Why does Britain always let someone else get rich from our best ideas?

Backing British businesses means creating jobs, higher wages and a more prosperous future. But it also means giving our companies the freedom to compete and scale internationally, while building the sovereign capabilities Britain will need for decades to come.

Sovereignty is not about protectionism or nationalism. It is about control and optionality. The most critical systems that underpin our country - the ones our economy, our public services and our national security depend on - are ones we should have full control over.

Confidence in our own capability is not new. Britain has never lacked the boldness to build society-transforming technology. We gave the world the steam engine, the jet engine, vaccines, the World Wide Web and the first programmable electronic digital computer at Bletchley Park.

Innovation has long been one of our greatest strengths. The problem is that too often we innovate and invent here, but build, scale and commercialise somewhere else.

You only have to look at Britain’s capital markets. This year, takeover bids for London-listed companies have outstripped the value of new listings by 27 to one. It’s clear we are better at selling British success than scaling it. We should be building the companies that lead to IPOs, not takeovers - the sort that raise the FTSE rather than leave it.

If we want the benefits of investing in Britain to be felt here at home, we have to build and scale more of Britain’s future ourselves. That means backing innovative British companies pioneering technologies which will define the next generation of our economy, so Britain develops the capabilities it will depend on in the future. Doing so isn’t about shutting out international investment or competition; it’s about ensuring Britain has world-class companies of its own to compete on the global stage.

There has never been a more important moment to get this right. Growth will increasingly rely on the kind of secure digital infrastructure Valarian builds. As AI and digital systems become ever more powerful, intelligent and connected, who controls them will matter more than ever. If we want the benefits of that growth to accrue in Britain, the foundations need to be built here too.

We do not need to turn our backs on international investment or collaboration. There is a fundamental difference between welcoming global investment and outsourcing national capability. As a first principle, Britain should not cede control of strategically important capabilities that matter most to its future.

That is why I founded Valarian, headquartered here in the UK. I wanted to prove that Britain could build its own foundational technology, rather than simply buying it from elsewhere.

This week, one of Silicon Valley’s most established venture capital firms led a $50 million investment in Valarian. I see it as proof that truly innovative British technology companies cannot just compete, but lead, globally. The world already recognises the potential of our businesses. We should have the confidence to recognise it too.

If ministers want stronger growth, they should back more British companies building the technologies our country needs. We shouldn't buy something second-rate simply because it's British. But when capabilities are matched, we shouldn't ignore the benefits of backing the homegrown option either: more skilled jobs and economic value here in Britain, protecting intellectual property, inviting investment, and creating an ecosystem for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

That is the kind of social good that strategic investment in trusted British companies brings.

More importantly, it means Britain regains control over the infrastructure underpinning our critical services. In a world where data has become a strategic asset, that is no longer simply a technology question. It is a sovereignty one.

If we want Britain to build its own future, we cannot afford to outsource its sovereign capability. This country has the ideas. Now we need the confidence to back them.

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Max Buchan is Founder & CEO of Valarian.

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