Apply for the Startups 100 Index 2026

Now in its 18th year, the annual Startups 100 Index is the definitive list of the top 100 most promising new businesses in the UK. It celebrates the creativity and agility of the UK’s startup landscape, and highlights the inspiring entrepreneurs who are using small ideas to fix giant problems.

Since 2008, we have identified some of the biggest movers and shakers of the past two decades, with previous alumni including household names Monzo, Deliveroo, and THIS™.

The 2026 Startups 100 Index is now live, but keep an eye out for applications for the 2027 Startups 100 Index, which will open around July this year.

How to apply to the Startups 100

Applying for the Startups 100 is easy and entirely free. We are proud to be one of the few business awards that does not charge any entry fees.

To apply, simply fill out our online entry form. It will ask you to provide clear facts and figures that give us evidence of your growth story, ranging from financial details to a five-year vision. The questions we ask include:

• Who are you? What’s your entrepreneurial story?
• What is your business, and what makes it stand out from the competition?
• Where you are based?
• When did you launch your business?
• Why did you start your business?
• What do your finances look like? Including figures from the latest financial year and this year’s projections (any financial information you provide is treated as confidential and will never be disclosed).
• What other company data can you provide? This is your chance to show off your impressive stats, whether that’s superfast employee growth, new product launches, or booming subscriber numbers.

Remember, the Startups 100 Index is all about celebrating authenticity. As well as your successes, we want to hear about the challenges you’ve faced or mistakes you’ve made, and how you’ve overcome them to get to where you are today.

Once you’ve submitted your form, your application is complete.

How the Startups 100 judging works

After applications close, the Startups 100 judging process begins. We use the information from each application to assign weighted scores to every business entrant based on five key areas of analysis:

• Finance – how much funding you have raised, if any, and through what methods?
• External validation – any significant achievements, such as notable partners or clients
• The size of the opportunity – what ambitions do you have for scaling up?
• Strength of concept – is your idea unique?
• Innovation – how is your idea disrupting the market?

When finalising the top 100, our judges look for impressive business ideas with lots of growth potential. Don’t feel intimidated if you haven’t got big funding figures or well-known partners – we’d still love to hear about your business.

The Startups 100 special awards

As part of the Startups 100, we commend startups that prioritise people, planet, or purpose as much as profit. To recognise these achievements, we select businesses from the Index as nominees or winners in a series of special awards.

You do not need to apply separately for these awards – if you enter the Startups 100 and are selected for the Index, you will also be considered for any relevant awards.

The 2026 Startups 100 Index Awards are:

• The 2026 Startups 100 Sustainability Award
• The 2026 Startups 100 Marketing Award
• The 2026 Startups 100 Tech Award
• The 2026 Startups 100 Exceptional Founder Award

Apply for the next Startups 100 Index

Entries for the Startups 100 Index for 2026 closed on 10th October 2025 at 5pm (BST), and the 2026 Startups 100 Index is now live.

The Startups 100 Index will return for 2027, but entries will not open until around July 2026. Keep an eye on Startups.co.uk for updates.  

If you have any questions about your entry — or anything else you’d like to know — drop us an email at su100@startups.co.uk.

Startups 100: our impact

Will Donnelly, founder of Lottie, winner of the Startups 100 Index 2025

I’ve been an avid reader of the Startups 100 for as long as I can remember. 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.

Learn more about 2025 winner Lottie

Sai Lakshmi, founder of Caura, winner of the Startups 100 Index 2023

The Startups 100 is a noteworthy accolade and we were delighted to win. We got a flurry of inbound messages from potential partners and lots of traffic to the site! It’s a testament to our team’s hard work and commitment to solving real-world problems faced by car owners across the UK.

Learn more about 2023 winner Caura

Finn Lagun, cofounder of the three-time Startups 100 listee, Pasta Evangelists

The way you tell the story is important. Quantify your answers with facts & figures but don’t forget people-led insights. Get quotes from all angles, from your team to your partners and suppliers, to demonstrate your impact in an emotive way

Learn more about Pasta Evangelists

Melissa Snover, CEO of Nourished

Appearing in the index has certainly validated our business as a market leading player within our industry, as well as raising our brand awareness and credibility. We were very grateful to have been listed amongst such impressive peers, and hope we can continue to be recognised by Startups 100!

Learn more about Nourished