Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames scores 984 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 146th of 361 local authorities and 16 points below the UK benchmark. Its strongest relative position is on Investment, where it ranks 82nd nationally, outperforming just over three quarters of all authorities. Scaling is the area where its companies are least active relative to the UK.

  • Top pillar: Investment
  • Biggest opportunity: Scaling
  • 13,694 active companies

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The composite score for Kingston upon Thames is built from four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.

Each score is averaged across the authority's active companies, with corporate groups counted once, so it reflects how active local companies are rather than how large the local economy is. That makes it a fair comparison between authorities of very different sizes.

The UK benchmark is set at 1,000, so a score of 984 places Kingston upon Thames just below the national average. The likely range of 972 to 996 shows how much the score could shift with a slightly different mix of companies, and a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.

London

Each dot shows the pillar score on a scale where the UK as a whole scores 1,000, marked by the line. The paler band is the likely range. The composite weights Innovation, Scaling and Investment 30% each and ESG 10%.

  • Innovation 30%997Above average nationally
  • Scaling 30%973Below average nationally
  • Investment 30%981Above average nationally
  • ESG 10%984Below average nationally

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Pillar breakdown

How Kingston upon Thames's composite score of 984 is built up, pillar by pillar.

Innovation

997

Above average nationally

−3 points against the UK · Likely range 982–1,012 · 30% of the composite

Innovation measures patents, academic spinout status, R&D grant value, presence in innovative sectors and IS-8 sector classification. Kingston upon Thames scores 997 on this pillar, just 3 points below the UK benchmark, ranking 115th of 361 authorities and placing it in the top third nationally. Its companies broadly match the UK average for innovation activity.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Patents25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Granted patent families filed in the last 20 years, held anywhere in the corporate group (capped, log scale).

  • Academic spinouts25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a university spinout.

  • R&D grant value25%See the data on Beauhurst

    Value of R&D grants received in the last five years: Innovate UK, EU programmes and other grants for R&D (capped, log scale).

  • Innovative sectors15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any industry or buzzword on a curated list of innovative sectors, for example chips, biotechnology, quantum, AI, data, SaaS, FinTech and CleanTech. About 2.5% of companies.

  • IS-8 sectors10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Tagged with any of the eight IS-8 sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, professional and business services, and defence. About 18% of companies.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Scaling

973

Below average nationally

−27 points against the UK · Likely range 955–991 · 30% of the composite

Scaling captures whether companies are high-growth scaleups, their headcount growth over recent years and whether they have attended an accelerator. At 973, Kingston upon Thames sits 27 points below the UK benchmark and ranks 278th of 360 authorities, with only 22.8% of authorities scoring lower. Companies here are adding staff and reaching scaleup status at a noticeably slower rate than the UK norm.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Scaleups45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company is a 20% scaleup (Beauhurst high-growth signal).

  • Headcount growth45%See the data on Beauhurst

    Annualised three-year employee growth rate over the latest four years of accounts, including group accounts, for companies with five or more employees at the start (capped). All other companies count as zero.

  • Accelerator10%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company has attended an accelerator.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Investment

981

Above average nationally

−19 points against the UK · Likely range 958–1,004 · 30% of the composite

Investment covers equity raised in the last five years, whether companies raised equity at all and whether any deals were a company's first ever. This is Kingston upon Thames's strongest pillar: ranked 82nd of 360 authorities, it outperforms 77.2% of all authorities, sitting in the top quarter nationally. Even so, its score of 981 remains 19 points below the UK benchmark.

The 3 measures behind this pillar

  • Equity raisers40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company raised equity in the last five years.

  • Equity raised40%See the data on Beauhurst

    Amount of equity raised in the last five years (capped, log scale).

  • First-time raisers20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Whether the company's first equity deal ever was in the last five years. A first-time raiser always counts as an equity raiser too.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

ESG

984

Below average nationally

−16 points against the UK · Likely range 969–999 · 10% of the composite

ESG looks at clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance signals and not-for-profit proxy status. Kingston upon Thames ranks 265th of 361 on this pillar with a score of 984, 16 points below the UK benchmark, and outperforms only 26.6% of authorities. Its companies show relatively limited ESG activity compared with most of the country.

The 5 measures behind this pillar

  • Clean energy30%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in clean or renewable energy, or clean technology.

  • Other green activity20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Active in green buildings and infrastructure, green transport, or sustainable farming and food.

  • Environmental accolades20%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has an environmental accolade, including completed Innovate UK clean growth grants.

  • Social and governance15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Has a gender pay equality signal from a report in the last five years, a director gender equality signal, or a social accolade.

  • Not-for-profit proxy15%See the data on Beauhurst

    Is limited by guarantee without share capital, a rough indicator of non-profit status.

We publish a score for each pillar, not for the measures inside it. The percentage beside each measure is how much it counts towards the pillar score. Select the lock to see the companies behind a measure on the Beauhurst platform.

Compared to Greater London

The chart below places Kingston upon Thames's composite score alongside its neighbours in Greater London, where it ranks 12th of 32 authorities, sitting 37 points below the county score of 1,021.

Dots share one axis across the site. The line marks the UK benchmark of 1,000; differences are in points.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Kingston upon Thames's Local Growth Score and how it's calculated.

Read the methodology
What is Kingston upon Thames's score on the UK Local Growth Index?

Kingston upon Thames scores 984, placing it 146th of 361 local authorities and 16 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.

How does Kingston upon Thames compare with the rest of London?

It ranks 12th of 32 authorities in Greater London, sitting 37 points below the county score of 1,021 and 49 points below the London regional score of 1,033.

Which pillar is strongest for Kingston upon Thames?

Investment is its strongest pillar, where it ranks 82nd of 360 authorities nationally and outperforms 77.2% of all authorities.

Where does Kingston upon Thames rank on Scaling?

It ranks 278th of 360 authorities on Scaling, with a score of 973, which is 27 points below the UK benchmark. Only 22.8% of authorities score lower.

How many active companies are counted in Kingston upon Thames?

The index covers 13,694 active companies in Kingston upon Thames, with corporate groups counted once rather than as individual registered entities.

What does the likely range mean for Kingston upon Thames's score?

The likely range of 972 to 996 shows how much the score could move with a slightly different mix of companies. A score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.

Explore the data behind the index

Every score on this page is built from real, named company activity, patent filings, fundraisings, spinouts and scaleups. Book a call to see the data behind any authority's score, and how Beauhurst can support your work.

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