £814m of the regional investment. The region also recorded company population growth of 2.41%, the fastest in the UK, and is now home to 115,000 businesses across innovation-intensive sectors.
The North West's investment performance reflects investor confidence in northern growth businesses and the region's strength in high-value industrial strategy sectors. Emma Armstrong, Barclays' head of business banking in Manchester, noted that sustained support for scale-up businesses and access to finance remain critical to maintaining momentum.
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Common questions
- What is this article about?
- The North West attracted £1.19bn in investment during the first half of 2026, placing it second to London and marking an 89% jump on H2 2025 figures. Digital and technology sectors led the charge, with Altrincham-based AI firm Ineffable Intelligence securing £814m of the total haul.
- When was this published?
- This article was published on 5 August 2026.
- Who published this article?
- This article was published by Prolific North.