Tyto launches sixth annual Tyto Tech 500 for 2022: Richard Branson tops list
European PR agency Tyto has published its sixth annual Tyto Tech 500, revealing the most influential individuals in the tech sectors of the UK, Germany and France.
The Tyto Tech 500, the only objective data-driven influence study into Europe’s technology sector, claims the publishers, this year reveals how academics and cybersecurity experts are proving to be of increasing influence on the sector.
Business leaders and journalists remain the most prevalent influencers in the technology sphere across the UK, France and Germany, accounting for 58% and 19% respectively. This year, Richard Branson, British business magnate, investor, and founder of the Virgin Group takes first place as the overall number one influencer. The editor of Tech Digest, Chris Price, is in a respectable 20th position.
Inevitably as the world seeks to cope with economic uncertainty, an energy crisis, geopolitical tensions and conflict in Ukraine, there has been a sharp increase in the number of academic influencers, potentially reflecting the need for people to seek more objective and informed sources and opinions on these crises.
The Academic influencer group has grown by 25% across Europe since last year and 118% since 2020. Compared to France and Germany, the UK has seen the biggest growth of academic influencers with a 74% increase.
Similarly, and following last year’s trend, government influencers continue to grow in prominence with an increase of 11% in the pan-European list. This increase is likely to stem from people seeking official sources of information and assurance around the action being taken to tackle global, economic and social issues.
Entrepreneurs and VCs have seen the most significant gain in influence across the pan-European top 500 this year, with increases of 146% and 88% respectively. The report also reveals the most influential technology topics. Cybersecurity influencers have increased their prominence in the Tyto Tech 500 lists by 52% while the number of UK influencers has increased by 125% since last year. Given the current geopolitical struggles, governments and businesses alike acknowledge the importance of cybersecurity and this accounts for the increased volume of influencers in this sector.
Quantum Technology influencers
Women’s influence within tech is another positive finding from this year’s Tech 500. Last year women made up for just over one in five influencers (22%) in the pan-European top 500, while this year one in every four influencers are women (25%). There are a total of 126 women among the top 500 influencers across the UK, Germany and France with the UK leading the way with 27% of female influencers, an increase of 11% since last year.
Finally, last year Tyto added three new ‘emerging’ sectors to the Tyto Tech 500. Of these, two have gained significant importance on the technological agenda: Quantum Technology influencers have increased by 75% in the UK, while the number of SpaceTech influencers has increased by 50%.
The top 10 UK influencers for 2022 are:
Says Nick Taylor, senior partner and Head of Corporate at Tyto:
“The findings of this year’s Tyto Tech 500 rankings emphasise the critical importance of technology in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues. It’s unsurprising that the most influential leaders this year tend to be those focussed on discussions pertinent to concerns around geopolitical tensions, security and the economy.
“While business leaders and journalists are still the most visible influencers of the technology agenda, UK Academics have gained the most significant ground in our rankings this year. It’s reassuring that the public’s collective confidence in subject matter experts appears to be returning, and there are some notable examples of individuals that have found a substantial following from explaining and deconstructing an increasingly turbulent world.
“Another encouraging finding this year is the rise in prominence of women across all three countries. Women now make up one in four influencers this year, a significant increase on last year where women accounted for only one in five influencers. There is still significant work to be done, but the trend is in the right direction.”
The Tyto Tech 500 was created by assessing an individual’s traditional earned media and online influence. The Tyto Tech 500 is the first data-driven European ranking of influencers that isn’t reliant on single metrics or subjective opinion.
To make the list, Tyto has developed a methodology that encompasses the influence of the individual (social media and online presence), their business or brand, and traditional earned media. In the case of journalists, instead of their presence in the news, we calculated the impact of their articles.
To download the full Tech 500 report or to see the UK top 50, please visit: https://tytopr.com/
