45. PensionBee

Founders: Romi Savova and Jonathan Lister
Founded: December 2014 (launched January 2016)
Website: www.pensionbee.com

Anyone who has tried to move old pensions to a new provider will know that the process can be a painful one, riddled with endless phone calls, paperwork and complicated offerings.

Deciding that there should be a simpler solution, former Goldman Sachs analyst Romi Savova came up with her start-up idea: an online pension manager to consolidate old pensions into one single plan. With the help of digital consultancy owner Jonathan Lister, PensionBee launched in January 2016.

Giving savers a clear overview of their retirement funds, PensionBee enables users to view their combined balance, make online contributions and plan their savings. PensionBee says that the three plans it offers – managed by top financial managers BlackRock and State Street – are competitively priced, with no hidden fees.

So far the start-up has attracted 23,000 sign ups and, though pensions are historically synonymous with planning for retirement, many of its customers are young. In fact, PensionBee asserts that it uses transparent, jargon-free communication and social media to appeal to the younger market, who would usually be neglect to think about their pension because of the complicated products on the market.

This disruptive approach saw the business recognised at the 2016 Startups Awards, where it won Innovative Business of the Year.

Touted as “the UK’s most loved pension brand”, PensionBee’s founders say the positive feedback they receive makes them “happy and proud”. Building on this, the start-up aims to have helped 20,000 people combine their pensions over the next year and is keen to introduce new plans and tap into the self-employed market with tailored offerings.

Get ready, PensionBee is well on its way to shaking up a “dusty old industry”.