Funding a UK startup in 2026: SEIS, EIS, grants, loans and VC

Two numbers sum up the odd state of British startup finance this year. In the first half of 2026, UK startups raised $17bn of venture capital, according to Dealroom, more than double the figure for the same period of 2025. Yet the British Business Bank found that the number of seed-stage equity deals fell by 27% in 2025. Money is plentiful if you are an AI lab raising a nine-figure…