Finalists for the Midlands in a new Ƶ-wide awards initiative championing the best in start-ups and entrepreneurial activity can been revealed.
The has been launched to recognise the booming startup scene across the Ƶ which has accelerated since the pandemic began. In 2020, when most of the world was shutting down, more than 400,000 startups were set up in Britain, with similar increases seen in other European countries.
This marked boost in nascent entrepreneurship is mirrored by a huge 2,500 applications which have been received in response to the Startup Awards National Series’ first ever call for entries.
The Midlands startups that made the shortlist are a true snapshot of the future economy, with a collective turnover of over £15m and employing 547 people between them. Of the region’s great passion for entrepreneurship, one finalist said: “The Midlands is full of exciting and wonderful opportunities, with its open countryside and wide variety of events.
“It’s also built on the foundations of some fantastic entrepreneurship, from Rolls-Royce to Bombardier, and many more. I've been supported by many Midlands businesses in a range of sectors and by families recommending me by word of mouth.”
The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures. This includes Midlands-based Piers Linney, serial entrepreneur and Dragons Den investor, and Heather Gorringe, founder of Great British Florist.
Supported nationally by BT, EY, Dell & Intel, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals across the Ƶ who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service.
Co-founded by the team behind the , the new series follows the success of the Wales StartUp Awards, after organisers recognised the exceptional potential in the startup scene across the other British regions.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans , the creator of the StartUp Awards National Series, said: “New firms are important for generating economic prosperity, employment opportunities and innovation. Since 2016, the Wales StartUp Awards have celebrated this amazing annual contribution to our economy by entrepreneurs and the impact they have on communities across the nation.
“Given the sheer volume of phenomenal startups we’ve heard from since then, as well as the huge post-pandemic shift in people’s desires to take their career in a new direction and set up a business against the odds, we felt it was the right time to take the programme nationwide. We’ve been blown away by the standard of entries from the Midlands in this first year and truly look forward to crowning the winners.”
The Midlands final will take place at The Crane Birmingham on 16th June 2022.
This year’s StartUp Awards National Series finalists from the Midlands are:
Marketing, Advertising & PR StartUp
Founded by Adam Karmi & Kateryna Bashkivska
Founded by Debbie Porter
Founded by Kamran Awan & James Mohamed
Founded by Joe Burns, Joe Miller & Scott Lynam
Founded by Alice Price & Matthew Layton
Founded by Joe Yates
B2B Services StartUp
Founded by Natalie & Adam Bamford
Founded by James Robinson
Founded by Reece Couchman
Founded by Richard Price
Founded by Jonny Millard
Founded by Emma Glover
B2C Services StartUp
Founded by Lucy & Kim Evans
Founded by Jessica Messenger
Founded by Thomas Pearson
, Founded by Katherine Jennick
Construction & Building Services StartUp
Founded by Tom Spilsted
Founded by Jordan Kirkham
Founded by Kriss Taylor & Paul Wright
Founded by Tom Harley
Creative StartUp
, Founded by Harriet Fairley
Founded by Daljit Singh
Founded by Natalie Goudge
Founded by Neilroy Gunn
Founded by Carl Jones, Chris Pritchard & Mark Allsop
Digital StartUp
Founded by Heather Murray
Founded by Gurpreet Dhillon
Founded by Theo Millward
, Founded by Nathan Moore & Samuel Worsley
Founded by Joe Carballo
Fintech StartUp
Founded by Vishal Mishra & Himanshu Sharma
Founded by Mandeep Nagra & Jon Singh
Founded by Ravi Ranjan & Ronan Hynes
Food and Drink StartUp
Founded by Hiranthi Cook
Founded by Ligia Enoki & Flavio Pizzolotti
Founded by Ali Mirza
Founded by Nitesh Mall & Andrew Vanezis
Global StartUp
Founded by David Jones
, Founded by Katie King
Founded by Claire Ferreira
Founded by Emma Glover
Graduate StartUp
Founded by Lily Brown, Alistair Moss & Thomas Doherty
Founded by Ali Mirza
Founded by Juliet Edjere, Sarah Nantume & Winner Adebayo
, Founded by Ravi Ranjan & Ronan Hynes
Green StartUp
Founded by Oli Strong
Founded by Dominic & Kieron Tompkin
Founded by Matej Kapinaj
Founded by Eliana Vanekova & John Munn
Innovative StartUp
Founded by Hadeel Tawfik
Founded by Peter Neath & Ian Worton
Founded by Elliot Parnham
Founded by Barny Dillarstone
Manufacturing & Engineering StartUp
Founded by Thomas Bloomfield & Joshua Shires
, Founded by Kieron Salter
, Founded by Jordan Jackson
Online Retail StartUp
, Founded by Sarika Talwar & Ian Kane
Founded by Muna Nageh
, Founded by Hamish Light
Founded by Laura Purcell
, Founded by Edward & Lucy Forrester
Professional Services StartUp
Founded by Andrew Hill
Founded by Catherine Hyde
, Founded by Munachiso Ogu-Jude
Founded by Richard Hooper
Founded by Zoe Lewis
Rising Star Award
, Founded by Kelechi Apakama
Founded by Katie Peggs
Founded by Raj Sharma
Founded by Laura Burton & Paul Doughty
Founded by Robert Simpson
Founded by Andy Ryley
Founded by Juliet Edjere, Sarah Nantume & Winner Adebayo
, Founded by Georgina Bowman
, Founded by Eloise Idoine
Founded by Sam Lambeth & Simon Caulton
, Founded by Victoria Williams
Founded by Jack Durkin & James Humphries-Stone
Founded by Shrevan Marath
Founded by Jolene Pole
Social StartUp
Founded by Sukhjeen Kaur
, Founded by Dave Scotford
Founded by Eliana Vanekova & John Munn
Tourism & Leisure StartUp
Founded by Rupert Hough & Wayne Dyke
Founded by Sian Humphreys
, Founded by Paulo Jamece
Founded by Lucy Canham
Founded by Sarah Fenby
, Founded by Jo Joshi
Young Entrepreneur
, Founded by Harriet Fairley
Founded by Joe Yates
Founded by Nathan Moore and Simon Worsley
Founded by Eliana Vanekova and John Nunn
Birmingham Start-Up
Founded by Reece Couchman
Founded by Edward & Lucy Forrester
Founded by Heather Murray
Founded by Andrew Hill
For the full list of national finalist click
