The UK’s longest-running index of the best new businesses has returned for 2023. This time with an updated format that will help to spotlight more pioneering firms than ever before.
Now in its fourteenth year, the Startups 100 Index was created to celebrate the achievements of the 100 most exciting, disruptive, and successful UK startups.
As one of the UK’s most well-respected new business rankings, the index has identified some of the most revolutionary brands of the past decade. Last year’s winner – the educational tech startup Multiverse founded by Euan Blair – recently took on a valuation of £1.4bn.
This year’s list will be chosen by the Startups team of experts, in collaboration with an authoritative panel of judges. Our featured new businesses will join esteemed alumni including Monzo, Deliveroo, and THIS™.
Distributed, a work platform for freelance software developers, featured in the Startups 100 2021. Co-founder, Callum Adamson said: “For a nascent business, the hardest thing to do is to get noticed, the second hardest thing to do is to be trusted. Being on the Startups 100 list helps us do both.”
The 2023 competition promises to be one of the most hotly-contested yet. Despite the triad of challenges posed by inflation, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 753,168 new company incorporations in 2021 to 2022 – the second highest on record.*
To reflect this competitive environment, a variety of brand-new categories will be introduced to shine a light on startups that are prioritising people, planet, or purpose as much as profit.
These include the Sustainability award, for the startup that’s leading in the fight against climate change, and the Just Started, a prize for businesses founded in 2022.
Commenting on the launch of this year’s index, Richard Parris, managing editor of Startups.co.uk, said: “Throughout its history, Startups 100 has championed those entrepreneurs that are doing something different and creative in their space. We’re all aware of the difficulties currently facing SMEs. But, as this year’s record-high business registration rate shows, necessity breeds ingenuity.
“That’s why we’ve introduced a host of new categories to the index this year. We want to capture the huge range of unique voices joining the UK’s small business population – at a time when support is most needed.”
UK startups launched on or after 1 January 2017 can sign up to the Startups 100 2023 via the Startups.co.uk website.