21. Bold Bean Co

Bold Bean Co wants to share its bean obsession with the world, converting us all into legume lovers with the best quality heirloom ingredients.

Marketing Award Winner

To recognise the startups that demonstrate the most creative and effective method for building early-stage brand awareness.

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Founders: Amelia Christie-Miller and Ed Whelpton
Year founded: 2021
Website: boldbeanco.com 

Bold Bean Co first landed on the Startups 100 Index back in 2023, bouncing in at #86. We welcomed them back in 2024 at number #38, and now we’re absolutely thrilled to see the legume lovers make a triumphant return, coming in hot at #21.

They haven’t just had the Startups seal of approval though. After first appearing on the index in 2023, Bold Bean Co emerged victorious from the Dragon’s Den in 2024. Founders Amelia Christie-Miller and Ed Whelpton landed their elevator pitch and struck a deal with Deborah Meaden for a £50k investment, in return for a 7.5% equity stake.

Not bad for a company born out of a (bad) hangover. Whilst living in Madrid, after a big night out, founder Christie-Miller found herself with nothing to hand but something she’d traditionally detested: a jar of beans.

But in desperate times, needs must and Christie-Miller had an epiphany. In her own words, “that single spoonful completely changed my bean perception forever.”

The former pulse-skeptic went on to work with top chefs, and learned how to use beans creatively. Beans weren’t just a tasty treat though, Christie-Miller realised that in regards to food sustainability beans “were literally the solution to everything I cared about.” They’re not just delicious, they’re the lowest carbon meat replacement currently available.

Bold Bean Co wants to share its passion with the world, and set out to rebrand beans and pulses from a dusty cupboard stuffer to something cool, aspirational, stomach and planet-friendly. The bean market in the UK has been dominated by huge corporate brands, reducing beans to a flavourless side-dish.

Our judges love how the company is giving beans their time in the spotlight, with its fun, brilliant branding, packaging its products in stylish glass jars and colourful eye-popping labels. You can also find a host of inspiring bean recipes on their website, or “beanspo” as they call it; just one reason why it won our 2026 Marketing Award.

Today, you can find Bold Bean Co jars in big name stores like Waitrose, Whole Foods, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco. The company has also just released its second cookbook, with Kyle Books. It doesn’t want to restrict the bean gospel to the UK though, and in the next five years, Bold Bean Co is planning to boldly go into Europe and the US markets. Bean there, done it all!

View the full Startups 100 Index for 2026

1. Omnea
2. HIVED
3. MAGIC AI
4. OXCCU
5. Lightyear
6. Neuranics
7. Hormona
8. Burbank
9. Better Dairy
10. Lenkie Technologies
11. Userled
12. Hoxton Farms
13. Rensair
14. PulpaTronics
15. TradeKart
16. 32Co
17. Carmoola
18. cheqd
19. Currence
20. Adamo Foods
21. Bold Bean Co
22. Beams Renovation
23. Pan Galactic
24. Capi Money
25. Spotted Zebra
26. ANTHROTEK
27. Unravel
28. Perci Health
29. Untap Health
30. Hair Syrup
31. Connect Earth
32. spacebands
33. Unfabled
34. Lightning Reach
35. STOCKED
36. Embeddable
37. XR Therapeutics
38. Literal Labs
39. Scooch
40. Openr
41. Fibe Limited
42. Inicio AI
43. Peachies
44. Better Nature
45. Ctrl Alt
46. Resting Reef
47. Nila
48. ROXFIT
49. Finmile
50. NavLive
51. Volunteero
52. Inntelo AI
53. Zonova
54. A&B Smart Materials
55. Ethicronics
56. Treeapp
57. kennek
58. Soil Benchmark
59. Vox Aeris
60. Asan Cup
61. Nuuri
62. Mindstone
63. MYNDUP
64. Enbiosis Biotechnology
65. JUX Food
66. Danu Robotics
67. Wylde Market
68. Air Aware Labs
69. Mimicrete Ltd
70. ALYVE
71. Happl
72. Living Things
73. Grub Club Pets
74. Mealia
75. PetProov
76. Lylo Products
77. Chest
78. ZIM Connections
79. Uptime Labs
80. Teal
81. Zero Fintech
82. Micro Thermal Energy
83. Kanjo
84. Merlin Cloud
85. My Skin Feels
86. Eleria
87. Cashblack
88. RevvedUp
89. Cosysense
90. SuperFi
91. Loom
92. Legacy Compass
93. Meshed
94. SWURF
95. Main Squeeze
96. Sampl Technologies
97. Over the Moo
98. Pioneering People
99. Bikebook
100. Recondition

Written By

Helena Young Deputy Editor

Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox.

From interviewing Wetherspoon’s boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK.

With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That’s one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses.

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Sage Startups 100 Index Sponsor 2026

From startup roots to championing founders. For nearly 45 years, Sage has supported the businesses powering the UK economy. As proud partner of the Startups 100 Index, we celebrate the UK’s most ambitious entrepreneurs. Our mission is simple: make running a business effortless. With practical AI and Sage Copilot, we give founders time back, clarity and confidence – automating admin and letting finance run itself. Sage breaks down barriers so businesses can thrive. Our trusted finance, HR and payroll solutions make work and money flow, connecting millions of SMBs through a digital network that removes friction and delivers insight. Beyond business, we tackle digital inequality, economic inequality, and the climate crisis.

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