9. HeadBox

Founder: Andrew Needham
Founded: 2015
Website: www.headbox.com

Impressively, HeadBox has made the Startups 100 list several years in a row, working its way from a solid 74 in 2016 to position 23 in 2018. This year, it’s headed all the way to the top 10.

HeadBox’s software as a service (SaaS) products empower businesses to find the perfect events space, and plan, build, manage, and track their events on one online platform. The company is heavily built on AI, believing that the best events come from a mix of machine AI and human EQ (emotional quotient).

Founder Andrew Needham’s business model is simple: make commission for every event booked through the platform, and make money on every software sale to both demand and supply customers.

Its online platform hosts over 9,000 event spaces across the UK and Europe, and businesses can use its ‘brief builder’ to narrow down event space options to those that fit their needs. Particularly innovative are HeadBox’s 3D virtual venue tour function and AI pricing tool, both of which allow businesses to research and budget for their event way in advance.

The event-tech company has attracted some big brands, including Skyscanner and EDF Energy, and has already seen some very attractive revenue figures. We therefore have no doubt that once Covid-19 is over, HeadBox is going to make even more headway into becoming one of the most essential tools in the events industry.