About the Awards

Now in its 15th year, the Startups Awards has earned a reputation for unearthing some of the UK’s finest entrepreneurial businesses, and shining a spotlight on the start-up market.

Previous winners have gone on to enjoy phenomenal success, including BeatThatQuote.com, Ella’s Kitchen, Glasses Direct, The Book Depository, Naked Wines, Secret Escapes, The Cambridge Satchel Company, Raspberry Pi, Appear Here, Purplebricks, tails.com and, most recently, Bulb, Flight Club and Pip & Nut.

The prestigious awards, which recognise the UK’s most creative, innovative and ambitious new businesses, provided a fantastic opportunity for finalists to network with like-minded entrepreneurs – including the award judges – over a lively champagne reception and three-course lunch.

There are 13 categories open to companies that commenced trading less than four years ago. Covering every business area, these include Young Entrepreneur of the Year, The Start Up Loans Company Inspiring Entrepreneur of the Year, and Innovative Business of the Year, alongside new awards for 2018 including Side Hustle of the Year, Family Business of the Year, and Best Place to Work.

Our winners are selected by a judging panel consisting of some of the UK’s top entrepreneurs which in the last couple of years has included, to name just a few, Cath Kidston MBE, Dragons' Den star Touker Suleyman, Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins, serial entrepreneur Liz Earle MBE, Innocent Drinks co-founder Jon Wright, Cassandra Stavrou, co-founder of former Startups Awards winner PROPERCORN, BGF Ventures investor Rory Stirling, and founder of the tremendously successful fashion chain Charles Tyrwhitt, Nick Wheeler.

The 2018 winners will be announced at the glittering awards event at the Royal Garden Hotel and one business will take the highly coveted title of The Start Up Loans Company Start-up of the Year.

“We’re rightly proud of the Startups Awards for recognising the best of UK entrepreneurial talent,” says Startups' president Titus Sharpe, co-founder of MVF, the company behind the Startups Awards.

“Each year we unearth a whole set of innovative, disruptive new businesses and entrepreneurs that continue to make people sit up and pay attention to the start-up market.”

Benefits to companies entering the Startups Awards include:

  • Raised profile
  • National and local press coverage
  • Endorsement by the expert judging panel
  • A logo to use on marketing literature and letterheads
  • A template press release to maximise media coverage
  • Video interviews of all winners will also be displayed on the Startups Awards website
Back to Top