Tech City Architect Rohan Silva Leaving Downing Street

Rohan Silva, the man credited with making the start-up scene in Shoreditch a government priority, will leave Downing Street to become an entrepreneur.

Having been an adviser to chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne from 2006, and later to David Cameron, he has helped bend policy to foster a more welcoming environment for young companies.

Tech City has subsequently become a big part of the government’s plans to get Britain’s economy going, although few firms in the area have matured to become prominent tech companies.

Rohan Silva checking out

Silva, who was ranked 11th in Wired magazine’s list of top 100 most influential people in European technology, has helped push a number of tax breaks for angel investors, developers and entrepreneurs.

He is now set to leave government in June, to join Index Ventures, as an entrepreneur in residence for six months, according to the Financial Times. Index Ventures has backed some notable start-ups in recent years, including popular code learning service Codecademy.

Silva said he is also keen to launch a firm in the education technology market.

“The thing on my mind is I’m 32, I’ve worked for George and David for seven years – that’s a really good spell by any kind of measure – and for a couple of years before that in the Treasury,” he told the paper.

“I think it’s time now to have a bash at something new.”

What do you know about Tech City? Find out in our quiz!