A $2bn AI unicorn tests London’s nerve
Synthesia is Britain’s biggest generative-AI firm. Can the country keep it?
THIS SUMMER Sir Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, opened a new glass-fronted office block in the centre of the capital. Its tenant was Synthesia, a firm that turns written prompts into slick videos with digital avatars. Sir Sadiq joked that his aides would welcome an avatar of him—better dressed and reliably on script. On the subject of Synthesia, however, he was less modest. The firm, he said, was a great “London success story”.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Veni, video, vici”
From the October 4th 2025 edition
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