Top Unicorn Startups Companies in UK 2024

It holds the top regional ranking in Western Europe and ranks 2nd globally. Additionally, the UK (United Kingdom) is placed 4th on the Global Innovation Index. The country's startup ecosystem is prominently represented in sectors such as Ecommerce & Retail, Fintech, and Healthtech.

Over the years, the UK has excelled in attracting both domestic and international talent, benefiting from its liberal and diverse population, vibrant job market, and favorable regulatory environment.

Businesses across sectors recognize the strategic advantages offered by the UK, including its geographic location, proximity to Europe, language advantage, and historical trade and innovation connections. As globalization drives capital, labor, and innovation, the UK remains a key gateway to opportunities, similar to its historic role in global finance.

The British government actively promotes various areas such as early-stage seed investment, open data initiatives, and advantageous corporate tax rates. These efforts, combined with existing incentive programs, foster a highly pro-business environment, particularly during the seed stage of development. Entrepreneurs can access government grants or opt for the Startup Loans scheme, receiving support in business plan drafting and mentoring.

In London, entrepreneurs can benefit from the London Co-Investment Fund, while government initiatives like the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Research and Development (R&D) tax credits further support startups nationwide. The UK's startup landscape thrives on innovation, with major cities serving as bustling hubs.

London leads globally in technology and innovation, while Manchester focuses on digital expertise. Birmingham's startup scene combines traditional industries with emerging technologies, showcasing the diversity of the UK (United Kingdom) startup ecosystem.

The UK boasts approximately 10,848 startups, among which approximately 48 are classified as unicorn startups. 

Below is a compilation of the Unicorn startups in the UK (United Kingdom).

5ire

In 2021, 5ire emerged under the leadership of Pratik Gauri, Prateek Dwivedi, and Vilma Mattila, with its headquarters situated in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Specializing in blockchain network platforms, 5ire offers solutions tailored for transactional scalability, on-chain governance, and democratic processes, along with future-proof upgrade capabilities. It empowers users to create, construct, and engage in transactions seamlessly.

Accelerant

Established in 2018 by Jeff Radke and Christopher Lee Smith, Accelerant operates from Colchester, UK. It serves as a data intelligence and risk management platform catering to businesses. Accelerant provides a comprehensive data platform empowering underwriters to comprehend risk, gain valuable insights, and navigate operational and regulatory challenges effectively. Its solutions enable businesses to mitigate volatility and hazards by maintaining a diversified portfolio, while also addressing aggregation and systemic risk.

Beamery

Founded in 2013 by Abakar Saidov, Michael Paterson, and Sultan Murad Saidov, Beamery is headquartered in London, UK. Specializing in cloud-based applicant tracking system suite solutions, Beamery offers a range of features including candidate sourcing, recruitment CRM, candidate engagement, and employer branding. The platform includes a browser extension designed to capture contact information, social profiles, and skills to create talent pools, manage candidate communications, and more. It also provides updates for contact information across all candidates in the recruitment database, in addition to offering investment management solutions.

Bgl Group

Established in 1992 by Douw Steyn, BGL Group is based in Peterborough, UK. Functioning as a digital distributor of insurance and financial services, BGL Group provides a range of offerings including vehicle and home insurance, along with various supplementary products such as breakdown coverage. The platform operates several consumer-facing price comparison and product purchasing portals. Among its portfolio of businesses and brands are compare-the-market, les-furets, and beagle-street.

Block Chain.com

Established in 2011, Blockchain.com was founded by Peter Smith, Ben Reeves, Mia Hylton, and Nicolas Cary. Headquartered in London, UK, Blockchain.com is a pioneer in the development of a digital assets platform aimed at transforming the financial services industry. The company's platform facilitates swift transactions without the need for costly intermediaries, offering tools for real-time transaction data, crypto information, and analysis. This provides investors and developers with a simple and secure method to purchase, sell, and store cryptocurrency.

Brew Dog

Founded in 2007 by Martin Dickie and James Watt, BrewDog is headquartered in Ellon, UK. Serving as both a brewery and a chain of pubs, BrewDog operates with the aim of offering alcoholic drinks to its patrons. The company specializes in producing bottled and canned beers in a diverse range of styles, including ale, stout, and Indian pale ale. Some of these beverages are also available in keg containers, providing customers with a wide selection of malt beverages such as beer and liquors.

Castor

Established in 2012 by Derk Arts, Castor is situated in New York City, United States. Castor offers a web-based system that empowers researchers to construct electronic Case Report Forms (eCRFs) for secure and reliable data collection in medical research. The company has engineered a platform designed to streamline various clinical trial procedures, incorporating functionalities for electronic data capture, data management, and beyond.

Checkout.com

Established in 2012 by Guillaume Pousaz, Checkout.com is based in London, UK. The company is a developer of an online payments platform designed to ensure the security and efficiency of digital payments across the Internet. Their platform integrates seamlessly with end-to-end technology, bypassing intermediaries and accommodating multiple credit and debit cards. It facilitates direct connections between retailers and shoppers' bank accounts while offering data-rich insights to monitor performance and enhance approval rates without the need for additional integrations. Additionally, it provides customizable risk settings and access to expert fraud teams, enabling businesses to safeguard and enhance mobile and online purchasing while effectively managing risks and maximizing revenue opportunities.

CMR Surgical

Founded in 2014 by Luke Hares, Keith Marshall, Paul Roberts, Mark Slack MD, and Martin Frost, CMR Surgical is based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company specializes in the development of surgical robotic systems aimed at democratizing minimal access surgery for all patients. By substantially broadening the spectrum of procedures feasible with robotic assistance, CMR Surgical's systems render minimal access surgery universally attainable and cost-effective. Surgeons benefit from access to 3D high-definition imagery and real-time feedback during operations, enhancing surgical precision and outcomes.

Gett

Founded in 2010 by Dave Waiser and Roi More, Gett is based in London and operates as an app-based ride-hailing platform. Users can book rides through the platform by providing their location and passenger details. Gett offers various features such as real-time tracking, multiple payment options, and an electric fleet aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The company also provides services to corporate clients and offers a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for managing taxi management operations from end to end.

GoCardless

Established in 2011 by Hiroki Takeuchi, Matthew Robinson, and Thomas Blomfield, GoCardless is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing an account-to-account payments platform tailored for collecting recurring payments from customers. Through its platform, GoCardless facilitates the collection and management of both recurring and one-off payments, offering convenient options to renew, amend, and pause payment plans. Additionally, it provides comprehensive visibility into each transaction, empowering clients to efficiently collect direct debit payments from payers globally.

Gousto

Founded in 2012 by Timo Boldt and James Carter, Gousto is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in providing cook-at-home meal kit services, offering curated and easy-to-make food options. Operating through an online platform, Gousto provides customized recipes and food boxes containing fresh pre-portioned ingredients and simple-to-follow recipes. This allows subscribers to effortlessly prepare delicious and healthy meals at home.

Graphcore

Established in 2016 by Nigel Toon, Hermann Maria Hauser, and Simon Knowles, Graphcore is situated in Bristol, United Kingdom. The company serves as a provider of machine learning processors, known as IPU, serving as AI accelerators for various AI applications. Graphcore offers a second-generation core building block solution designed for AI infrastructure and workloads, featuring built-in networking for supercomputing building blocks and reference designs for AI supercomputing scale. Additionally, the company provides cloudy services, catering to a diverse range of sectors including finance, biotechnology, scientific research, and consumer communication.

Gym Shark

Established in 2012 by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, Gymshark is based in Solihull, United Kingdom. The company specializes in manufacturing fitness apparel and accessories tailored for athletes, gym-goers, and sports enthusiasts. Gymshark's brand designs and markets a wide range of products including jackets, tops, tracksuits, bags, and personalized apparel for both men and women. This allows customers to conveniently discover and purchase fitness wear and accessories through online channels.

Improbable

Established in 2012 by Herman Narula, Peter Lipka, and Robert Whitehead, Improbable is situated in London, United Kingdom. The company operates a platform providing distributed simulation software catering to both the video game and corporate sectors. This platform delivers a cloud-based computing solution empowering game developers to develop, deploy, and manage online games seamlessly. Additionally, it enables developers to write code utilizing any simulation software and distribute their code across multiple machines.

Lendable

Founded in 2014 by Dylan Fried and Daniel Goldfarb, Lendable is based in London, United Kingdom. The company operates an online lending platform designed to facilitate connections among alternative lenders. Specializing in providing debt to fintech firms in emerging and frontier markets, Lendable bridges the gap between institutional debt investors and high-growth alternative lenders in Africa. This platform empowers lenders to expand their loan book while offering companies access to financing opportunities.

Many Pets

Established in 2011 by Guy Farley and Steven Mendel, ManyPets is located in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in offering pet insurance and pet wellness services to enhance the lives of pets and their owners. ManyPets provides advanced and easily accessible pet health insurance along with preventive wellness services. These are delivered through user-friendly subscription-based technology, ensuring pet owners receive a personalized and seamless experience with a human touch.

Marshmallow

Established in 2017 by Alexander Kent-Braham, Oliver Kent-Braham, and David Goate, Marshmallow is based in London, United Kingdom. The company operates as an app-based auto insurance platform catering to individuals. Marshmallow provides comprehensive car insurance policies covering aspects such as car damage, accident coverage, windscreen damage, fire, theft protection, and more. Additionally, it offers claim assistance solutions. The Marshmallow app is accessible on both Android and iOS platforms.

Matillion

Founded in 2010 by Matthew Scullion, Ed Thompson, and Peter McCord, Matillion is located in Salford, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing a cloud-based data integration platform aimed at assisting customers in extracting, loading, and transforming data onto cloud-based data warehouses. Matillion's platform harnesses the power of cloud data warehouses to consolidate extensive datasets and perform essential data transformations, preparing the data for analytics. This enables customers to extract data from numerous sources and transform it into actionable insights.

Monzo

Established in 2015 by Jonas Templestein, Paul Rippon, Thomas Blomfield, Gary Dolman, and Jason Bates, Monzo is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing a financial platform aimed at facilitating spending, saving, and money management in a single location. Monzo's platform provides real-time balance updates, intelligent notifications, and tracks day-to-day financial transactions without incurring usage fees. This empowers both individuals and businesses to effortlessly manage and take control of their finances.

Motorway

Established in 2017, Motorway was founded by Tom Leathes, Harry Jones, and Alexander Buttle. Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Motorway is the developer of an online car auction platform aimed at simplifying the sale of used cars. The platform utilizes valuation technology powered by live market data to accurately estimate the value of cars. It also provides features for comparison and transparent pricing of vehicles, allowing professional car dealers to participate in auctions for privately owned cars.

Multiverse

Founded in 2016 by Euan Blair and Sophie Adelman, Multiverse is situated in London, United Kingdom. It serves as an online apprenticeship discovery platform, facilitating non-graduates in locating apprenticeship opportunities within various companies. Multiverse provides access to a range of online training modules covering subjects such as IT support, digital marketing, social media, business administration, customer service, and career advice. Additionally, it offers companies the ability to recruit candidates for apprenticeships. Among its notable clients are Zoopla, Expedia, Google, Facebook, WeWork, Unlimited, Hearst Magazines, and Treatwell.

Oak North

Established in 2015, OakNorth Bank was founded by Rishi Khosla and Joel Perlman. With its headquarters located in London, United Kingdom, OakNorth Bank operates as a commercial and business bank, specializing in providing financing solutions to growth businesses across the United Kingdom. These solutions encompass debt financing, property funding, restructuring, and recapitalization. Furthermore, OakNorth Bank offers a range of financial products and services including business savings, deposits, personal savings, and revolving credit facilities.

OVO Energy

Established in 2009, Ovo Energy was founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick and is based in Bristol, United Kingdom. As an energy supply company, Ovo Energy is dedicated to becoming a net-zero carbon business and striving to achieve ambitious science-based carbon reduction goals. The company's services include the buying and selling of electricity and gas to residential properties, offering customers access to clean energy sources for their everyday needs while assisting them in reducing household emissions concurrently.

Paddle

Founded in 2012 by Christian Owens and Harrison Rose, Paddle is based in Corby, United Kingdom. Paddle offers Software as a Service (SaaS)-based payment solutions for merchants. Their services include a checkout platform integrated into merchants' websites, allowing customers to pay using various payment options. Additionally, Paddle provides a subscription billing service to help manage customer subscriptions efficiently. Their solutions cover recurring payments, revenue delivery, and data compliance.

Payhawk

Founded in 2018, Payhawk was established by Hristo Borisov, Konstantin Dzhengozov, and Boyko Karadzhov, with its headquarters situated in London, United Kingdom. Payhawk's platform aids enterprises in issuing business cards to employees, establishing spending limits, overseeing withdrawals, and offering automated services such as invoice matching, expense categorization, reconciliation, and accounting integration. This empowers clients to streamline processes, reduce paperwork, and alleviate the management burden associated with employee reimbursements.

PPRO

Established in 2006, PPRO was founded by Tobias Schreyer, Philipp Bock, and Philipp Nieland, with its headquarters located in London, United Kingdom. PPRO operates as an integrated e-payment fintech company, specializing in providing digital payment solutions to businesses and banks. Its platform facilitates credit card payment processing, alternative payment methods, local cash collection, and e-money accounts and e-wallets services. This allows businesses to streamline their local payment services through a single connection, accelerating roadmaps, increasing conversions, and simplifying the complexities associated with local payments. PPRO aims to build an infrastructure that makes it easier for businesses to launch and manage various payment methods.

Quantexa

Founded in 2016 by Vishal Kumar Marria, Imamul Hoque, and Richard Seewald, Quantexa is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in AI-powered big data and decision intelligence solutions, empowering businesses to make informed decisions based on data insights. Quantexa's platform utilizes AI technology to detect financial crime and offers features such as KYC, customer onboarding, transaction monitoring for trade management, risk management, identification, verification, and more. Additionally, it provides correspondent banking and customer intelligence solutions to identify leads and enhance decision-making processes.

Radius Payment Solutions

Established in 1990, Radius Payment Solutions was founded by William Holmes and Cole Ratias. The company, headquartered in Crewe, United Kingdom, specializes in providing fleet payment processing and telematics services to small and medium-sized fleets across Europe, North America, and Asia. Radius Payment Solutions offers a comprehensive range of customized products and services, including own-brand fuel and corporate charge cards, telematics, vehicle insurance, telecommunications, and web and smartphone applications. These solutions empower customers to efficiently manage their business vehicles.

Rapyd

Founded in 2016 by Arik Shtilman, Rapyd is based in Israel and provides online payment solutions tailored for international businesses. The company offers a Fintech-as-a-Service platform designed to seamlessly integrate local payment and fintech capabilities into existing systems. Its key features include multicurrency payment acceptance, accounts payable solutions, wallet-based payments, and more, catering to various sectors including eCommerce, marketplaces, and banks. Additionally, Rapyd's platform extends additional functionality, enabling businesses to launch their super app amalgamating multiple functions such as ride-hailing, eCommerce, food delivery, and financial services.

Revolut

Established in 2015, Revolut was founded by Nikolay Storonsky and Vladyslav Yatsenko, with its headquarters situated in London, United Kingdom. Revolut specializes in developing foreign exchange and money-transferring applications for both customers and businesses. The platform offers live exchange rate comparisons for multiple currencies, facilitates direct transfers to other bank accounts, provides expense tracking and optimization tools, and supports buying and selling of cryptocurrencies. This empowers users to enhance their financial well-being, gain greater control over their finances, and seamlessly connect with people worldwide.

Stability AI

Founded in 2019 by Emad Mostaque, Stability AI is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing an artificial intelligence tool designed to generate images based on text input. Utilizing collective intelligence and augmented technology, the tool translates text commands into various forms of media, allowing clients to create advanced open artificial intelligence models for image, language, audio, video, 3D, and biology.

Starling Bank

Established in 2014 by Anne Elizabeth Boden, John Humpish, Mark Hipperson, and Mark Winlow, Starling Bank is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. As an internet-first bank, it provides digital banking services tailored for both consumers and businesses. Its offerings encompass deposit accounts, money transfers, consumer and business loans, prepaid and corporate cards for online and offline purchases, bill payments, and more. The bank's application is accessible on both Android and iOS platforms.

SumUp

Established in 2011, SumUp was founded by Daniel Klein, Marc-Alexander Christ, Petter Made, Jan Deepen, and Stefan Jeschonnek, with its headquarters located in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing a mobile point-of-sale device that simplifies card transactions, offering a secure and cost-effective solution. SumUp's device includes a card reader capable of accepting magstripe, chip, and contactless payments, allowing small and medium businesses to seamlessly pair the readers with any mobile device or tablet and commence transactions.

Synthesia

Established in 2016, Synthesia was founded by Victor Riparbelli, Steffen Tjerrild, Lourdes Agapito, and Matthias Niessner, with its headquarters based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing video synthesis technology aimed at democratizing video content creation. Leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms, Synthesia's technology can translate text into any language and replace images with personalized and localized videos, allowing content creators to efficiently scale their video production efforts.

Teya

Founded in 2019 by Eduardo de Pontes, Ali Mazanderani, and Andre Street de Aguiar, Teya is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing payment software aimed at facilitating fast and secure payment transactions. Teya offers a variety of services and software, including issuer payment processing, cloud-native payments, and business management software-as-a-service, catering to global FinTechs, payment providers, banks, and MNOs. This enables small and medium-sized businesses to enhance their operations management and growth.

The Bank of London

Established in 2016, The Bank of London was founded by Anthony Watson and is based in London, United Kingdom. The bank operates as a global clearing agency and transaction bank, aiming to rectify the structural shortcomings of the business banking sector. Specializing in providing clearing and transaction settlement services, The Bank of London serves banks, clearinghouses, digital and traditional asset firms, governments, and financial services companies. Its services enable clients to launch fully compliant products and services within a specific geographical area.

Thought Machine

Established in 2014, Thought Machine was founded by Paul Taylor and Andrew Tarver and is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing a cloud-native core banking platform tailored to address banking challenges. Thought Machine's platform is adaptable to meet the requirements of any bank, allowing for updates to products, user experience, operating models, and data analysis capabilities. This empowers banks to implement modern systems and provide superior technology to their customers.

Tractable

Established in 2014 by Alex Dalyac, Razvan Ranca, and Adrien Cohen, Tractable is situated in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in AI-based vehicle inspection solutions catered for insurers and the automotive industry. Tractable offers solutions for agents to authenticate vehicle insurance claims by analyzing images of damaged vehicles and accompanying claim reports. Its deep learning-based visual inspection system employs multi-instance learning techniques to assess damage from multiple pictures.

Triple dot Studios

Established in 2016 by Lior Shiff, Akin Babayigit, and Eyal Chameides, Tripledot is based in London, United Kingdom. The company operates as a gaming studio focused on developing casual mobile games. Specializing in creating card games for Android and iOS devices, Tripledot offers a range of gaming experiences, from easy-to-pick-up casual games to groundbreaking innovative ones, providing players with immersive entertainment experiences.

True layers

Founded in 2016 by Francesco Simoneschi and Luca Martinetti, TrueLayer is based in London, United Kingdom. The company specializes in developing an open banking platform that connects with banks, neobanks, and digital wallets. TrueLayer's platform facilitates secure and efficient access to customers' bank accounts, allowing companies to share financial data, make payments, and validate identities. This enables companies to initiate payments directly from users' bank accounts and offer seamless payments without disrupting the user experience.

Zego

Established in 2016 by Harry Franks, Sten Saar, and Stuart Kelly, Zego is located in London, United Kingdom. The company operates as an on-demand insurance platform, offering a variety of flexible professional and commercial insurance solutions for vehicle owners. Zego's platform provides pay-as-you-go insurance options tailored for drivers and riders who work flexibly with their own vehicles. It offers mobility service providers a range of policies, from minute-by-minute insurance to annual covers, allowing customers to access greater flexibility compared to traditional insurers. Pricing is determined based on vehicle usage data.

Zepz

Established in 2010 by Ismail Ahmed, Catherine Wines, and Richard Igoe, Zepz is based in London, UK. The company specializes in developing an online money transfer platform designed to facilitate sending money to friends and family residing abroad. Zepz's software offers international transfers to mobile money accounts, where customers' phone numbers serve as bank accounts to hold funds. This enables users to conveniently and securely send money with minimal processing fees.

Zilch

Founded in 2018 by Philip Belamant, Serge Belamant, and Sean O'Connor, Zilch is based in London, UK. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer ad-subsidized payments network, providing customers with flexible payment solutions for both online and in-store transactions. Zilch's virtual credit card, with a zero interest rate, is linked to the user's current account and automatically divides purchases into multiple payments, allowing users to make purchases anywhere and pay for anything.

Zopa

Established in 2004 by Giles Andrews, Richard Duvall, Tim Parlett, David Nicholson, and James Alexander, Zopa is located in London, UK. The company specializes in developing a peer-to-peer lending platform aimed at providing consumer loans with ease. Zopa's platform offers personal loans and facilitates connections between a community of peers looking to invest their savings and individual borrowers who have been screened for good financial behavior. Additionally, it allows financial institutions to lend through the platform. This enables clients to access products and tools that empower them to effectively manage their finances.

BeZero

Established in 2020 by Tommy Ricketts and Sebastien Cross, BeZero Carbon is situated in London, UK. The company specializes in carbon credit rating and risk analytics solutions, aiding investment in carbon projects aimed at combating climate change. BeZero Carbon delivers independent project-level carbon ratings and risk assessments, empowering organizations with the insights and tools needed to make informed climate decisions. Its mission is to increase investment in environmental markets.

Hopin 

Established in 2019, Hopin was founded by Johnny Boufarhat and Dave Schools and is headquartered in Forest Hill, UK. The company operates a live online events platform, catering to brands and communities by facilitating captivating online events. Hopin's platform empowers users to curate event experiences across various segments, making them accessible to any audience size. Attendees can engage, learn, and connect with others from around the globe through the platform.

Global Switch

Founded in 1998, Global Switch, led by CEO Ashley Muldoon, is based in London, UK. As a data center colocation solutions provider, Global Switch offers multi-tenant and carrier-neutral colocation services across its network of data centers. The company specializes in customized rack solutions and environmental accommodations tailored to customer preferences, along with providing private cages for hosting private data centers.

As reported by (Pitchbook, CB Insights, Tracxn, Dealroom, globaledge.msu.edu, en.wikipedia.org, Failory , Eqvista, Beauhurst, www.london.gov.uk, Crunchbase ,www.gov.uk, uk.insightss.co, Startupblink).