Snap Inc.has announced plans to establish its primary international hub in the UK.

The surprising move comes when small and established companies are skeptical about remaining in the UK because of the upcoming Brexit.High-tech firms rely upon talent pools that are international and a location elsewhere in Europe would not have raised doubts about the need for work visas and restrictions in immigration.But Snap says it's happy to call the UK home, citing the country's "strong creative industries."

Other high-tech companies have favored low-tax countries like Luxembourg and Ireland.But Snap's staying in the UK.

"The UK is where our advertising clients are, where more than 10 million daily Snapchatters are, and where we've already begun to hire talent," says Claire Valoti, general manager of Snap UK.

The UK hasn't left the European Union yet, but small tech companies are already worried about the potential effects of the Brexit.Those effects have yet to be negotiated but could be devastating.Larger companies like Facebook and Google are cautiously investing in the UK.

The British subsidiary of the American parent company, Snap Inc., is called Snap Group Limited.Snapchat has dropped the "chat" part from its name and brand to emphasize its role as a camera company first. "We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate," says the corporate website.

Snap's camera ambitions are based on Spectacles, glasses with built-in Wi-Fi cameras currently sold only through a limited number of vending machines.The glasses have been a hit with users even though availability is limited.