Rising Star of the Year 2015: Meet the finalists

While the Startups Awards is designed to celebrate the very best new businesses the UK has to offer, the definition of what a start-up is can be fairly arbitrary. We love to see three years of trading so that we can assess an entrant’s true potential based on their growth rate.

Invariably – although not always – this means the finalists are often those that have a greater financial history to share with us and thus more for the judges to base their decisions on.

This year, we’ve decided to create a new award for the start-ups that are even earlier in their journeys – and yet so exciting we couldn’t ignore them. Our Rising Stars are the six companies we want shine a bright spotlight on now because we think they are stellar brands of tomorrow. 

3rings

The smart plug that connects to your elderly relatives appliances such as a kettle or TV and then sends alerts to your cloud platform if it has been switched on at the expected time. It enables you to keep an eye on your loved ones unobtrusively.

View the full profile here.

Accent Media

The company set to dominate the multi-million pound ticketing market following its acquisition of the ‘.tickets’ domain name. It intends to create a trusted and secure online ticketing space for customers.

View the full profile here.

Hubble

The online marketplace connecting people who want office space with people who have it. Start-ups can find everything from shared desks to fully equipped offices for any period of time and in any location of their choosing.

View the full profile here.

IceCream

The app that helps you free up space on your smartphone fast. Every time you take a photo, a high resolution version gets automatically transferred to IceCream’s secure cloud and before you hit storage capacity, it instantly notifies you.

View the full profile here.

Laundrapp

The app disrupting the UK’s dry cleaning and laundry industry. It enables you to have your clothes collected, cleaned and returned for as little as £2.00, seven days a week.

View the full profile here.

Ride25

The company providing consumer and corporate cycling challenges all over the world, inspiring fitness, fundraising and travel in cyclists of all levels. Each trip is carefully planned to take in amazing routes and scenery, so all you have to focus on is pedalling.