20. Blottr (2012)

Founder: Adam Baker
Founded: August 2010
Website: www.blottr.com

Behind the zeitgeisty concept of citizen journalism is an innovative and sustainable business model, as pioneered by Blottr. Gaining credibility with its coverage of last year’s UK riots, and being the first news service in Europe to have footage of Colonel Gaddafi’s death, Blottr has amassed more than two million monthly users – and is increasing numbers by around 20% a month.

Furthermore, thanks to revenue streamed from advertising and a product called NewsPoint (which, through white label license, lets other publishers turn their audience into contributors), Blottr is generating healthy profits. Founder and serial tech entrepreneur Baker plans to grow Blottr to become the largest people-powered news service globally and Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, also sees a bright future for the company. Last year, the entrepreneur invested £1m of his own cash in Blottr.