87. Cashblack Looking to help close the racial wealth gap, Cashblack helps customers discover Black-owned businesses to shop at, and rewards them with cashback when they do. 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: Matthew Addai, Jonathan Addai and Nicholas AddaiYear founded: 2020Website: cashblack.comDuring the pandemic, recession, and global anti-racism movement of 2020, one thing that really stood out to Matthew, Jonathan, and Nicholas Addai was the correlation between the lack of support for Black-owned businesses and the socioeconomic issues of racism.But how could they help close the racial wealth gap? The brothers’ idea was to incentivise patronage in Black-owned businesses by having these businesses reinvest back into their patrons. As a result, Cashblack was launched.Featuring in the Startups 100 Index for the second year in a row, Cashblack rewards shoppers with cashback when they shop at Black-owned businesses, turning everyday purchases into a way to build Black economic growth, while traditional cashback platforms focus purely on offering savings.The business also drives exposure, traffic, and sales to Black founders through its affiliate marketing model, as well as the Cashblack A.F.R.O.B.O.T (Algorithm For Redirection Of Black-Owned Traffic). This is a browser extension that utilises AI to direct shoppers towards Black-owned alternatives to their usual online shops.Innovatively, the business has also brought cashback rewards to in-person shopping with Cashblack Brick and Mortar, which uses open banking to track and reward purchases made in physical shops. This was launched in partnership with Camden Council and Camden Market, at an event celebrating Black-owned retailers that saw thousands of attendees.Now, the brothers have formed strategic partnerships with global marketplaces and organisations that align with their mission to promote and support Black-owned businesses. It works with Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, where it hosts independent Black-owned vendors across multiple categories. It also partners with Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat to feature Black-owned restaurants, takeaway providers, and grocery stores, driving better visibility and sales.Next up, the brothers plan to build on the success of their UK model by expanding Cashblack internationally, starting with the US and select African and Caribbean markets. They also aim to grow deeper into fintech, developing tools that support the financial wellbeing of all people through smarter spending, saving, and community reinvestment.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.