A startup or start up is a company initiated by individual founders or entrepreneurs to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. Founders design startups to effectively develop and validate a scalable business model. Hence, the concepts of startups and entrepreneurship are similar. However, entrepreneurship refers all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend to grow big or become registered, while startups refer to new businesses that intend to grow beyond the solo founder, have employees, and intend to grow large. Start ups face high uncertainty and do have high rates of failure, but the minority that go on to be successful companies have the potential to become large and influential. Some startups become unicorns, i.e. privately held startup companies valued at over US$1 billion.
Doug Richard is an American entrepreneur best known for his television appearances in the United Kingdom. He appeared as a "Dragon" on the first two series of Dragons' Den and was also a government adviser.
TechCrunch is an American online publisher focusing on the tech industry. The company specifically reports on the business related to tech, technology news, analysis of emerging trends in tech, and profiling of new tech businesses and products. It was one of the earliest publications to report extensively on tech startups and funding.
Benjamin Peter Bernard Way is a serial entrepreneur and best selling author best known for his appearance on Secret Millionaire, The Startup Kids and as a cast member on Start-Ups: Silicon Valley, he started his first company at the age of 15. He went on to raise £25 million in his teens making him one of the first dot com millionaires.
The UK Hand Knitting Association (UKHKA) is a not-for-profit British organisation dedicated to promoting hand knitting in the UK. Through a variety of initiatives and the assistance of a nationwide network of volunteers who pass on their skills, the UKHKA focus on ensuring a vibrant future for all aspects of yarn crafts.
James Caan is a British-Pakistani entrepreneur and television personality.
Book Depository is a UK-based online book seller with a large catalogue offered with free shipping to over 160 countries. The store was founded by a former Amazon employee. In 2011 it was acquired by Amazon.
Andrew Atalla is an Entrepreneur and founder of London-based online marketing agency atom42 in April 2007 and won the Startups.co.uk Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in November 2009. Judges named Atalla as ‘one to watch’ due to his company’s 'powerful client base' and ‘unique spin on online marketing’. Clients of atom42 include match.com, The Huffington Post and National Accident Helpline.
Startup accelerators, also known as seed accelerators, are fixed-term, cohort-based programs that include seed investment, connections, sales, mentorship, educational components, and culminate in a public pitch event or demo day to accelerate growth. Most startup accelerators in Silicon Valley and globally are privately funded as an investment fund that take equity and focus on a wide range of industries.
Lara Morgan is a British entrepreneur and the founder and former CEO of Pacific Direct. Having sold her share in Pacific Direct she is now involved in several UK startups.
Cause4 is one of the UK's first B Corporations that works in partnership with the charity sector, corporates and philanthropists in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was launched in May 2009 and aims to be a modernising influence within the charity sector. The company works with long-established national charities as well as smaller local charities and recently established social enterprises, both as a fundraiser and strategy consultant. Cause4 also specialises in developing philanthropic foundations for individuals and companies and implementing company social responsibility strategies.
Seedrs is an equity crowdfunding platform for investing in startups and later-stage businesses throughout Europe.
Gousto, a trading name of SCA Investments Limited, is a British meal kit retailer, headquartered in Shepherds Bush, London, founded by Timo Boldt and James Carter in June 2012. Gousto supplies subscribers with recipe kit boxes which include ready-measured, fresh ingredients and easily followed recipes.
SmartGov is a software company based in Cambridge (UK) that aggregates and processes layers of socio-economic data to make the socio-economics of a given location understandable and analyzable.
SyndicateRoom is a UK online equity investment platform, providing multi-sector private investments and running the first passive Enterprise Investment Scheme fund. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Carl Reader is an English author of two business books, serial entrepreneur, and was the resident business advisor at the Daily Express website. He is also a regular columnist in trade publications, and often featured in the national press. He was listed in the City AM Top 100 Entrepreneurs in February 2016, entering the list at number 66, and rising to number 36 in May 2016.
Tropic Skincare, often just referred to as Tropic, is a British skincare and cosmetics company. The company does research at its Surrey headquarters, where it designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes its products.
Mr Lee’s Noodles is a British brand of instant noodle owned by Mr Lee's Pure Foods.
Startups.co.uk is a UK business advice website, estimated at having 4.8m readers.. It was launched in 2000 by David Lester, who formerly founded the video game development company Impressions Games before selling it to Sierra Entertainment.
