New Research Reveals Whether Scale Up Founders Are Ready For The AI Shift

After asking 400 members in a survey, Helm has found that 93% of scale up founders don’t feel ready for AI. So that means only 3.5% said they’re ready, and another 3.5% aren’t quite sure yet.

The polling took place just 2 weeks ago. Helm, which was known as The Supper Club until 2022, was founded in 2003 and describes itself as the leading membership community for scale up founders and chief executives in the UK. Its members run businesses with an average annual revenue of £21m.

Taken together, the 400 companies represented in the survey generate £8bn in revenue. Scale up businesses are those that have moved beyond the start up stage and are experiencing rapid and sustained growth. The findings therefore capture the views of founders running established, high growth companies rather than early stage ventures.

The scale of scepticism about workforce readiness stands out. A near unanimous view among respondents signals unease about how quickly employees can adapt as artificial intelligence tools spread through offices and operations.

Are Founders Expecting Job Losses Or Hiring Freezes?

33% of the founders think tech adoptation is what will lead to job losses within their own businesses while 64% do not, and 3% are unsure.

Recruitment decisions are where the more immediate impact will show with 58% of the surveyed saying they are ether delaying or completely reducing new hires due to the increased use of advanced systems.

Only 35% say hiring plans are unaffected. For companies with average annual revenues of £21m, that is not a minor adjustment. It affects how growth is funded and how teams are structured.

The responses clearly show the tension between growth ambitions and the pressure to integrate new technology. Founders appear to be weighing the cost of bringing in more staff against the potential productivity gains from AI systems.
 

What Are Business Leaders Saying About Skills And Training?

Andreas Adamides, chief executive of Helm, said the findings show that leaders are grappling with tough choices. He said: “AI is forcing business leaders to make some difficult decisions about jobs and hiring. Many founders are under pressure to move fast, stay competitive, and rethink roles as automation accelerates.”

He added that the debate should not stop at cost savings. “The bigger opportunity now is to upskill workers for higher value roles and use AI to drive sustainable growth. If businesses and policymakers invest in skills early, AI can become a powerful engine for productivity rather than job insecurity.”

Joshua Wöhle, founder and chief executive of Mindstone, also linked the issue to training. He said: “AI has the potential to be transformational for British business, but the skills gap is making people focus on automation, which is where technology has historically made a difference, instead of augmentation, where generative AI really can make a difference.

“Automation leads to job losses versus augmentation that moves the top line. Ultimately, this comes down to training.”

Wöhle previously co founded Super Awesome and exited the business before launching Mindstone, which describes itself as a full stack AI transformation company. His comments suggest that the direction companies take with AI, whether towards replacing staff or boosting their output, will depend largely on how much they invest in developing their people.

Across the Helm network, the message is consistent… Founders running companies with an average turnover of £21m see AI as a force that will reshape their organisations. Many are cautious about the current state of workforce readiness, and more than half are adjusting hiring decisions.

At the same time, leading voices within the community argue that targeted training could tilt AI adoption towards growth and not with job losses.