List of 50 Most Successful UK Startups of All time
The United Kingdom has been considered one of the top countries in the world where start-ups thrive and succeed. Not only is the economy suitable for businesses, but the availability of many infrastructural facilities and access to modern technological devices has made the nation one of the best places to set up a business.
In this guide, Incorpuk will explore the list of the 50 most successful UK startups of all time.
1. Monzo Bank Ltd
Monzo Bank Ltd was founded in the year 2015 with its headquarters in London. With its new and revolutionary way of operating, Monzo has made banking so easy. It was formerly known as mondo but was renamed due to trademark issues. With more than 5.8 million customers as of 2022, the bank has continued thriving in this industry.
2. Wise
Formerly called Transferwise, this firm was established in the year 2011. It offers seamless international money transfer, making it easier for everyone to send and receive payment without delay. This fintech firm is most favoured by many entrepreneurs, freelancers, business owners and professionals across many countries due to its no hidden charges features.
3. Revolut
Revolut is a fintech company founded in the year 2015. It has its headquarters in London with over 16 million customers in about 30 countries. The firm has been regarded as one of the most valuable fintech enterprises in the UK and it offers several services including crypto trading, currency exchange etc.
4. WorldRemit
WorldRemit provides a global platform that allows individuals to send money to people in other countries. The platform specifically is favoured by migrants as it enables them to send funds to their loved ones in other countries without stress. It is located in London and has more than 500 employees at the moment.
5. Edume
This is a startup firm that specialises in helping the workforce to maximise their potential through the available technological tools. They provide a platform where employers can easily train the workforce and put their best to work. Founded in 2016, the firm has remained one of the successful career development platforms of our time.
6. Doctify
Through this platform, people can easily connect with the best clinics and hospitals around them. The firm uses mobile apps that help suggest the best medical care around and the type of services that they provide. It was founded in 2015 and it has continued to grow throughout the UK.
7. Starling Bank
This is an online bank established in the year 2014. The bank offers services like joint accounts, euro accounts, and current accounts to both individuals and businesses. With the use of mobile apps, banking on this platform has become so easy. In fact, Starling Bank has been regarded as the pathfinder of online banking in the UK.
8. Deliveroo Holdings PLC
Founded in 2013, Deliveroo is one of the foremost food delivery companies headquartered in London. The company prides itself in delivering healthy foods to its customers just with a few clicks. And apart from that the firm had established its own restaurant to serve the people. It has other subsidiaries like Deliveries Editions and Deliveries HOP. Furthermore, it has branches in Italy, France, Qatar, Hong Kong, Kuwait etc.
9. Tractable
This is a technology-based firm that creates artificial intelligence used in assessing damages to properties and automobiles. It is basically useful to insurers in evaluating the external damage to vehicles and properties. This firm uses Advanced vision AI and deep learning to assess the apparent and external damage to a property. The firm was established in 2014 and it was recognized as one of the most successful AI firms in the world.
10. Freetrade
Founded in 2018, this firm uses a mobile app that allows individuals to invest in stock. The app is made available throughout the world and it is supported by Android and iOS. It has more than 600, 000 users and offers amazing features like no monthly cost which makes it favoured by a lot of people
11. Funding Circle
Funding Circle is a platform that helps connect small businesses with investors. It was established in 2010 with its headquarters in London, although it also has branches in the USA, Germany and the Netherlands. The firm has been providing positive changes in the business realm by making it easier for businesses to access funding and allowing investors access to a good return.
12. Onfido
Onfido is a firm that helps companies verify an individual's identity online. Founded in 2012 and located in London, the platform uses artificial intelligence, identity documents and selfies to verify people’s identity online. As of 2019, the company was recognised as one of the most thriving tech start-ups in the UK.
13. Improbable World Limited
Improbable is another tech company that is changing the gaming world. Founded in 2012 and located in London, the company has created a virtual gaming world that feels so real. With its unique and consistent approach to simulation and gaming, the company has earned itself a spot on the list of Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startups.
14. Brewdog
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Scotland, Brewdog has spread its operations across several countries of the world. The brand offers fun-filled, flavoury beers to its consumers. Beyond that, they produce beers for dogs, founded a beer-inspired hotel and continuously planted many trees for their production.
15. ASOS
ASOS, meaning As Seen On Screen is a UK online fashion firm that deals with both men's and women's fashion items. As its name implies, the company specialises in distributing celebrity-inspired fashion items. Established in London, the company has offices in more than 200 countries across the world. It has been regarded as one of the biggest online shopping platforms as it generated more than 4 billion euro as of 2020.
16. Babylon Health
Babylon Health is an online health firm that provides virtual consultation services to its users. It has its headquarters in the UK but also operates across several other countries. With the use of mobile apps and artificial intelligence, the platform has been utilised for various diagnostic services.
17. Farfetch
This is another thriving firm that majors in luxury fashion. The platform functions by connecting shoppers and consumers to many luxury boutiques across the world. With its headquarters in London UK, the firm has other branches in several countries. It basically uses apps and websites to help sellers connect with shoppers and this is made available in several languages that can be easily understood by customers.
18. RobinAI
RobinAI is a Lawtech startup established in 2019. The company is concerned about helping lawyers and others in the law field to minimise the time spent working by introducing the use of AI and maximising worker's effectiveness. With the use of AI technology, the company has been able to lower the amount of hours used in reviewing contracts and carrying out administrative tasks.
19. Darktrace
This is a cybersecurity firm that majors in using artificial intelligence to detect cyber threats, fraud, and attacks. It has its headquarters in London but is still opening offices across the world. It has been noted as one of the top and fastest-growing cybersecurity firms in the world.
20. OakNorth Bank
This bank was established in the year 2015 in London although it has more branches across the world. It helps in connecting lenders to business owners making it easier to access loans. Through the use of AI, the company can easily evaluate borrower’s worthiness to loans and provide them faster.
21. Gousto
This is a unique food service platform that offers specialised meal kits to the people. If you like trying new recipes or are a foodie, then Gousto remains the best go-to partner. The firm provides meal recipe boxes containing fresh food ingredients, recipes and instructions. With it, you don’t have to worry about what to cook and how to go about it. Founded in 2012, it remains one of the thriving food businesses in the UK to date.
22. Zopa
Established in the year 2005, Zopa is one of the foremost world lending platforms. It offers services like personal loans, credit cards and so on. Headquartered in London, Zopa has successfully lent out billions of pounds in the past years. Zopa stands for Zone of Possible Agreement which suggests the company’s strong interest in uniting people for beneficial purposes.
23. Qogita
This company uses an e-commerce platform to connect wholesalers to retailers. And even if you are an individual who loves to purchase your home items in stock, then this is where to go. Over the years, the company has attracted a lot of investors because of the lucrative nature of the business. Overall, there are more than 300,000 sellers on the platform and also with thousands of buyers.
24. Otta
Founded in 2019 and located in London, Otta is a career-based company that focuses on helping individuals land their dream jobs. The company has a platform that makes applications for jobs easier. As such, candidates could specify the roles they want, engage within the platform and expect Otta's advanced software to recommend jobs that are suitable to the candidate's skills.
25. Visionable
Visionable is a start-up in the healthcare industry. Through the use of websites and mobile apps, the company has been able to provide medical help to a lot of people across the globe. Founded in 2019, the firm has continuously been recognized as one of the successful firms in the healthcare industry.
26. eToro
This is another Fintech company that eases investment and trading. As a company or organisation, trading of stocks, currencies and commodities is possible and stress-free on this platform. The company is located in London, has received a lot of funding from investors and has over 500 employees as of 2024.
27. Mlabs
This startup is located in Birmingham and it was funded in 2018. The company focuses on blockchain, Haskel and AI. They therefore provide consultancy to other companies and firms who are looking forward to starting a project related to the mentioned assets. The company generates revenue by sensitising other companies on the nature of these modern technologies and how they could efficiently work on them.
28. Sano Genetics
Headquartered in Cambridge and founded in 2017, Sano Genetics is a modern technological company that focuses on improving genetic treatment and providing ultimate care to its consumers. It has a platform that makes it easier for patients to connect with doctors, carry out pre-screening activities, save medical records and so on.
29. Cazoo
Cazoo was established in 2018 and it majors in the selling of used cars online. The firm provides used vehicles which are sold to consumers with seven days money back guarantee. Cazoo makes use of virtual platforms that make it easier for the public to have access to used high-quality cars.
30. Cleo
Founded in 2016, the firm specialises in helping individuals and small businesses in managing their funds. It has a platform that could be used to track your day-to-day spending at a go. With that, you can easily learn how to save efficiently without depriving yourself of the major needs.
31. Conigital
Conigital is an auto-related company that is located in Birmingham, UK. The company was established in 2015 and it combines the knowledge of technology, AI and automobiles to improve driving efficiency and safety. Apart from that, the company has been able to provide an effective way of transporting heavy goods through the use of advanced technology.
32. Qredo
This is a financial technology and cryptocurrency-related company. It is located in London and it was established in 2018. The company focuses on securing and safeguarding digital assets. As such they provide solutions for securing cryptocurrency wallets. They also provide an inclusive solution to professionals and industries like banks, asset managers, crypto traders and so on.
33. Impala
This is a travel firm concerned about making travelling booking as easy as possible. Established in 2016, the startup maximises the power of online platforms in making travel as easy as possible.
34. Birdie
As a way of revolutionising the way we care for our elderly, this firm created a platform that allows individuals to monitor their old ones from different parts of the world. The platform uses human expertise together with AI to provide the best care for loved ones. Founded in 2017, the platform has been known for its flexibility and comprehensiveness in care provision.
35. Inmarsat
Headquartered in London, Inmarsat is a telecommunication company that focuses on providing telephone and data-based services to governmental bodies, agencies and businesses worldwide. The company specifically solves the problem of inefficient communication in remote areas, so businesses and organisations can communicate even when they are in a location without a reliable network.
36. SuperAwesome
This startup is concerned about innovative and fun digital experiences for kids. With its delivery ranging from mobile phones, game consoles etc, there are a lot of kids that could try out on the go. The platform isn’t only safe but maintains adequate regulations that make it suitable for kids. Founded in 2013, this platform mainly caters for kids between ages 8 to 12.
37. Checkout.com
This is an e-commerce platform that allows sellers to easily have access to payment service providers. Headquartered in London and founded in 2012, the company also has several offices across several countries of the world. Apart from that the company also uses the latest technology to help international consumers experience stress-free shopping.
38. Influencer
This firm was established in the year 2015 and it specialises in helping businesses and brands utilise the power of social media. It creates an avenue where brands can easily maximise the online world. Through them, so many brands have been able to increase their sales and marketing ability on social media platforms.
39. Jolt
Jolt provides a learning platform where people can acquire more knowledge and grow within their industry. It offers a specialised system where teachers can connect with learners. As such the necessary tools, courses and skills are provided through this platform. Jolt was established in 2015 and it has remained a top-notch firm since then.
40. Tide
Tide is a banking platform for small businesses. Founded in 2015, the company is focused on providing seamless banking services to business owners. They provide services such as business loans, finance advice and many more.
41. Moneybox
Established in the year 2015, Moneybox provides a framework where people can easily save and invest money. By signing up on their website, you can easily get started with saving on the platform.
42. GymShark
As the name implies, the company focuses on producing wear that makes gym and fitness easier, comfortable and convenient. The company was established in 2012 and has expanded its product distribution across many countries of the world. Not only that, it has maintained its product quality and practicality over the years.
43. Bloom
Bloom was founded in 2019 and it focuses on providing swift funding access to ecommerce businesses. The finance company typically helps rapidly growing digital firms in accessing loans for a short time. Unlike other lending platforms, bloom mainly provides finance to digital businesses that are actively growing in their field.
44. Beckley Psytech
This firm is concerned about using psychedelic substances and therapies in treating major mental health issues like depression. Founded in 2019, the company has remained a fast-growing enterprise providing innovative solutions to mental health.
45. SumUp
This is another Fintech Company that focuses on providing hassle-free payment solutions to business owners. They specifically allow card payment which can be used in physical locations or on the go. It was founded in 2013 and has more than 4 million active users.
46. Hopin
With the global pandemic, Hopin has been one of the lifesaving companies that made organising online events easy. The company provides an online platform that allows companies and individuals to set up meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences and much more without restrictions. Hopin was founded in 2019 and since then it has been experiencing massive growth.
47. Bloom and Wild
Bloom and Wild are a flower-based company in the UK. The company focuses on helping people to easily assess blooms within the UK. It also provides consumers with flower arrangement recommendations, gifting solutions and many more.
48. Fever
Founded in 2013, Fever is a unique platform that provides people with access to entertainment. With the platform, users can easily get to know the latest events like festivals, parties, concerts and other events happening around them. Due to the exceptional entertainment opportunities provided, the firm continues to remain a top and successful startup over several years.
49. WeFarm
WeFarm as a company helps farmers communicate with one another through SMS without the use of the internet. Through the platform, farmers can share information and connect with one another with ease. The company is located in London.
50. Motorway
Motorway offers an exclusive approach to selling off your car. The company was established in 2016 and ever since then, it has ensured an effective and efficient system of selling vehicles.
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Conclusion
Although this guide has outlined the list of the 50 most successful start-ups in the UK, it should be noted that there are still many other start-ups within the UK that are booming. Whether you are looking forward to starting a business in the UK or you are in search of the best companies to work with, there are a lot of them you could try out.