91. Hubble

Founders: Tushar Agarwal, Tom Watson and Rohan Silva
Founded: October 2013 (Launched January 2014)
Website: www.hubblehq.com

The start-up scene is booming in London, yet small businesses often struggle to find affordable and flexible office space. Coupled with the fact that many companies had excess space on their books that was going to waste, banker Tushar Agarwal saw an opportunity to connect the two using technology.

Founded with Tom Watson and Rohan Silva, the second place Startups Awards Rising Star of the Year acts as an online marketplace for finding and renting out office space in London – helping start-ups thrive and bigger businesses monetise their unused space. Hubble charges the host 5% of the monthly rent of any successfully placed business, which it claims is half the 10% taken by traditional office brokers. On the supply side, the company works with some of the biggest co-working spaces in London including WeWork, The Office Group and Regus, as well as companies such as Funding Circle, GoCardless and Songkick.

Having raised £500,000 from a consortium of angels including James Caan and Brett Akker, the next year will see Hubble seek further funding as it looks to double the size of its team and expand its inventory of office spaces. In a market that has traditionally been dominated by brokers with hidden costs and opaque information, the business is helping start-ups grow with a transparent, affordable and easy to understand alternative. A mission we can certainly get behind.