Rankings

UK tech startups and scaleups to watch in 2022

The reference point of Europe’s tech landscape, the UK tops virtually every chart and metric of the region’s startup universe.

Its 48 unicorns and 40,000 startups get the most funding, close the most deals, and realise the most exits than any other country across the continent. It’s an increasingly mature tech space capable of pulling its weight against other global ecosystems.

While growth rates have slowed down in line with global market turmoil, the UK’s ecosystem value jumped 42.8% in 2021, and is steadily approaching $1tn — as much as Germany, France and Sweden combined, and third worldwide, according to Dealroom.

Sifted ranked the most promising startups across the UK in a weighted selection of new entries, older faces and fast-growing hits.

Note: if there is anyone missing from this list, or something needs updating, please let us know by email at rankings@sifted.eu

For in-depth early-stage analysis of all sectors and ecosystems, check out our Pro briefings.

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Durham, United Kingdom

2014

Late VC

€90m

€636.2m

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London, United Kingdom

2019

Growth Equity VC

€354m

€414m

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Bristol, United Kingdom

2015

Growth Equity VC

€208.2m

€310.2m

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London, United Kingdom

2018

Series C

€175m

€254m

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Babraham, United Kingdom

2016

Series C

€139.1m

€247.1m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

-

€240m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

€136.4m

€231.8m

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London, United Kingdom

2012

Series C

€172.7m

€229.6m

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London, United Kingdom

2016

Series C

€170m

€228.8m

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London, United Kingdom

2016

Series C

€160m

€217m

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London, United Kingdom

2019

Series B

€141.8m

€214.7m

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London, United Kingdom

2017

Series C

€43.1m

€199.1m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Growth Equity VC

€181.8m

€196m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€100m

€195m

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London, United Kingdom

2010

Grant

€6m

€191.6m

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Nottingham, United Kingdom

2011

Growth Equity VC

€170.4m

€170.4m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€47.7m

€167.3m

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London, United Kingdom

2011

Late VC

€30m

€167.3m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

-

€160.5m

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Kirkcaldy, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€125m

€159m

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London, United Kingdom

2013

Late VC

-

€158.1m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

€125.5m

€157.3m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€81.8m

€154.9m

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London, United Kingdom

2012

Series C

€104.5m

€154.6m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series D

€36m

€151.5m

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Oxford, United Kingdom

2016

Series C

€83m

€141.2m

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Oxford, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€90.6m

€140.4m

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Bristol, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€130m

€136m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

€6.4m

€134.5m

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Stevenage, United Kingdom

2016

Early VC

€131.8m

€131.8m

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€93.6m

€131.4m

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London, United Kingdom

2013

Support Program

-

€130.6m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series C

€80m

€130m

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London, United Kingdom

2020

Series B

€63.6m

€129.1m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€90.9m

€126.9m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€90.9m

€126.8m

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Bristol, United Kingdom

2017

Series C

€75m

€123m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

€110.9m

€119.9m

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London, United Kingdom

2012

Series C

€90.9m

€117.7m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€79.5m

€116.7m

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Forres Scotland, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€48.5m

€115.8m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

-

€30.2m

€113m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€63.6m

€110.2m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€100m

€107m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2019

Support Program

-

€106.7m

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Manchester, United Kingdom

2014

Series C

€68.2m

€106.3m

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Bristol, United Kingdom

2017

Series B

€91m

€102m

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London, United Kingdom

2011

Series A

€72.7m

€101.5m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2017

Series A

€90.9m

€95.9m

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Oxford, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€68.2m

€95.1m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€68.2m

€95m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2013

Series C

€54.5m

€91.4m

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London, United Kingdom

2020

Series A

€90.9m

€90.9m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€90.9m

€90.9m

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Beckley, United Kingdom

2019

Series B

€69.6m

€90m

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London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€70m

€87m

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

2013

Series C

€59.1m

€84.5m

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London, United Kingdom

2019

Series B

€50m

€83.3m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Series C

€36.4m

€82.9m

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Oxford, United Kingdom

2014

Series B

€12.6m

€82.4m

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Royal Leamington Spa, United Kingdom

2017

Series B

€79.5m

€82.3m

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London, United Kingdom

2016

Late VC

€10.2m

€80.6m

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Cardiff, United Kingdom

2012

Late VC

€66m

€80.3m

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London, United Kingdom

2013

Series B

€59.1m

€77.3m

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Somersham, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€54.5m

€77m

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London, United Kingdom

2020

Series A

€75m

€75m

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London, United Kingdom

2015

Late VC

-

€74.9m

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London, United Kingdom

2020

Series B

€50m

€74m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2015

Series A

€54.5m

€72.5m

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London, United Kingdom

2018

Series B

€59.1m

€71.3m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2017

Series B

€60m

€71m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2017

Series B

€51m

€69m

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Glasgow, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€42m

€67m

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London, United Kingdom

2018

Series A

€63.6m

€63.6m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series B

€32.4m

€63.3m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€43m

€63m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2018

Series A

€19.7m

€63m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2014

Early VC

€40.9m

€61.6m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Early VC

€7.8m

€59.4m

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Dundee, United Kingdom

2013

Series B

€50.6m

€59m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€35m

€54m

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London, United Kingdom

2018

Series A

€46m

€53m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€39.1m

€49.1m

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

2013

Series B

€38.6m

€48.1m

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Westminster, United Kingdom

2019

Series B

€45.5m

€45.5m

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London, United Kingdom

2017

Series B

€33.6m

€45m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2015

Series B

€36.4m

€44.8m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€33m

€43.6m

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London, United Kingdom

2014

Series A

€30.5m

€42.2m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2019

Series A

€120m

€40.2m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2020

Series A

€29.6m

€36.7m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series A

€36.4m

€36.4m

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

2017

Series A

€16.4m

€34.4m

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London, United Kingdom

2021

Seed

€32.4m

€32.4m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2020

Seed

€24m

€30m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series A

€27.3m

€29.6m

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Manchester, United Kingdom

2020

Series A

€18.2m

€29.3m

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Glasgow, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€9.4m

€29m

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

2019

Series A

€20.9m

€23.6m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2019

Series A

€18.2m

€21.9m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2019

Support Program

-

€18.2m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2020

Series A

€18.2m

€18.2m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series A

€10.9m

€15.5m

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Cardiff, United Kingdom

2018

Series A

€8.4m

€8.8m

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Belfast, United Kingdom

2021

Seed

€5.8m

€5.8m

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2019

Series A

€12m

€1.5m

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London, United Kingdom

2009

-

-

-

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Cardiff, United Kingdom

2017

-

-

-

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Belfast, United Kingdom

2015

-

-

-

Logo

Belfast, United Kingdom

2015

Series A

-

-

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2021

Series B

-

-

Logo

London, United Kingdom

2016

Series B

€48m

€72.5m