It all starts with an idea, a thought that seems like it could really go somewhere, be useful to others and one day, potentially, make you some money. Starting up your own business can be a risk, especially if you invest yours and other peoples’ money into your great idea, but it can pay off.
Investors like Tej Kohli have helped plenty of tech start-ups to get to where they need to be, not to mention that some of them have gone on to achieve a huge level of success as a result.
The UK is the leading European nation for start-ups, more than successful than France and Germany combined (the second and third most successful), after securing £8.5bn in 2019 in venture capital funding and it shows no signs of slowing with new companies popping up all the time.
We’ve compiled our list of the top five start-ups to keep an eye on this year. We predict big things for these start-ups, they’ve seen continued growth, rising employment figures and more users than ever. You may know them, you may very well use them already, but you’ll certainly want to keep your eye on them and perhaps even consider investing in them yourself.
Orchard Therapeutics
Founded in 2015, with scientists who have been working in the field for many years before, Orchard Therapeutics uses decades of research to develop potential cures for rare and often fatal diseases through innovative gene therapies.
The company, with headquarters in London, and Boston in the US, recently announced they had £258m cash and investments to support executions on strategic priorities in 2020 and beyond. With ever-evolving research and development and the aim to reach more and more patients who need this potential live-saving therapy, this company is certainly one to keep a look out for.
Moonbug
Children’s entertainment is a huge market and there are always those that are looking to be the next big craze for kids. Moonbug has cottoned on in this age of iPads and TV with their very own global entertainment company, which creates and distributes stories to children to expand their minds with the goal of teaching empathy, compassion and resilience through the screen. Formed in 2018 with offices in London and LA, the company secured £115m in initial investment and doesn’t look to be slowing down.
Zego
This super-flexible motor insurance company started up in 2016 and offers businesses and professionals fast quotes through its app. Whether you’re a part-time delivery driver, full time driver or have a fleet that you need to find cover for, Zego is the place to go. With pay-as-you-go options and no change of address or vehicle detail admin fees, flexible cover is what this company focuses on. With a workforce tripled in 12 months, the company now employs 200 staff and has recently expanded into its fifth European country – look out for continued growth this year.
Monzo
With over four million users, you will surely have come across Monzo, the digital-only bank platform founded in 2015. Based in London with a reported value of £2.1bn, the simple-to-use app separates your cash into bills, savings and spending and also offers an optional gambling block as well the option to ‘get paid a day early’ if you pay your salary into Monzo.
With overdrafts, loans, fixed interest rates, travelling, energy switching and a selection of accounts to suit your desires, this app could very well be the future of banking. Built with your smartphone in mind and designed for the way we live today, this innovative company is sure to gain a larger following each day with 40,000 people currently joining a week, as it stands.
Graphcore
If you ask anyone where they think the age of tech is heading, they would, surely say AI. Graphcore is a fairly young company still, having been founded in 2016, but is has big ambitions and hopes that its Intelligent Processing Units (IPUs) will be a big part of the future of artificial intelligence. The IPU technology is designed for a heavier workload than existing options. With substantial investment from investors including BMW and Microsoft of £160m, this Bristol born company employs over 200 staff and shows no signs of slowing down.
