Lottie named UK’s best new business in Startups 100

Following the revelation that much-needed adult social care reforms will not begin until 2028, Lottie, a digital platform that enables care seekers to connect with quality care providers, has been named the winner of Startups.co.uk’s 2025 Startups 100 Index. 

Now in its 17th year, the Startups 100 Index celebrates the UK’s most disruptive businesses founded in the past five years. Our judges named Lottie winner in recognition of the firm’s multipronged, tech-enabled approach to fixing critical issues within adult social care.

Founded by brothers, Chris and Will Donnelly, Lottie was previously runner-up in the 2024 Startups 100 Index and placed eighth in 2023. Its triumphant win this year underscores the startup’s impressive growth journey which began with it featuring in our Just Started section.

“I’ve been an avid reader of the Startups 100 for as long as I can remember”, Will Donnelly told Startups. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think Lottie would feature, let alone be ranked number one and follow in the footsteps of startup royalty like Revolut and Multiverse.

“I’m so proud of Lottie’s team and so thankful to Startups for allowing us the opportunity to fly our pink flag for the social care industry on such an acclaimed list,” he added.

Top five UK startups for 2025

Lottie may have taken the crown for 2025, but the full Startups 100 showcases a dynamic cross-section of entrepreneurial talent and technology breakthroughs, with the UK having emerged as a hotbed for AI startup funding over the past year.

The collective impact of the final 100 could be huge for the UK’s economic recovery and wider society. Combined, the full list has raised over £720m to tackle some of the world’s most prescient challenges, from the climate crisis to gender inequality.

The 100 fastest-growing UK startups for 2025 were selected based on factors such as market potential and level of innovation. Here is a glimpse of the top five:

1. Lottie – a transparent care home finder for care seekers and their loved ones
2. Robin AI – legal tool that automates contract reviews, freeing lawyers from drudgery
3. Yonder – a rewards-based credit card that actually knows your city
4. Hived – a 100% electric fleet that wants to be queen bee of sustainable delivery services
5. Gaia Family – insurance provider making IVF more accessible and affordable to all

Alongside the Index, Startups awards additional trophies each year to spotlight the listed startups that are demonstrating exceptional growth alongside social responsibility:

• Startups 100 Sustainability Award 2025
• Startups 100 DEI Award 2025
• Startups 100 Social Impact Award 2025
• Startups 100 Marketing Award 2025

Commenting on the release of this year’s Startups 100 Index, Zohra Huda, Editor of Startups.co.uk, said: “Amidst the gloom-and-doom headlines, our annual Startups 100 Index provides a much-needed jolt of optimism. These 100 companies, a diverse list of innovators from every sector and region, show that the grit and ingenuity of entrepreneurship is still very much alive. Despite the challenges, the UK is still a fertile ground for disruption and world-leading technologies, and these companies will be leading the charge to recovery and growth in 2025.”

Post-COVID era of business begins

With every business in this year’s Index having been founded after January 2019, the 2025 Startups 100 features wholly post-pandemic companies for the first time ever, marking the beginning of a new era for the UK’s startup scene.

This ‘COVID generation’ has leveraged the challenges of the past half-decade, transforming adversity into opportunity by developing pioneering products and services that not only drive business growth, but also contribute positively to society.

“While it’s not the case for every industry, I am of the view that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed health and social care for the better,” says Donnelly, who co-founded Lottie in 2021. “With the market being forced online, the pandemic paved the way for new technology in the sector, including Lottie.”

Startups carried out a survey of 531 SMEs under five-years-old to complement the Index’s release. 82% said they feel optimistic about the year ahead, with 27% reporting very high levels of optimism.