The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their latest three years. It is compiled by Fast Track and published as a supplement in The Sunday Times each April, with a national awards event in June and alumni dinners throughout the year.
This year’s Covid-19 special edition will recognise the impressive past performance of the featured companies, their contribution to the economy and role in paying the taxes that help fund vital public services, such as the NHS, as well as their responses to the pandemic.
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 7 February, with publication on 11 April.
Profit Track 100 entry criteria
The closing date for nominations for the 2021 league table is 7 February 2021, with publication in late April 2021.
- UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
- Profits of at least £500,000 in the base year (2016 or 2017)
- Profits of at least £3m in the latest year (2019 or 2020)
- Profits are defined as operating profits before exceptional items
- Profits must increase in the latest year, from 2018 to 2019, or 2019 to 2020
- Trading weeks in the base and latest years have to exceed 25
- Excluded companies include pure property and financial trading companies, and those with restricted accounts; companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies
- Companies that do not meet the criteria can still be considered for the Ones to Watch programme. This is a selection of companies that have either achieved, or predict, good profit growth
- We reserve the right to change the qualification criteria set out above and to make exceptions. This is not a competition; the compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into
.@Immunocore, the biotech firm working on treatments for eye cancer, is planning to raise $100m with an IPO on New York’s @Nasdaq exchange. An alumnus of our #SageTechTrack100, the Oxfordshire firm is led by Bahija Jallal (pictured), formerly at @AstraZeneca.
#entrepreneurs
@JoinMultiverse, co-founded and led by Euan Blair, has raised $44m in the largest round for a UK edtech startup, (and has changed its name from WhiteHat). Founded in 2016, the winner of our 10 Fast Track Ones to Watch in 2019 is now valued at $200m. https://t.co/er6gTJWE3K
@JoinMultiverse, co-founded and led by Euan Blair, has raised $44m in the largest round for a UK edtech startup, (and has changed its name from WhiteHat). Founded in 2016, the winner of our 10 Fast Track Ones to Watch in 2019 is now valued at $200m. https://t.co/er6gTJWE3K
@INEOS has given £100m to @UniofOxford to fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The donation from the chemicals manufacturer, which tops our #HSBCTopTrack100 league table of Britain’s biggest private companies, will be used to set up an antibiotics research institute.
.@pastaevangelist, the pasta-kit subscription service, is being acquired by Italy’s @Barilla for about £40m. It featured on our #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 10 Ones to Watch last month, is led by MD Alessandro Savelli, backed by @PrueLeith @gilescoren @WilliamSitwell @Pembroke_VCT
@Checkout has hit a $15bn valuation, making our #SageTechTrack100 alumnus Europe’s most valuable venture-backed company. Founder and CEO Guillaume Pousaz is speaking at our virtual founders & shareholders roundtable on 16 March, sponsored by @Barclays Private Bank.
Dr Martens announces plans for a £3bn float on the London Stock Exchange. An alumnus of our #BDOProfitTrack100, the iconic boot brand is led by CEO Kenny Wilson, who gave a compelling keynote at our Profit Track virtual awards event in October. @BDOaccountant @santanderuk @ubs
Our #VirginAtlanticFastTrack100 alumnus @moonpig reportedly targeting £1bn+ valuation in one of the first IPOs of the year. The online greeting cards firm made sales of £173m and ebitda of £44m last year. https://t.co/b3tgOYmoHr
Congrats to 16 entrepreneurs, directors + employees of our alumni companies recognised in the New Year’s honours. Irene Hays, chair of #PwCTopTrack250 alumnus @HaysTravel (pictured), and Jo da Silva, structural engineer at #TopTrack100 stalwart @ArupGroup, both become dames.
Tackling the challenges of COVID-19 head on: Luke Benton, Owner and MD of @mnbprecision, number 30 on this years' @ST_FastTrack, told us how they've had to react and diversify to maintain growth: https://t.co/P1OrQgXR0e #fasttrack100 https://t.co/SpqdX8rcCl
Types of company
Total sales
£20m - £350mTotal profits
£3m - £40mAverage 3 year profit growth
45% - 160% paStaff
20 - 1,000This is the best virtual event I have attended Mark Franckel, co-founder & CEO, Arlington Industries Group
Excellent virtual event. Well done in difficult circumstances Sharon Cooper, CFO, Xceptor
The Profit Track 100 companies put the 'Great' into Great Britain, contributing a serious input into the UK economy Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder & director, Specsavers
Profit Track 100 recognises great talent, true entrepreneurial spirit and excellent private companies that drive our economy Dame Rosemary Squire OBE, co-founder, Ambassador Theatre Group
Great congregation of inspiring and life changing companies upon which the UK will increasingly depend Colin Tenwick, non-executive chairman, Addison Lee
This is the best networking event in the UK Stuart Hennell, co-founder & MD, Watchfinder
Fast Track is a great accolade for any business to include on its letterhead and demonstrate your success Peter Swift, group FD, Peninsula
A great showcase for the unsung but oh-so-important private businesses who generate so much for the UK economy Sir James Wates CBE, chairman, Wates
Best networking event you ever go to! But you have to earn your place Keith Knowles OBE, founder & CEO, Beds and Bars
Alumni success stories
First featured with profits of £11m. Floated in September 2020 valued at £5.4bn
First featured with profits of £8m. Sold a 21% stake to General Atlantic in 2020 valuing it at $1.45bn
First featured with profits of £24m, profits of £1bn on sales of £4bn in 2018
Sponsors
