Phil Cooper Founder of Kippsy.com Defends London's Start-up Scene from a Silicon Valley Slur

LONDON, February 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Phil Cooper, founder of Kippsy.com a collaborate accommodation site, responds to recent comments by AirBnB co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk who claimed that London is 'stuck in a Silicon Valley Roundabout' and held back by its failure to produce a 'billion dollar' online business.  Cooper counters, "London has always moved to its own beat; we develop innovative businesses and entrepreneurs in the capital."

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Cooper, who cites home grown Vodafone as an example which just sold to Verizon for US$130 billion, continues, "I get irritated when Silicon Valley heavyweights launch into the UK start-up market, thinking that we are a small-tech inferior backwater.  Brits have never shied away from the David and Goliath scenario.  I see Kippsy as a disruptor to the disruptors.  We are often met with surprise that we have entered a market with such established players, but this market is less competitive than my previous industry of digital advertising."

Cooper founder of start-up Kippsy now offers over 1000 centrally located premium as a viable, economical alternative to hotels.  As well as providing a "human touch" bespoke service for visitors to London - including an eConcierge and executive key handover service for Business Account Holders, Kippsy has just launched the sector's first comprehensive Loyalty Scheme for all users of the site  http://www.kippsy.com.

The European Commission's detailed report on the sharing economy had a projection from MIT Sloan Experts that the 'collaborative consumption' sector had the potential to become a €81.5 billion market globally.

Cooper concluded that with its globalisation strategy, Silicon Valley says what they think the rest of the world should consume: "Collaborative consumption is about the market deciding what they consume; and will establish their own levels.  In London we value personal service.  We aren't trying to be another Silicon Valley."

London has successfully incubated start-ups companies like Hailo, Moshi Monsters; and entrepreneur Nick D'Aloisio, who reportedly sold his business Summly to Yahoo! for US $30 million.  TIME Magazine named him as one of the world's most influential teenagers.  

Last year, 15,720 new companies launched in London's equivalent of Silicon Valley: Tech City.  Government figures showed that the digital and creative industries in the UK, accounted for 6% of British GDP.