Weekly Tech News Roundup: The 10 Stories That Defined 2025
18 Dec, 20256 minutesThe 2025 Big Tech Recap: 10 Stories That Defined the YearIn 2025, tech recruitment trends ce...
The 2025 Big Tech Recap: 10 Stories That Defined the Year
In 2025, tech recruitment trends centered on AI integration, regional hub expansion, and a move toward operational maturity. Manchester solidified its status as a $4.2bn AI powerhouse, while software engineering salaries stabilised with a 12% premium for specialised AI skills.
As we navigate the final weeks of 2025, the UK’s tech hiring market has undergone a fundamental transformation. At MRJ Recruitment, we’ve spent the year tracking every major move across the North West and beyond. Our specialist tech recruitment services have seen first-hand how the "hype" of previous years has been replaced by a grounded, strategic approach to growth.
Whether you are a CTO looking for a tech recruitment strategy to scale your team or a developer curious about the latest software engineering salary UK benchmarks, this guide synthesizes the 10 most impactful stories of the year, naming the leaders who drove the change.
🏗️ The Regional Powerhouses
The UK’s tech map is no longer London-centric. We have seen a significant shift toward "Super-Hubs" in the North.
1. Manchester Crowned a Global AI Hub (The Peak & Vypr Effect)
The 2025 AI Catalyst Report (April) confirmed that Greater Manchester’s AI ecosystem is now valued at over $4.2bn. This growth has been championed by local heavyweights like Richard Potter, CEO of Peak, and Ben Davies, Co-founder of Vypr. Peak’s global platform expansion and Vypr's relentless focus on AI-driven consumer intelligence have proven that Manchester can anchor multi-billion dollar sectors.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: In 2026, a "wait and see" approach to AI will lead to a severe skills gap analysis failure. We’ve noticed that the most successful firms in 2025 stopped looking for "AI enthusiasts" and started hiring "AI integrators"—engineers who can deploy LLMs into production environments.
Read the full story:
2. Anton Roe Leads MHR’s Strategic Expansion into Newcastle
Nottingham-based HR-tech giant MHR established a dedicated hub in Newcastle this year. Led by CEO Anton Roe and CTO Andrew Watson, this move into the Catalyst building was designed to tap into the unique talent pipeline coming out of North East universities.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: The "Regional Hub" model is the winner of 2025. By setting up squad-based offices in cities with high talent density, Roe and his team are out-competing London giants on both cost and culture.
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3. The 2025 Tech Climbers Reveal: Manchester’s Next Wave
On December 9th, 2025, the Tech Climbers list reveal at Cloud23 showcased the region's global ambitions. Curated by Chris Maguire, the data revealed that 85% of entrants now feature AI as a core component. New trailblazers like James Chapman (Decently) and Victoria Berteshaw (KOKU Health) were highlighted as the driving forces behind the region’s future.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: 73% of this year’s entrants are new to the list, proving that Manchester’s talent pipeline is not stagnant. For candidates, the "safe bet" is shifting; these agile, product-led scale-ups are where the most exciting—and career-defining—roles will be found in 2026.
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💰 The Heavy Hitters (Funding & Growth)
Capital is flowing again, but investors are demanding infrastructure and "Deep Tech" viability.
4. Tide Hits $1.5bn Valuation with $120m Raise
In September, London-based fintech Tide officially reached unicorn status. CEO Oliver Prill noted the capital will accelerate international expansion and deepen investment in Agentic AI to automate SME administration.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: This milestone shifted hiring from "growth at all costs" to "AI-driven efficiency." We’ve seen a 30% increase in roles requiring LLM orchestration experience.
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5. Phoebe Secures $17M for an AI "Immune System"
In August, cybersecurity startup Phoebe landed $17 million to launch an AI-powered immune system for software. This move signals a shift from reactive security to preventative, agentic AI that monitors code health in real-time.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: This is driving the rise of the "Cyber-SRE"—DevOps professionals who don't just secure the perimeter but build self-healing security protocols into the CI/CD pipeline.
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6. Sadra Hosseini and Alex Mackenzie Scale Ryft to Series A
Manchester-based payments firm Ryft proved that the city’s FinTech scene can challenge global giants. Following their £5.7m Series A in April, Hosseini has been a vocal advocate for Manchester’s ability to support high-velocity payment infrastructure.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: Ryft represents the "Product-First" movement. We have guided dozens of senior engineers this year into roles where they can actually shape the architecture of the product rather than maintaining legacy debt.
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🤝 The People & Leadership (Exec Moves)
Success in 2025 was defined by operational excellence over founder-led chaos.
7. Barclays Strengthens Engineering Team with Callum Fraser (January)
At the very start of 2025, Barclays made a significant move by appointing Callum Fraser to its engineering leadership team. A well-known figure in the Manchester tech community and a former AO.com lead, Fraser’s appointment was part of Barclays' strategic drive to build a world-class engineering team under Venkat’s leadership.
The Recruiter’s Lens: This was the first major signal of 2025 that high-street banks were aggressively competing with agile tech firms for "community-led" engineering talent.
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8. Gary Young Takes the Helm at Mobysoft (August)
In late summer, Manchester-based Mobysoft, a leader in AI-driven social housing tech, appointed Gary Young as CEO. With a track record of scaling data-heavy businesses, Young was brought in to lead the firm through its next phase of innovation and sustainable growth in the social housing sector.
The Recruiter’s Lens: Mobysoft is a prime example of the "Tech for Good" sector maturing. Hiring a CEO with Young's scaling experience signaled that social housing tech is no longer a niche, but a major vertical for AI application.
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9. usecure & Currensea: Strengthening the Operational Core
December saw two major operational hires: Kevin Lancaster joined Manchester’s usecure to drive US expansion, and Enrique Garland joined Currensea as COO. These moves signal a move away from founder-centric models toward seasoned "Scale-up Specialists."
- The Recruiter’s Lens: Go-to-Market (GTM) talent with US expansion experience is currently the most expensive hire in the North West. Founders are finally prioritising the "How" over just the "What."
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🔮 The Future Outlook
The strategic pivots that tell us exactly where the market is going in the next 12 months.
10. Dave Graham and Jon Stead Lead CMap’s AI Transition
In September, CMap Founder Dave Graham stepped into an AI Strategy Advisor role, handing the CEO reins to Jon Stead. This allows the business to scale operations while ensuring AI is embedded into every product line.
- The Recruiter’s Lens: We are seeing the rise of the "AI Transformation Lead." These roles bridge the gap between the CTO and the CEO to ensure AI investments deliver actual ROI. This is a critical component of any modern tech recruitment strategy for 2026.
Read the full story:
📊 2025 Salary Benchmark Table
Based on our data and broader tech hiring market trends.
Source: Internal MRJ Data & IT Jobs Watch (Q4 2025).
FAQ
What are the biggest tech recruitment trends for 2025?
The primary tech recruitment trends 2025 include AI Augmentation (prioritising candidates who use AI tools for productivity) and the rise of Regional Hubs like Manchester, which are attracting talent away from London due to cost-of-living benefits.
How much does hiring AI engineers cost in the UK?
The hiring AI engineers cost has risen significantly. On average, an engineer with LLM or MLOps experience commands a 12–15% salary premium. In Manchester, senior AI roles often sit between £75,000 and £85,000.
Is Manchester a good place for tech startups in 2025?
Absolutely. With an ecosystem valued at $4.2bn, Manchester offers access to Europe's largest student population and significant capital via the NPIF II (£660m).
Your Next Step: Mastering Tech Recruitment Trends 2025
As we head into 2026, simply "posting a job" is no longer enough. To help you get ahead, we recommend this 3-step checklist:
- Conduct a Skills Gap Analysis: Identify if your current team has the AI skills required for 2026.
- Review Your Salary Benchmarks: Ensure your offers align with current software engineering salary UK shifts.
- Partner with a Specialist: The best tech recruitment agency UK should offer market intelligence, not just CVs.
Ready to scale?
Author Bio: Joshua Ramsay
With over a decade of experience in the UK tech sector, Joshua Ramsay is a Senior Content Specialist at MRJ Recruitment. Specialising in executive search tech and regional market growth, they help businesses navigate the complexities of the tech hiring market. From Manchester’s AI surge to London’s FinTech evolution, Josh provides the data-driven insights that help founders and candidates make career-defining moves.
