59. Vox Aeris Clean indoor air shouldn’t be negotiable and Vox Aeris has created a solution that can be fitted in every building. 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. Founder: Selene SariYear founded: 2023Website: voxaeris.comSelene Sari decided during her master’s thesis that her unique background in aerospace and design engineering could have a profound impact on indoor air pollution. “Around the same time, I came across the story of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the world to have air pollution officially listed as the cause of death. It struck me that while 99% of the global population breathes polluted air, the technologies we rely on remain outdated,” she explains.She set about designing and building prototypes from scratch, and the result is Vox Aeris – the world’s first variable-grade air filtration system that makes clean air and energy efficiency possible, together in every building.The startup allows buildings to upgrade filtration immediately without altering existing systems and uses “a purely physical process with no chemical reactions or byproducts”. It struck me that while 99% of the global population breathes polluted air, the technologies we rely on remain outdated, There were considerable challenges to overcome, not least the trade-off battle between indoor air quality and energy use. “High grade filters are nearly impossible to retrofit without major HVAC overhauls and sharply increasing energy costs, while low grade filters still waste energy yet provide minimal protection,” the London-based founder explains.Sari took a completely new approach to air filtration, securing grants and awards to fund the firm’s early research and development (R&D), and reach proof of concept. The product now has the support of Innovate UK, the UK Department for Transport, Imperial College London, Cranfield University’s Future Frontiers Fund and Undaunted. “Through these partnerships we have advanced our R&D, validated the technology, and built connections with facilities management and sustainability leaders, preparing for pilot opportunities,” she says.Sari’s work has also won her the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Excellence and Innovation Award, and a Chief Scientific Adviser’s Award for the most innovative proven idea from the Department for Transport.International expansion is on the cards. But Sari says that the ultimate goal is for the technology to be “recognised as essential infrastructure, delivering both healthier indoor environments and measurable energy savings at scale”.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.