2023 is set to be another exciting year for startups – and those that adapt and innovate will be sure to secure the kind of recognition and support to take them to the next level over the coming months. In fact, it’s already happening…
Below is our list of 12 fast-growing startups that received investment for their growth plans in December last year (psst, one of them is a client of our own!).
9fin
AI-powered data and analytics platform 9fin is the ‘faster, smarter way to find leveraged finance intelligence’. Co-founded by Steven Hunter and Huss El-Sheikh (former analysts at J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, respectively), 9fin is aimed at finance professionals looking to save time, win business, and outperform their peers. Its latest Series A+ funding round – led by Spark Capital with participation from Redalpine, AI Seed, 500 Startups, Seedcamp, and Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital – saw the fintech startup raise $23 million. The new capital will be used to grow its US team to more than 70 people – with plans to hire across legal, credit, and sales.
Allica Bank
Built to empower small and medium-sized businesses, Allica Bank uses modern technology to deliver expert banking. Founded by finance professional Jason Scott in 2014, the SME challenger bank recently secured £100 million in a Series C funding round led by TCV (backers of Netflix, Airbnb, and Spotify) – with participation from Warwick Capital Partners and Atalaya Capital Management. The funds raised will enable the growing fintech to support their British client base, who they believe have been underserved for too long
Aztec Network
Web3 is the future of the internet – and Aztec Network is developing a next-generation encrypted blockchain secured by Ethereum to act as a programmable privacy layer for it, integrating with DeFi protocols like Element and Lido. Co-founded by Zac Williamson and Joe Andrews, Aztec Network’s recent Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) saw it raise a whopping $100 million. This new capital will be put towards hiring more engineers globally – with the aim of doubling its existing team of 40 in the near future.
Beamery
Ethical AI-powered talent life cycle management platform Beamery is powering faster recruiting, upskilling, and workforce management. Founded by Abakar Saidov, Sultan Murad Saidov, and Michael Paterson (who worked together on inbound marketing platform Seed), the startup empowers organisations to unlock the full potential of the global workforce, be more agile, and make data-driven decisions. In December 2022, the platform raised $50 million in a Series D funding round led by Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), taking its total valuation to over $1 billion. These funds will be used to further develop the platform in ‘groundbreaking ways’. We’re looking forward to seeing what that means!
Capsule client Chattermill is changing the customer feedback game. The AI customer intelligence platform, founded by Mikhail Dubov and Dmitry Isupov, unifies and analyses customer feedback, support, and conversation data to provide businesses with actionable insights to deliver retention-driving experiences. Used by the likes of Uber and Amazon, the startup raised $26 million in a Series B funding round led by Beringea in December 2022, with participation from Blossom Street Ventures, SVB, Runa Capital, Ventech, DN Capital, and btov Partners. This investment will be used to double down on its expansion plans across Europe and the US.
Huel
Affordable. Nutritionally complete. Convenient. That’s Huel in a nutshell. The UK-based snack, meal, and shake maker (founded by James Collier and Julian Hearn) offers a wide variety of environmentally conscious, plant-based treats that prioritise nutrition. Last month, it secured $24 million in a funding round led by Highland Europe – taking its total valuation to $560 million. The business plans to use the capital to continue its innovation efforts, further expand into retail stores, and progress its international growth plans – with a focus on the US market.
Komi
Komi recognises that influencers play a critical role in the sales and marketing process, and is making it even easier for those with a large following to promote their projects and connect with their audience. The website page builder tool, founded by Lewis Crosbie and Olly Hadden-Paton, enables influencers and celebrities to easily create and customise landing pages. The startup – which has partnered with the likes of TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest – recently raised $5 million in a funding round led by Contour Venture Partners, which will help the platform roll out more monetisation and fan engagement tools.
Rest Less
Discover more. Rest Less. That’s this startup’s motto. Founded by Stuart Lewis and Sara Stephens, the digital community inspires those over the age of 50 to get the most from their lives – with content, guidance, and resources on a range of topics from career and pension advice to online courses. Their last investment round, led by Moneta Venture Capital with support from the likes of Octopus Ventures (where Lewis used to work, in fact!) and 1818 Venture Capital, saw the platform raise £6 million. This latest funding will enable the platform to further develop its unique financial services offering in the pension and later-life lending space.
Runna
Ready to take your running up a notch? Runna makes it easy! The mobile app provides world-class, personalised training, coaching, and community to enable runners to achieve their goals – whether that’s a 5k or a multi-stage ultramarathon. Founded by ex-McKinsey Dom Maskell and former PT Ben Parker, the startup raised £1.9 million in a funding round led by Jon Coker (founding partner at Eka Ventures) – with participation from Marc Cohen (solo partner at unbundled vs). It even received investment from Olympic athlete Stephanie Davis. The startup hopes to use the new funding to kick-start its US launch this year.
tepeo
On a mission to develop technology to enable the migration of all UK homes from gas and oil boilers to zero-carbon alternative heating systems is tepeo. Founded in 2018 by Johan du Plessis, fresh from his role as Head of Smart Heat at OVO Energy, the smart boiler maker aims to remove additional costs to homeowners as they transition to a decentralised, decarbonised, and democratised energy system. The forward-thinking cleantech startup secured £10.5 million in a Series A funding round led by BGF last month to increase production and R&D, and hire talent to its commercial and assembly teams.
Updraft
Combining smart algorithms, open banking, and credit reference data, Updraft is encouraging people to make better financial decisions. Founded by Aseem Munshi, David Yalland, and Matt Millar, the fintech aims to help its users ‘break up’ with their credit cards, better manage their money, and reach their goals faster by offering lower loan rates. It has big plans for 2023, and its latest £108 million funding round led by NatWest, Auluk Investment, and New Delhi-based LC Nueva will be sure to help it achieve them.
Zappi
Leading consumer insights enterprise platform Zappi makes it easier for creators to see their product innovations and advertising ideas through the eyes of their customers. The platform – founded by Steve Phillips in 2013 – provides actionable insights in real time, and is used by the likes of McDonalds, Heineken, PepsiCo, and Vodafone. Sumeru Equity Partners, Prime Ventures, and Kantar invested an enormous $170 million in the B Corp last month – funds that will be used to build on its vision and continue to disrupt and digitise this essential industry.
Feeling inspired?
There it is – our first On The Rise list of 2023. We can’t wait to see what new groundbreaking projects come out of this year.
Got your own bright idea that’s set to light your sector on fire? At Capsule, we lay the foundation for growth with tailored insurance programmes that venture-backed startups and scale-ups can rely on. Get in touch with us today to see how we can support your journey.