Disruptors / Ones to Watch
Fast Track researches and compiles two annual sub-tables, published in our Fast Track 100 supplement with The Sunday Times, featuring promising private British companies from a cross-section of industries that do not qualify for the main league table but deserve special recognition. The Disruptors to Watch focuses on companies with the potential to disrupt their market; and the Ones to Watch features companies that are set to grow rapidly.
The 10 finalists for each programme are selected by a judging panel and are featured in the Sunday Times supplement. Their senior directors are also invited to the awards dinner, where they receive a certificate, with one overall winner presented with an award.
Disruptors to Watch highlights 10 companies with disruptive potential from a cross-section of industries, rather than claiming to identify the 10 companies with the most disruptive potential.
The research takes into account factors such as business model, management team and investor credibility, as well as total funds raised.
Past winners include Babylon Health, the healthcare app company whose investors include the founders of DeepMind, and last year’s winner Graphcore, the chip manufacturer backed by Sequoia Capital and the co-founder of ARM Holdings.
This year’s Disruptors to Watch 10 will be published in the Fast Track 100 supplement in the Sunday Times on 1 December; and the overall winner will be presented with an award sponsored by Barclays at the Fast Track 100 awards event in September.
| Company | HQ Location | Disruptive activities |
|---|---|---|
| BulbRenewable energy provider | Central London | More than 850,000 households have signed up to its single, transparent green energy tariff since 2015, attracted by its renewable credentials, innovative technology and customer service. A £60m funding round in August reportedly valued the company at more than £400m, although it is operating in a competitive industry in which seven rivals went bust this year. |
| CallsignAuthentication platform | Central London | Its artificial intelligence-driven cyber-security software removes the need for customer passwords, using data to enable smartphone users to confirm their identity with a single swipe. It raised $35m (£27m) in 2017 from investors including Accel to expand in the UK and US, and was valued at more than $100m. |
| Culture TripLifestyle content platform | Central London | This company’s online lifestyle, cultural and travel content — created by editorial hubs and more than 300 local freelancers — is viewed by 18m people a month. It uses AI to recommend content for its millennial audience. It has raised $103m in funding, including $80m in April, to drive revenue through booking links in the 1,600-plus stories it publishes each month. |
| Evox TherapeuticsDrug therapy developer | Oxford | Its technology delivers drugs directly to patients’ brains and central nervous system, overcoming the limitations of traditional therapeutics, and potentially providing a new way to target cancers and rare genetic diseases. It raised £35m in September from investors including Google's venture capital arm. |
| FiveAIAutonomous vehicle developer | Cambridge | Aims to develop and operate a fully driverless shared urban taxi service for Europe’s $400bn transport market, using AI-driven software and hardware that can be integrated into any modern car. It has received $35m in funding from venture capitalists, the highest sum for an autonomous car firm in Europe. |
| GraphcoreComputer processor manufacturer | Bristol | Says its computer processors are 10 to 100 times faster than existing products, with the potential to revolutionise advances in machine learning. It has raised $110m to launch its first product from Silicon Valley investors such as Sequoia Capital and UK angels including Robin Saxby, co-founder of ARM. |
| MoneseMobile banking service | Central London | Offers a smartphone-only, multilingual current account that can be opened in minutes, even without a UK or EU address — making access to banking easier for those who travel for work or study. The business has attracted more than 650,000 customers in 20 countries since 2015 and raised $60m in September from investors including PayPal. |
| NestedOnline estate agent | Central London | Its data platform helps calculate the value of a house, on which it is prepared to offer sellers a cash advance of up to 94%, removing problems associated with property chains. It has sold more than £100m worth of property since 2016 and raised £165m in funding, including £120m in November from investors including Northzone. |
| Owlstone MedicalDiagnostic breathalyser developer | Cambridge | Aims to save 100,000 lives and cut costs for healthcare providers by $1.5bn a year with its breathalysers that can detect cancerous cells earlier and at a lower cost than existing alternatives. Its products are being used by Glaxo Smith Kline and it has raised £56m from investors including Foxconn Technologies. |
| Oxford NanoimagingMicroscope manufacturer | Oxford | Makes the world’s only portable super-resolution microscope, which offers resolutions 20 times higher than room-filling legacy models. The product is generating interest from life sciences researchers and pharmaceutical companies. The company completed its third funding round in July, raising an undisclosed sum from investors including Oxford Sciences Innovation. |
I’m really proud to be recognised with all these other incredible entrepreneurs Nicolas Cary, co-founder & president, Blockchain
To run a disruptive business you’ve got to be prepared to be resilient. The whole nature of disruption is that you are changing people's lives Humphrey Cobbold, CEO, PureGym
Ones to Watch showcases a cross section of companies which fall short of the strict criteria for the main league table, but which are set to grow rapidly in the future. The research takes into account factors such as past sales, growth forecasts, international expansion and external investment.
Last year’s judging panel included Fast Track’s founder, Hamish Stevenson.
Past winners include the burger chain Five Guys, which has achieved rapid growth, and Loungers, the café and bar operator which floated; and last year’s winner Huel, the fast-growth powdered food nutrition brand.
This year’s Ones to Watch 10 was published in the Fast Track 100 supplement in The Sunday Times on the 1 December; and the overall winner will be presented with an award sponsored by Virgin at the Fast Track 100 awards event in September.
| Company | HQ location | Year end | Sales £000s | Staff | Founded | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Fire EngineersFire suppression system provider | Bury | Mar 19 | *19,056 | 45 | 1992 | Its systems protect 13m sq ft of floor space for clients including Jaguar Land Rover, DHL and Aldi. Received a £6.6m investment from Core Capital in 2018 |
| Dock & BayTravel towel retailer | Central London | Feb 19 | *4,200 | 11 | 2015 | Sells its compact travel towels in Selfridges, and generates 50% of its revenue overseas. Secured £75,000 from Dragons’ Den investor Deborah Meaden in 2017 |
| FullgreenPlant-based food maker | South London | Dec 18 | †2,597 | 4 | 2013 | Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons sell its rice alternatives, made using vegetables such as cauliflower. Raised $6.1m since 2014 across six crowdfunding rounds |
| Lounge UnderwearLingerie retailer | Solihull | Mar 19 | *5,845 | 18 | 2016 | Website features an online “fitting room” for customers buying its clothing, which has been worn by celebrities including Love Island runner-up Molly-Mae Hague |
| Maddox EventsDiversity events company | Southwest London | Jan 19 | *4,047 | 22 | 2015 | Organises events focused on diversity and inclusion in locations across the globe, such as Cape Town and Tel Aviv. Sponsors have included Amazon and Google |
| Oppo Ice CreamIce cream manufacturer | Southwest London | Mar 19 | *5,239 | 14 | 2013 | Founded by two brothers, this healthy ice cream company appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2016. It generates 75% of its sales overseas and has raised funds of £6.7m |
| PiccoloBaby food manufacturer | Central London | Dec 18 | *2,600 | 14 | 2015 | TV chef Prue Leith and the former chief executive of Pizza Express are investors. Has expanded to China, South Africa and the Middle East in the last year |
| RIXOFashion retailer | West London | Jun 19 | *9,986 | 32 | 2015 | Its hand-painted print dresses, accessories and swimwear are vintage-inspired, and stocked in retailers including Net-a-Porter, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Liberty |
| WhiteHatApprenticeship services | Central London | Mar 19 | *2,000 | 65 | 2016 | Provides more than 300 employers, including Zoopla, Warner Bros and Facebook, with apprentices through its placement portal. Has raised $20m from investors |
| WIT FitnessSportswear brand retailer | Central London | Jan 19 | *3,400 | 22 | 2014 | Its flagship sportswear store and gym in the City is popular with Team GB athletes. It raised £2m in VC funding this year and will open in New York in 2020 |
* supplied by company † annualised figure
Sitting next to Sir Richard Branson at dinner and bouncing around ideas is something I’d never have imagined I’d be doing! Lesa Bennett, Olivia Burton
Being named ‘one to watch’ is a great achievement and recognises the hard work of our entire team who have contributed to our significant growth Mike Loggie, Saltire Energy
It is a great honour and privilege to have been selected for the Fast Track Ones to Watch Robert Jakobi, Metcalfe’s Food Company
The first people we shared the news with were the staff. We are delighted that we have been recognised in this way Mike Forrester, Orchard Valley Foods
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