The rising stars of British business were celebrated at The Startups Awards, with winners selected from a diverse range of fields including pet food, pensions and personal grooming.
The key factor linking the winners was the way they have embraced technology to help customers and disrupt established industries.
Among the start-ups taking the plaudits were innovative background checking platform Onfido, who not only won Tech Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, but also scooped the main prize as Sage Startups Business of the Year.
Software company Netduma also walked away with two awards, winning Export Business of the Year and Lean Start-up of the Year, while shaving subscription service Cornerstone won the public vote to take the People’s Champion Award.
The awards, sponsored by Sage, hailed winners across 15 categories who had all been scrutinised by an expert judging panel including Cath Kidston MBE, Emma Sinclair MBE and Dragons’ Den star Nick Jenkins. Winners were selected on commercial criteria such as revenue and profit, but also the kind of visionary leadership shown and the companies’ wider contribution to society.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, judge and founder David Lester said: “These are clearly uncertain times for British business but these exciting start-ups are proof that by being innovative, agile and customer-centric, it is possible for even small companies to disrupt multi-million pound industries.”
The full list of awards
Onfido: Next-generation background checking platform used by thousands of companies worldwide. Winners of Sage Startups Business of the Year, Tech Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Netduma: Software company combating broadband lag and internet congestion. Winners of Export Business of the Year and Lean Start-up of the Year
Cornerstone: Online subscription company offering razors and shaving products. Voted by the public for the People’s Champion Award.
Pip & Nut: Healthy, natural nut butter brand winning fans across the UK. Founder Pip Murray is the winner of the Women in Business Award.
Laundrapp: Innovative laundry app cleaning up in more than 100 locations across the UK. Winners of App of the Year.
Tails.com: Dog food brand tailored to each pet’s individual needs. Winners of Product Business of the Year.
Lovespace: Revolutionising the £1bn self-storage industry. Winners of Crowdfunded Business of the Year.
PensionBee: Online user-friendly platform shaking up the pensions industry. Winners of Innovative Business of the Year.
Cubitts: Spectacle retailer combining cutting edge technology with traditional craft. Winners of Retail Business of the Year.
Housekeep: Home cleaner booking platform now delivering 10,000 cleans per month. Winners of Service Business of the Year.
ClearScore: Free credit-scoring platform serving 2.5 million users. Winners of Venture Funded Business of the Year.
Heritage Healthcare Ealing & Richmond: Specialist homecare service provider serving local communities. Winners of Franchisee of the Year.
