AI firms take record London office space in 2026

TL;DR:

  • AI companies signed for 565,000 sq ft of London office space in the first four months of 2026, with another 288,000 sq ft under offer.
  • That far exceeds the 211,000 sq ft taken in all of 2025, pointing to a record first half.
  • OpenAI, Anthropic and Synthesia are among firms expanding, with JLL tracking 30 AI companies hunting for space.

The AI boom is showing up in bricks and mortar. AI companies signed for a record 565,000 sq ft of London office space in the first four months of 2026, according to JLL data, with a further 288,000 sq ft under offer — combined, roughly the footprint of the City’s Walkie Talkie tower. It is a tangible counterpoint to the idea that remote work has ended demand for headquarters.

A measurable signal of UK AI growth

The figures dwarf recent years: AI firms took 211,000 sq ft in all of 2025 and 130,000 sq ft in 2024, making the first half of 2026 a clear record. ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Claude developer Anthropic are among those signing deals, gravitating to the “Knowledge Quarter” around King’s Cross, home to tech giants, start-ups and universities. JLL’s Alex Browning called the rise “meteoric”, reflecting “huge confidence in Central London as the best city to attract the top talent”. Video-AI firm Synthesia and Scale AI both cited proximity to talent and customers as reasons for larger London bases.

The demand is reshaping a constrained market. British Land’s Mike Wiseman said tech demand over the past six months felt like “the strongest that we’ve seen ever”, rewarding developers who bet on high-quality space through the pandemic. The expansion tracks a sector whose global value Statista forecasts will reach $710.8bn in 2027, and follows large UK raises such as Ineffable Intelligence’s recent £870m ($1.1bn).

Looking forward

Office take-up is a lagging but hard-to-fake indicator: firms commit to long leases only when they expect to hire. With JLL tracking 30 AI companies actively searching, the pipeline suggests sustained UK growth rather than a blip. It also strengthens the government’s “AI superpower” pitch ahead of London Tech Week. The risk is concentration — a market leaning heavily on a handful of well-funded US labs would feel any cooling in AI valuations quickly.

Share this article