The UK is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to launching your business. The reasons? A very strong history of entrepreneurship and a great deal of available funding. This is why every year more and more exciting startups are being born there.
Today, we look at the most inspiring and interesting UK startups to follow in 2022. Covering fintech, IT, and banking industries, they keep thriving despite difficult times. Do read on to see why they are so successful and what we can expect them to achieve in the nearest future!
The British startup scene in numbers
Despite the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing problems related to Brexit, the UK is still one of the most attractive places in the world to make business. In fact, in the first half of 2021, more than 340 500 businesses were registered in the country – it’s about 80 new companies per hour! When it comes to funding, London remains the top 3 startup ecosystem in the world, and it’s the best British city for businesses, no matter their size.
Let’s look in detail at the most interesting British startups.
TOP 10 UK startups in 2022
Thought Machine
Thought Machine’s goal is to revolutionize the world of the banking industry by deploying modern cloud-native systems and moving away from the legacy platforms so common within the sector. The company created the world’s most advanced core banking engine called Vault. Thought Machine’s top clients include Lloyds Bank Group, Standard Chartered, SEB, and Atom Bank. It is funded by thirteen investors, including Intesa SanPaolo and IQ Capital. Since 2016 it raised a total of $402.8 million.
Fly Now Pay Later
Fly Now Pay Later is a fintech company that helps customers split the cost of their travel in monthly installments, allowing them to book their flights in advance while repaying them at a later date. In February 2022 the company announced it teamed up with Alternative Airlines. Fly Now Pay Later’s main investors’ list includes Atalaya Capital, Revenio Capital, and Honeycomb Investment Trust. The company raised a total of $167.7 million!
Paid
Paid is a startup launched to help enterprises transform their supplier management system with its next-generation procurement platform. Simply put, it helps freelancers and micro businesses get paid for work without the wait. The founders say that since the beginning of the pandemic, about 97% of businesses have experienced some sort of supply chain disruption. Their aim is to address this problem.
GoCardless
GoCardless is a fintech startup that makes collecting recurring payments (such as subscriptions or installments) by direct debit easy for everyone, no matter their location. Currently, GoCardless is used by more than 40 000 businesses worldwide and it processes $10 billion in payments each year. In February 2022 it raised $312 million in funding.
Semper
Semper is a very fresh startup, created with other startups in mind. It runs recurring, end-to-end secondary transactions for the teams of other fast-growing companies. Born in 2022, it received funding of $4.5 million.
AltPay
AltPay is a UK startup designed as an alternative to classical banking. Its founders came up with a fully integrated online banking solution aimed at helping clients save money and grow globally. Its goal is to make life easier for regular bank users – with its services, customers can make domestic and international transfers via SEPA and receive funds in over 25 currencies.
Ryen
Ryen is an IT company enabling people to create products in seconds and use the latest software in their services. The startup is based in London and there is still a lot to discover about them! At the moment, they keep acquiring other companies, such as Foundation, Uperox, and Dynonix. Watch that space!
Yapily
Yapily is all about open, scalable, and reliable banking infrastructure. It connects businesses to banks using a secure open API and provides strong foundations for innovative companies to enhance their products via open banking. Launched in 2017, it received a total of $69.4 million, its main investors being Sapphire and Lakestar.
Countingup
Countingup was launched to help people deal with accounting. Founded in 2017, today it is the UK’s #1 banking & accounting app, which automates the time-consuming aspects of bookkeeping and taxes. Over four funding rounds it raised a total of £15.9 million and one of its main investors is ING Ventures.
Chargedup
The last UK startup on our list is Europe’s first and largest phone charging network. The founders’ aim was to solve the dead mobile phone battery problem – to do so, they developed a solution letting you rent a mobile charging pack from one destination and return it somewhere else, exactly the way bike schemes work in many European cities. Today the startup got $4.5 million in funding and one of its main investors is Daedalus Partners.
Feel inspired? Thinking about founding a startup or developing your current business?
Starting a new company may be daunting. Funding is just one of the problems, getting the right IT platforms quickly and seamlessly is another. This is why so many startups are now looking for external partners that could take care of their IT solutions.
At New Digital Street we are experienced in delivering the best IT solutions to businesses around the world. If you are looking for a reliable partner that can take your business to the next level, get in touch with us today!
