20. Blottr (2013)

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

User-generated news service Blottr has enjoyed another strong year of growth since being featured in Startups 100 in 2012, generating revenues of £775,000 last year – and with ambitious plans to turnover £3.6m in 2013. Serial tech entrepreneur Adam Baker founded Blottr in 2010, following frustration with the time it took for major media outlets to break news stories due to a lack of resources. The service enables eyewitnesses to submit first-hand reports of breaking news events, which are then verified by Blottr and syndicated to major newsrooms around the world – cutting out the need to send reporters to cover stories. Since launch the company has worked on gaining trust with the mainstream media through its proprietary verification method, which allows it to break news stories in almost real-time, and Blottr now works with more than 70 newsrooms globally including Channel 4, Sky News and LA Times. Since early 2012 its contributor network has almost trebled in size and the service plans to expand further; recently opening an office in New York with plans for expansion into Asia, Africa and South America by 2014.