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Anti-Establishment and Uber-Capitalist

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09/04/2014

BBC Radio 4 - Anti-Establishment and Uber-Capitalist

Georgia Catt explores the politics behind the UK's tech start-up revolution.

Georgia Catt reports on the idealism driving the UK's tech start-up boom, asking if it is possible to keep a radical business idea alive, make a profit and not sell out.

From the so-called Silicon Roundabout in east London to Silicon Canal in Birmingham, young tech entrepreneurs are driving a radical shift in the UK's economy, calling themselves disrupters of outdated institutions.

Going beneath the hype and rhetoric, Georgia Catt explores what makes the scene so different from the traditional business world the tech founders are keen to avoid.

Many of the youngsters behind the boom came of age against the backdrop of high-profile Occupy and G20 protests.

Speaking to these keen and fresh-faced entrepreneurs, Georgia discovers that today they're trying to keep the radicalism alive but at the same time - and here's the rub - turn a profit. But how to make money and not sell out?

For every Snapchat, Whatsapp, Google and Facebook, there are myriad enterprises that never make the big time. For those that survive, the challenge is retaining the start-up edge and youthful idealism as their businesses grow.

Many of them say they've already witnessed many of their role models ditch their principles in the pursuit of hard cash - and they are keen to avoid going the same way. But is that inevitable?

Producer: Georgia Catt.

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