NEWS
Technology leads the way at start-up awards
Speaking at the awards ceremony , judge and founder David Lester said : “ These are clearly uncertain times for British business but these exciting start-ups are proof that by being innovative , agile and customer-centric , it is possible for even small companies to disrupt multi-million pound industries .”
The rising stars of British business were celebrated at The Startups Awards , with winners selected from a diverse range of fields including pet food , pensions and personal grooming . The key factor linking the winners was the way they have embraced technology to help customers and disrupt established industries .
Among the start-ups taking the plaudits were innovative background checking platform Onfido , who not only won Tech Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year , but also scooped the main prize as Sage Startups Business of the Year .
Software company Netduma also walked away with two awards , winning Export Business of the Year and Lean Start-up of the Year , while shaving subscription service Cornerstone won the public vote to take the People ’ s Champion Award .
The awards , sponsored by Sage , hailed winners across 15 categories who had all been scrutinised by an expert judging panel including Cath Kidston MBE , Emma Sinclair MBE and Dragons ’ Den star Nick Jenkins . Winners were selected on commercial criteria such as revenue and profit , but also the kind of visionary leadership shown and the companies ’ wider contribution to society .
The full list of awards
• Onfido : Next-generation background checking platform used by thousands of companies worldwide . Winners of Sage Startups Business of the Year , Tech Business of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year .
• Netduma : Software company combating broadband lag and internet congestion . Winners of Export Business of the Year and Lean Start-up of the Year
• Cornerstone : Online subscription company offering razors and shaving products . Voted by the public for the People ’ s Champion Award .
• Pip & Nut : Healthy , natural nut butter brand winning fans across the UK . Founder Pip Murray is the winner of the Women in Business Award .
• Laundrapp : Innovative laundry app cleaning up in more than 100 locations across the UK . Winners of App of the Year .
• Tails . com : Dog food brand tailored to each pet ’ s individual needs . Winners of Product Business of the Year .
• Lovespace : Revolutionising the £ 1bn self-storage industry . Winners of Crowdfunded Business of the Year .
• PensionBee : Online user-friendly platform shaking up the pensions industry . Winners of Innovative Business of the Year .
• Cubitts : Spectacle retailer combining cutting edge technology with traditional craft . Winners of Retail Business of the Year .
• Housekeep : Home cleaner booking platform now delivering 10,000 cleans per month . Winners of Service Business of the Year .
• ClearScore : Free credit-scoring platform serving 2.5 million users . Winners of Venture Funded Business of the Year .
• Heritage Healthcare Ealing & Richmond : Specialist homecare service provider serving local communities . Winners of Franchisee of the Year .
High profile judges named for inaugural Small Awards
Former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable , former Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and 2014 Apprentice winner Mark Wright are among the judges for a new awards scheme specifically for small and micro-businesses around the UK .
The Small Awards offers ten categories for small businesses across multiple sectors and areas of activity , including high street businesses , family businesses , start-ups and business-to-business companies , as well as those that export , and even companies that contribute most to their community .
One of the individual category winners will then be named overall Small Business of the Year . Entrants will be shortlisted with judging completed ahead of the awards ceremony in London on May 25 .
Cable said : “ The UK has a great track record in enabling fantastic small businesses to grow and develop , whether they are traditional or family-owned businesses at the heart of their particular areas , or those with the potential for high growth and innovation . I think we are going to be able to recognise some great examples of Britain ’ s entrepreneurial spirit and some businesses that will set an example that others can follow .”
The full list of categories is :
• High Street Hero - Best high street business
• Bricks and Clicks Award - Best multi-channel small business
• Legacy Award -Best family business
• Supply Chain Champion - Best B2B business
• Home And Away - Best exporting business
• New Kid On The Block - Best business start-up ( less than 18 months )
• Digital Star - Best digital only business
• Marketing Genius - Best marketing campaign
• Heart Of Gold - The business that contributes most to its community
• At Your Service - Best small service business
• The Beat Goes On Award - Best use of music in a business
• Small Business Of The Year Award
Stewart wins approval
Stewart , the SME which makes plastic gardening and catering products , is one of 14 elite British businesses chosen to be featured in the Parliamentary Review , Manufacturing Edition 2015 / 2016 . The review looks at the parliamentary year with emphasis on trade , industry and manufacturing .
Andy Burns , managing director at Stewart , said : “ We ’ re delighted to feature . As a UK manufacturer with a heritage stretching back over 70 years , we ’ re proud of our contribution to the country ’ s economy , so it ’ s highly rewarding to be one of only a selection of businesses included .”
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