Technology & SaaS

Every line of code could be earning you 33p back from HMRC.

Most UK tech companies claim nothing. The average qualifying claim is £62,000. STERLING identifies your R&D activity automatically, STERLING finds Innovate UK funding, and OTTO structures your growth finance, all before your standup.

£62KAverage tech SME R&D claim
85%Eligible companies claim nothing
27%ERIS cash credit for loss-making SMEs
STERLING
R&D activity identification
ERIS scheme analysis
AIF deadline tracking
Claim structuring
Tax Intelligence
STERLING
Innovate UK scanning
Horizon Europe alerts
Grant eligibility scoring
Application intelligence
Grant Agent
OTTO
SEIS/EIS structuring
Revenue-based finance
Growth capital matching
144+ lender panel
Finance Agent
Intelligence Layer
Orchestrates all three
Weekly R&D intelligence
Funding calendar alerts
Founder morning brief
OS Layer
85%

of eligible UK tech companies never claim R&D credits, STERLING finds your qualifying activity automatically.

£62KAverage R&D claim for UK tech SME
85%Of eligible companies claim nothing
27%ERIS cash credit, loss-making SMEs
33pBack from HMRC per qualifying £1 spent

Tax, grants, and growth finance. All automated.

STERLING identifies qualifying R&D activity across your development sprints. STERLING scans Innovate UK and public funding portals for matching opportunities. OTTO structures the right growth capital for your stage, seed, Series A, or revenue-based. SME Growth Team ties it together every morning.

01

STERLING maps your R&D footprint

Most tech companies are doing qualifying R&D without knowing it. STERLING analyses your development activity against HMRC's definition of technological uncertainty, not just the projects you consciously label as R&D. Average first-year claim: £62K. ERIS scheme returns 27% as cash for loss-making companies.

STERLING, R&D TAX INTELLIGENCE
02

STERLING scans every funding portal daily

Innovate UK posts new competitions weekly. Horizon Europe, UKRI, and DCMS all have active funding streams for tech companies. STERLING scores each opportunity against your technology profile, stage, and sector, and alerts you only to the ones worth pursuing, with application deadlines.

STERLING, R&D AND INNOVATION INTELLIGENCE
03

OTTO structures your growth capital

SEIS/EIS for angels, revenue-based finance for SaaS, venture debt for post-Series A, OTTO matches your stage to the right instrument. No dilution where it isn't necessary. No personal guarantees where alternatives exist. 144+ lenders and investors on the panel.

OTTO, GROWTH FINANCE STRUCTURING

The agents tech companies use most.

The full innovation finance stack, automated.

01

R&D Tax Credits

STERLING identifies qualifying development activity, including software, AI, machine learning, and process innovation, and structures a defensible claim. Average claim £62K. AIF deadline monitoring ensures you never miss a submission window.

Agent: STERLING
02

Innovate UK & UKRI Grants

STERLING scans Innovate UK competitions, Smart Grants, SBRI challenges, and Horizon Europe calls daily. Match scored against your technology category, commercial stage, and founding team profile. Alert fires as soon as a qualifying window opens.

Agent: STERLING
03

SEIS/EIS & Growth Finance

SEIS for angel rounds, EIS for Series A, revenue-based finance for profitable SaaS. OTTO structures the optimal stack for your stage and matches to investors and lenders who specialise in technology, not generalist SME brokers.

Agent: OTTO

What tech companies gain when AI runs the commercial layer.

"STERLING found qualifying R&D activity across three products we hadn't even considered claiming on. That changed our runway materially."

£62K Average STERLING R&D credit identification on first audit

"STERLING alerted us to an Innovate UK competition three weeks before the deadline. We would have missed it entirely without the automated scanning."

Weekly New Innovate UK competitions scanned by STERLING, matched to your profile

"Most of our clients come in thinking they only qualify for one type of credit. STERLING consistently finds two or three qualifying streams."

27% ERIS cash credit, returned to loss-making tech companies within weeks of filing

"OTTO structured our Series A with venture debt on top. We kept 12% more equity than our previous term sheet offered."

144+ Investors and lenders on OTTO's panel, including tech specialists

Your R&D claim is waiting.
STERLING finds it today.

Submit your details and we'll assess your technology business, identify qualifying R&D activity, and have STERLING and OTTO operational within days.

See how SME Growth Team works for technology businesses

R&D credits, grant funding, and growth finance, all orchestrated into one intelligence layer for tech founders.

Explore SME Growth Team for Tech