No more nightmare mis-hires for business owners – this AI-powered Interview Intelligence and assessment platform is the antidote to the global hiring crisis.
See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index.
Founders: Ian Monk and Nick Shaw
Year founded: 2020
Website: spottedzebra.co.uk
Co-founders Ian Monk and Nick Shaw wanted to fix a problem for enterprise organisations they couldn’t even see for themselves: they were neck deep in a global hiring crisis. They wanted to create a platform that benefited both candidates and hiring managers, and put a stop to game-changing hires slipping through the cracks of an out-dated system.
The two had a shared realisation: roles were evolving rapidly but hiring practices were still stuck in the 20th century. A suit, tie, and hearty handshake just weren’t going to cut it in the post-AI work landscape.
The big problem at the heart of this crisis, according to the founders? “There was no way to objectively evaluate whether someone had the right skills for a role before hiring them.”
At the heart of Monk and Shaw’s mission is the belief that “everyone has superpowers” – important and valuable skills that aren’t displayed in an outdated CV format, simply listing out previous roles and which university they went to.
To solve this, the founders combined rigorous psychological science with cutting-edge technology to create a unified platform that reveals the true capabilities of every candidate – not just their qualifications or job titles, but the skills that determine success.
Spotted Zebra’s platform merges AI-powered Interview Intelligence with robust Skills Assessment, ending the era of fragmented point solutions. Recruiters and hiring managers now benefit from AI-guided interview frameworks, instant transcription, and bespoke skills-based evaluations validated across nearly one million assessments.
Meanwhile, the platform’s Proprietary Role Skills Profiles combine personality, cognitive, technical, and motivational measures, ensuring that organisations can make confident, data-informed hiring decisions at scale.
Spotted Zebra has proven its value by raising an impressive £7.7m in Series A funding in 2023. It now also has an impressive roster of high-profile, enterprise level clients that include Walt Disney, Virgin Media 02, Paramount, and Merlin Entertainments.
In the founders’ words, “we’re not just growing our platform; we’re architecting the future of enterprise talent acquisition.”
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
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10. Lenkie Technologies
11. Userled
12. Hoxton Farms
13. Rensair
14. PulpaTronics
15. TradeKart
16. 32Co
17. Carmoola
18. cheqd
19. Currence
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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
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38. Literal Labs
39. Scooch
40. Openr
41. Fibe Limited
42. Inicio AI
43. Peachies
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47. Nila
48. ROXFIT
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50. NavLive
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52. Inntelo AI
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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
