Capsule Cover | 6 Growth Lists To Put On Your Radar If You're Scaling…

It’s frustrating. You’re growing at a rapid pace, so why does it feel like only those in your circle know about it?

To raise your profile among prospective partners, customers, and – you guessed it – investors, it’s time to think bigger. It’s time to get recognised by the kind of organisations that have been built to get you noticed.

Let’s look at six great growth lists and their eligibility.

1. Tech Nation Rising Stars

Get dubbed a ‘Rising Star’ by Tech Nation, and you’ll stand out as an innovative, early-stage tech company. In the process, you’ll go through various competition stages and a whole load of promotion. As for the criteria? You should:

Be a digital tech business with a product or service (no agencies/consultancies)
Be at seed to pre-Series A funding stage or, if revenue-focused, hitting <£1.5m
Have at least one active client or pilot
Have evidence of market traction
Have a UK HQ
Have been incorporated for 1-3 years
Be able to commit to key dates in the Rising Stars calendar

Winners get the chance to perfect their pitch with the experts and network with potential investors. You’ll also be in good company with brands like SeedLegals, tickr, and People Matter.

2. Startups 100

This list gives you a chance to show you’re one of the most disruptive and innovative businesses out there. Eligibility for application is simple – you should:

Be UK-based
Be founded in the last five years

Bear in mind that they’re looking for exceptional scale-ups. You’ll need to provide details of finance raised and turnover for the previous financial year so they can assess your weighted score based on financial position. Previously listed businesses include Numan, allplants and UpCircle Beauty.

3. FT 1000

This lists the top 1,000 European companies with the greatest revenue growth over a period of three years. Heard of OnlyFans and Chilly’s? Yep, they’re on it. The criteria include:

Have a (primarily organic) revenue of €100k+ in year one and €1.5m in year three
Be independent (no subsidiaries/branch offices)
Be headquartered in Europe
Have no share price irregularities in the past 12 months

4. Sunday Times 100

This seeks to find the fastest growing companies in the UK. You’ll be competing against the likes of food replacement brand Huel and electric vehicle charger manufacturers myenergi. Your business should:

Be UK-registered, unquoted, and not a subsidiary
Have had sales of £5m+ in the last year
Have had annualised sales of £250k+ in the base year
Be in profit and have 10+ employees

5. everywoman Awards

The everywoman Awards specifically celebrate female entrepreneurs, their accomplishments, and how they individually inspire others. Categories range from ‘Artemis’ (for businesses trading for 18 months to 3 years) to ‘Brand of the Future’, and previous winners and finalists come from a range of sectors. You must:

Be a female entrepreneur(s)
Be based in (or have operations in) the UK or Ireland
Be available for judging day and the awards ceremony

6. FEBE Growth 100®

FEBE Growth 100® celebrates the UK’s founder-led private companies with the fastest growing sales. Although 2022’s lists are already published, you can still be in the running for 2023. The criteria include:

UK-registered, independent, unquoted and ultimate parent companies
Founder(s) still involved in the business
Achieved sales between £3m and £200m in the previous financial year
Made an operating profit in the last financial year
No decrease in sales from the penultimate to the latest financial year

Don’t meet all their eligibility requirements? No problem. You could be considered for their Watch List: 25 finalists that are aiming to accomplish big things. There’s no reward for being included in either list, but there is a free celebration event where you can get face-to-face with fellow entrepreneurs.

Get set for growth

The free marketing, the boost to employees, the fact that you could get yourself in front of key industry players… there’s a lot to love about lists and awards. All it takes is a bit of effort to apply.

As for Capsule’s part in this, we’re a specialist insurance partner for scale-ups. If you’re eyeing up any of these lists, you’re a growing business with evolving risks and exposures. And we can design the kind of insurance programme that keeps pace with you. Want to chat? Let’s do it.