2024 Startups 100 | Exceptional founder shortlist and award winner

WINNER – Chris Donnelly and Will Donnelly (Lottie)

Sometimes referred to as the RightMove for care homes, Lottie is the UK’s first directory to showcase a vetted supply of care homes. It aims to make it easier for families to place their loved ones in a trusted home, for the fairest price.

Sparked by the struggles to find suitable care for their own family members, founders Chris and Will wanted to challenge the industry’s stubborn status quo. Heavily impacted by the pandemic, they saw firsthand the impact that a solution like Lottie could have on care seekers, and so set about combining Chris’ expertise in technology and Will’s experience in the social care sector, to transform elderly care.

Having previously ranked 8th in last year’s Startups 100, Lottie’s remarkable growth in the past year – including raising an additional £25m in investment – demonstrates how its disruptive model is serving to address the UK’s social care crisis.

What did Ian Wallis have to say?

Wallis expresses his excitement at how Chris and Will are bringing greater transparency to UK care seekers. “I’m not surprised people are eager to use Lottie”, he exclaims. “Finding a care home is often fraught with worry and financially challenging beforehand and concerning later around levels of care provided. It’s been a known problem long before COVID, but Lottie appears to be solving it.”

SHORTLISTED – Mark Wong (IMPOSSIBREW)

IMPOSSIBREW is a challenger no-low drinks brand that offers drinkers the boozy experience sans the hangover. When founder Mark Wong was a student, he was told that because of health complications he had to quit drinking. Rather than resort to a sad Sprite during nights out or skipping them altogether, he got to work shaking up the alcohol-free beer market with a product he’d be happy to drink alongside any friend with a pint in hand. Launching the brand from Wong’s Durham University bedroom, IMPOSSIBREW was born.

Made with a proprietary blend of plant ingredients, it’s cleverly designed to mimic the relaxing effects of alcohol without any of the negative health consequences – including hangovers. Despite not securing any funding on his appearance in Dragons’ Den, IMPOSSIBREW is the most followed beer brand on TikTok. It has also collected a number of impressive accolades, including the GB Food and Drink Startup of the Year 2023.

What did Ian Wallis have to say?

“With younger generations drinking less and greater health awareness, it sounds like IMPOSSIBREW will be helping to solve some anti-social and long-term health issues. Its popularity on TikTok means it might have a greater impact than most,” Wallis says.

SHORTLISTED – Vicky Wilson (Settld)

Settld helps bereaved families to deal with the bureaucracy of death, cutting days or hours of process into minutes. Co-founder Vicky Wilson was inspired to launch the startup after her grandmother passed away in 2019. She found herself spending hours contacting the banks, pension providers, insurers, and utilities to close and transfer her grandmother’s accounts.

In less than two months, over 93,000 people signed her petition asking service providers to make it easier to close the accounts of a loved one who dies. Striving to help others avoid the same traumatic experience she’d been through, Wilson quit her job at Amazon to launch Settld. Since then, she has grown the platform to integrate 950 providers including social media accounts, email providers, and broadband.

What did Ian Wallis have to say?

“At perhaps the most emotional time for many, dealing with a loved one’s accounts only adds to the pain, so Settld appears an elegant solution and Vicky had a compelling reason to start,” Wallis appraises. “The fact that it is free for bereaved people puts the user first. I hope the model is able to scale through additional services that reflect the same levels of compassion.”

SHORTLISTED – Ariana Alexander-Sefre (SPOKE World)

Image credit: www.benpetercatchpole.com

Focusing on a demographic that might feel left behind by the mindfulness trend, SPOKE makes looking after your mind as easy as listening to your favourite music. Co-founder Alexander-Sefre started the company after her younger brother’s best friend took his life in 2017. She saw early-stage preventative mental wellness tools that didn’t feel culturally relevant or accessible to her brother and his friends – young men who needed mental health support but lacked a relatable platform for finding it.

Through its listening app, SPOKE is targeting young people – especially Gen Z men and those from more diverse backgrounds – who need a place of respite and relaxation. Her entrepreneurial journey has earned her the East London Innovator award in 2020. With over 500 five-star reviews on its app store listings, it’s clear that Alexander-Sefre’s idea is striking a chord with a demographic who might dangerously feel left out of the wider movements towards wellness and mindfulness.

What did Ian Wallis have to say?

“Ariana is deeply inspiring and SPOKE is undoubtedly targeting something that has needed to be addressed,” Wallis commends. “SPOKE is one of the smaller finalists here but with a powerful intention of saving lives – which none of the others can claim.”

SHORTLISTED – Tim Chong, Theso Jivajirajah, and Harry Jell (Yonder)

Yonder is a credit card with a difference – it’s specifically designed for young professionals who may not have a UK credit score, but are tech-savvy, love to explore, and expect the highest level of service. Yonder was inspired by Chong, Jivajirajahand Jell’s own struggles accessing credit when they first emigrated to the UK. But they turned that challenge into opportunity.

Chong and Jivajirajah had worked in the credit sector in Australia and other countries, as well as at Clearscore with co-founder Jell. After embarking on a mission to build a credit card for a demographic underserved by other providers, the founders have established extensive relationships with its Experience partners, including Le Bab, Lina Stores and BAO.

What did Ian Wallis have to say?

“Financial inclusion – or in Yonder’s case exclusion – takes many forms. Despite hearing anecdotally of credit score issues for people moving to the UK, the scale of the problem surprised me. As a force for good in terms of credit scores – and enjoyment – Yonder is unique,” outlines Wallis.