London, June 17 : Bill Gates has waded into the European Union referendum debate claiming that Britain would be a \"significantly less attractive place to do business and invest\" in the event of a Brexit.

The intervention from Gates, the world\'s wealthiest man who has invested more than a billion dollars in Britain, came after several polls throughout the week suggested the Leave campaign had edged ahead, The Independent reported.

On Thursday a poll showed Leave with 53 per cent of the vote while Remain slipped behind with 47 per cent.

The American businessman said Britain would be \"stronger, more prosperous and more influential\" inside the EU.

Gates, who founded Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -- a philanthropic organisation -- said Britain\'s EU membership and access to the single market played a role in the decision to place the company\'s research facilities in Cambridge.

\"While ultimately a matter for the British people to decide, it is clear to me that if Britain chooses to be outside of Europe, it will be a significantly less attractive place,\" Gates said.

\"It will be harder to find and recruit the best talent from across the Continent; talent which, in turn, creates jobs for people in Britain.

\"And, it would be harder to raise the investment needed for public goods such as new medicines and affordable clean energy solutions, for which we need the scale of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and financial backing that the combined strength of the EU provides.\"

Bill Gates says Brexit would make Britain \'less attractive\'