76. Lylo Products Water scarcity is becoming an annual problem globally. Lylo has reinvented the washing machine to stop billions of litres of water from being wasted. 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. Founders: Joanna Power and Paramveer BhachuYear founded: 2021Website: lyloproducts.co.ukHose pipe bans are now common in the headlines as water scarcity becomes an annual issue in the UK. According to the government, England alone faces a five billion litre a day shortfall for public water supplies by 2055. There is a further one billion litres a day deficit for the wider economy.Director of Lylo Products, Joanna Power, saw the wastage herself while at university. When the washing machines on campus were broken, the students had to wash their clothes in the showers. She and her co-founder Paramveer Bhachu noticed how much water was running down the drain while they waited for the shower to heat up.“That combination of frustration and waste made us think: there has to be a better way,” Power says. “It was the moment we realised we had to design a solution ourselves.”The solution that the two product design graduates dreamt up uses a portable ‘tank/mat’ that can be placed inside the shower tray while showering. This collects the water, which is filtered to drinking standard and collected in a drum. That’s where the magic happens. This drum is actually a washing machine, which reuses the filtered shower water to wash clothes.Together, the two founders have now built relationships with universities, accommodation providers and regulators, but are also in active discussions with major UK water companies, charities and camping/boating suppliers for wider adoption. That combination of frustration and waste made us think: there has to be a better way. It was the moment we realised we had to design a solution ourselves. Getting funding was initially a steep slope to climb as they were students with no track record. However, they entered competitions, including Red Bull Basement, to gain attention and ultimately secure a grant from InnovateUK.“Each opportunity gave us not only vital funds but also mentoring, credibility, and momentum, allowing us to keep moving forward when traditional investment seemed out of reach,” the founders share.A pivotal moment was running a living lab with Anglia Ruskin University, where students tested Lylo in their accommodation, proving that the product could work and help people live more sustainably without sacrificing convenience.By reimagining how we use and reuse water, Lylo not only empowers individuals to reduce waste but also helps institutions and communities meet sustainability goals without compromising comfort – from student halls and shared accommodation to off-grid living.What began as a student idea born from frustration has evolved into a timely innovation, and one that could play an impactful role in shaping a more water-resilient future.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.