36. Echo

Founders: Stephen Bourke and Alistair Murray
Founded: 2015
Website: www.echo.co.uk

Making the journey to your local pharmacy or GP is a pain – one that a lot of people simply can’t avoid.

Enter Echo. Founded by patients, Echo’s online repeat prescription service delivers medication directly to people’s homes within 48 hours of a GP’s approval.

Everything is run through a free-of-charge app, which also sets reminders – so people know when to take their meds, and when they’re running low.

Run by like-minded people who know the struggles that repeat prescriptions can bring, Echo certainly has the user’s best interest in mind. Having experienced the hassle of repeat prescriptions for long-term conditions, the co-founders of the company are now on a mission to radically improve the accessibility of medicine across the UK.

Having featured in the Startups 100 list twice before (in 2016 and 2019), we’ve seen first-hand just how innovative Echo is – always seeking new ways to evolve and improve. In fact, the company proudly holds the title of the fastest-growing pharmacy in Europe, with a 243% growth rate in 2019.

And really, what’s not to love about a startup that helps people across the country and has four office dogs?