23. Pan Galactic To boldly go where no network has gone before, Pan Galactic is building the internet for the stars. Written by Helena Young Sponsored by Sage Published on January 12, 2026 About the Startups 100 Now in its 18th year, the Startups 100 is the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses. There's no fee for entry or for inclusion in our index. The Startups team of new business experts judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index. Tech Award Nominee In recognition of the inventors that are boldly going where no startup has gone before to create new, groundbreaking technologies. Go to award Founders: Flow Collingwood, Lawrence Worrell, Leigh Redhead, and Alan RawYear founded: 2022Website: pangalactic.ioFounders Flow Collingwood, Lawrence Worrell, Leigh Redhead, and Alan Raw were four men united by one passion: space. The four friends had always dreamed of humanity blasting off beyond the third rock from the sun, and building a multi-planetery tomorrow.However, they realised that it wasn’t the lack of a spaceship holding humanity back from a future among the stars – it was digital infrastructure. Rockets and satellites were rapidly advancing, but the digital infrastructure needed to provide secure trade and connections simply didn’t exist.The other issue keeping the founders awake at night was the lack of any realistic preparation from quantum threats. The satellites and orbital systems that are currently whizzing their way through our thermosphere are running on woefully outdated cryptography.With quantum computing (the power to solve deeply complex problems using the principles of quantum mechanics) looming on humanity’s horizon, it means that every single scrap of data could be stolen and immediately decrypted. This might all sound a bit Star Trek, but with 18% of the UK’s total GDP being reliant on access to “space data” (comprising logistics, telecoms, finance, and satellite navigation), that’s a very real fear.It was a chilling thought – the entire space economy could be being built on sand. The founders didn’t just see Pan Galactic as a passion project, it was a responsibility. “We shared the same conviction: this is too important not to do,” the founders state.From its humble beginnings in Hull, Pan Galactic is designed to enable both space agencies and commercial businesses to securely process, store, and transmit data in space. It provides this primarily through quantum-safe blockchain and a secure operating system (GalacticOS), with native post-quantum security built into every layer of the technology.Pan Galactic is building the digital backbone for the space economy. It was selected as UK SpaceTech Startup of the Year in 2024, while in 2025 it joined the European Space Sector Initiative for Responsibility, and was selected for the Seraphim Space Incubator Mission 15. Now it can add a nomination for the 2026 Startups 100 Technology Award to that list.Pan Galactic is ensuring that the internet of tomorrow is secure and quantum-threat-proof. The blockchain infrastructure it’s building is reliable, trustworthy, resilient, and ensures the missions on Earth and beyond are safe. Strap in, Pan Galactic is ready for takeoff.View the full Startups 100 Index for 20261. Omnea2. HIVED3. MAGIC AI4. OXCCU5. Lightyear6. Neuranics 7. Hormona8. Burbank9. Better Dairy 10. Lenkie Technologies11. Userled12. Hoxton Farms13. Rensair14. PulpaTronics15. TradeKart16. 32Co17. Carmoola18. cheqd19. Sightline Analytics20. Adamo Foods21. Bold Bean Co22. Beams Renovation 23. Pan Galactic24. Capi Money25. Spotted Zebra26. ANTHROTEK 27. Unravel28. Perci Health29. Untap Health30. Hair Syrup31. Connect Earth 32. spacebands 33. Unfabled34. Lightning Reach35. STOCKED36. Embeddable37. XR Therapeutics38. Literal Labs39. Scooch40. Openr41. Fibe Limited42. Inicio AI43. Peachies44. Better Nature 45. Ctrl Alt46. Resting Reef47. Nila48. ROXFIT49. Finmile50. NavLive51. Volunteero52. Inntelo AI53. Zonova54. A&B Smart Materials55. Ethicronics56. Treeapp57. kennek58. Soil Benchmark59. Vox Aeris60. Asan Cup61. Nuuri62. Mindstone63. MYNDUP64. Enbiosis Biotechnology65. JUX Food66. Danu Robotics67. Wylde Market68. Air Aware Labs69. Mimicrete Ltd70. ALYVE71. Happl72. Living Things73. Grub Club Pets74. Mealia75. PetProov76. Lylo Products77. Chest78. ZIM Connections79. Uptime Labs80. Teal81. Zero Fintech82. Micro Thermal Energy 83. Kanjo 84. Merlin Cloud85. My Skin Feels86. Eleria87. Cashblack88. RevvedUp89. Cosysense90. SuperFi91. Loom92. Legacy Compass93. Meshed94. SWURF95. Main Squeeze96. Sampl Technologies97. Over the Moo98. Pioneering People99. Bikebook100. Recondition Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags 2026 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. Sponsored by: Sage Startups 100 Index Sponsor 2026 Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.