The UK’s unicorn club gets plenty of attention, but the real excitement lies with startups valued between $250 million and $1 billion. They are pushing boundaries in materials science, defence tech, AI infrastructure, and biotech.
Many just emerged from stealth or closed major funding rounds, proving they’re onto something big with technologies that solve genuine problems for massive markets.
Tech Funding News selected 10 companies that are worth watching in 2026!
Artios Pharma
Image credits: Artios Pharma
Founder/s: Dr Niall Martin
Founded year: 2016
Valuation: $765M
Artios Pharma, a Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 2016, develops cancer medicines focused on DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. The company was established by Dr Niall Martin, who previously led the team that discovered Lynparza (olaparib), a PARP inhibitor and multi-billion dollar cancer drug now used to treat advanced cancers.
Artios builds a pipeline of precision oncology drugs targeting DNA repair mechanisms. The company’s lead program, alnodesertib, is a first-in-class ATR inhibitor that has demonstrated a 50% confirmed overall response rate in patients with ATM-negative solid tumours. A second candidate, ART6043, is a DNA polymerase theta inhibitor in development for BRCA-mutant breast cancer.
In November 2025, Artios completed a $115 million Series D financing round co-led by SV Health Investors and RA Capital Management, with new participation from Janus Henderson Investors.
BVNK
Image credits: BVNK
Founder/s: Donald Jackson, Jesse Hemson-Struthers and Chris Harmes
Founded year: 2021
Valuation: $750M
BVNK, a London-based fintech company founded in 2021, develops stablecoin payment infrastructure for businesses operating globally. BVNK’s technology addresses blockchain complexity while providing traditional payment interfaces to corporate users, enabling businesses to accept stablecoin payments without directly managing cryptocurrency assets.
The platform enables organisations to process cross-border transactions using digital currencies pegged to traditional assets such as the US dollar, reducing settlement times and transaction costs compared with conventional payment methods. The company processes over $20 billion in annualised transaction volume and serves major enterprise clients, including Worldpay, Deel, Highnote, Rapyd, Bitso, and dLocal.
In December 2024, BVNK raised $50 million in Series B funding led by Haun Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Tiger Global, valuing the company at $750 million.
Be.EV
Picture credits: Be.EV
Founder/s: Asif Ghafoor and Adrian Fielden-Gray
Founded year: 2019
Valuation: $726M
Be.EV, a Manchester-based electric vehicle charging network founded in 2019, operates the UK’s second-largest rapid and ultra-rapid charging infrastructure. The company was established by Asif Ghafoor and Adrian Fielden-Gray to address poor customer experience and regional inequality in the UK’s EV charging landscape.
Be.EV operates over 850 charge points across more than 200 locations nationwide, offering charging speeds from fast (22kW) to ultra-rapid (up to 300kW). The platform serves over 41,000 members and differentiates through modern app-based payment, competitive off-peak pricing, and renewable energy integration.
Be.EV is majority owned by Octopus Energy Generation, which provided £110 million in backing to support 1,000 new charging points. The company also secured £55 million in debt financing from NatWest and KfW-IPEX Bank, positioning it as one of the first EV charging operators to access institutional debt capital.
Connected Kerb
Image credits: Connected Kerb LinkedIn
Founder/s: Nick Dobie
Founded year: 2017
Valuation: $726M
Connected Kerb, a London-based electric-vehicle charging infrastructure specialist founded in 2017 by Nick Dobie, operates the UK’s fastest-growing on-street EV charging network.
Connected Kerb’s platform combines advanced hardware with intelligent site-selection software to deploy chargers in underserved communities, particularly benefiting residents without access to off-street parking. The company operates approximately 10,000 charge points across the UK and is contracted to expand toward 40,000 sockets by 2028.
In January 2025, Connected Kerb secured £65 million in equity investment from the National Wealth Fund and Aviva Investors.
Vertical Aerospace
Image credits: Vertical Aerospace
Founder/s: Stephen Fitzpatrick
Founded year: 2016
Valuation: $705M
Vertical Aerospace, a Bristol-based aerospace company founded in 2016, develops electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to decarbonise air travel. The company was established by Stephen Fitzpatrick, who previously founded OVO Energy, the UK’s largest independent energy provider serving over 4 million households, and Kaluza, a leading energy software platform for utilities.
Vertical’s flagship aircraft, Valo, is a four-passenger piloted eVTOL capable of flying up to 100 miles at speeds up to 150 mph, with zero operating emissions. The company operates in partnership with industry leaders, including Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, GKN, and Microsoft, leveraging expertise spanning aviation, energy, and automotive sectors.
In late 2024 and early 2025, Vertical announced funding agreements totalling approximately $140 million, including a $50 million commitment from Mudrick Capital and $90 million in additional equity funding.
ClearScore
Image credits: ClearScore
Founder/s: Justin Basini, Nigel Morris, and Dan Cobley
Founded year: 2015
Valuation: $700M
ClearScore, a London-based fintech company founded in 2015 by Justin Basini, Nigel Morris, and Dan Cobley, is the UK’s first free platform that removes the cost barrier, which previously prevented consumers from accessing their credit scores and reports.
ClearScore operates as a financial marketplace connecting consumers with personalised credit products from over 160 financial institutions worldwide. Beyond its core credit score service, ClearScore expanded its ecosystem to include DriveScore, a data-driven marketplace that rewards responsible driving behaviour, and D- One, an open banking service that optimises financial product matching through consumer-controlled data.
In February 2025, ClearScore secured €36.1 million in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking UK, continuing an eight-year partnership that has supported the company’s global scaling. Market analysts project an IPO valuation of £1 billion to £1.2 billion based on current fintech multiples.
Butternut Box
Image credits: Butternut Box
Founder/s: David Nolan and Kevin Glynn
Founded year: 2016
Valuation: $660M
Butternut Box, a London-based pet food subscription company founded in 2016, delivers fresh, home-cooked dog food tailored to each pet’s health profile. The company was established by David Nolan and Kevin Glynn, both former Goldman Sachs traders, after Nolan’s rescue dog, Rudie, developed persistent health issues that improved with home-cooked meals.
The platform combines veterinary science with subscription logistics, allowing dog owners to input their pet’s age, weight, activity level, and dietary requirements to receive personalised meal plans. Butternut Box prepares meals using human-grade meat and vegetables, gently cooked to preserve nutrients, then freezes and delivers them in insulated boxes with next-day delivery.
The company operates a direct-to-consumer model with no long-term contracts, allowing customers to pause or cancel subscriptions at any time. Beyond UK operations, Butternut Box expanded to multiple European markets and operates Rudie’s Kitchen, a fully integrated manufacturing and fulfilment facility opened in 2021, with a second facility under construction in Poland.
The company has secured over £380 million in total funding, including a £280 million growth investment from General Atlantic and L Catterton in 2023, which valued the company at £500 million at the time. In May 2025, Butternut Box raised an additional €75 million in debt financing from Liquidity to support European expansion and increase manufacturing capacity.
Signal AI
Image credits: Signal AI
Founder/s: David Benigson and Dr Miguel Martinez
Founded year: 2013
Valuation: $660—990M
Signal AI, a London-based enterprise intelligence platform founded in 2013, provides risk and reputation monitoring solutions for financial institutions, corporations, and government agencies. David Benigson established the company to address the challenge of processing vast amounts of unstructured data to identify emerging risks before they materialise.
Signal AI’s AI engine ingests and analyses millions of data points daily across 190 countries in over 100 languages. The platform identifies material risks, including regulatory violations, geopolitical events, market disruptions, and reputational threats affecting clients’ counterparties, investments, and operations.
In September 2025, Signal AI raised $165 million in Series D funding led by Battery Ventures and Dawn Capital, valuing the company at approximately $990 million. The company achieved profitability in 2023 and generates annual recurring revenue exceeding $100 million, with strong double-digit growth.
Xelix
Image credits: Xelix
Founder/s: Max Whyte and Paul Roiter
Founded year: 2016
Valuation: $640—960M
Xelix, a London-based fintech company founded in 2016 by Paul Roiter and Max Whyte, develops AI-powered Accounts Payable software that automates and strengthens financial controls for enterprise organisations.
Xelix operates as an AI control centre that integrates seamlessly with existing enterprise resource planning systems without requiring wholesale technology replacement. The platform automates five core AP functions: overpayment and fraud prevention through real-time transaction monitoring; vendor statement reconciliation; master vendor data management; AP reporting and analytics; and vendor query management through an agent-based ticketing system.
In July 2025, Xelix secured $160 million in Series B funding led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors Passion Capital and LocalGlobe. The company demonstrated capital-efficient growth in 2024 following the launch of its Helpdesk module for managing high-volume supplier queries.
Shop Circle
Image credits: Shop Circle
Founder/s: Luca Cartechini (CEO) and Gian Maria Gramondi (COO)
Founded year: 2021
Valuation: $600M
Shop Circle, a London-based e-commerce software company founded in 2021 by Luca Cartechin and Gian Maria Gramondi, operates a suite of AI-powered tools designed to help online merchants scale their businesses across multiple platforms.
Shop Circle launched publicly in June 2022 and rapidly expanded its product ecosystem through strategic acquisitions. The platform now offers over 30 products that address core merchant challenges, including pricing optimisation, order management, customer retention, and B2B commerce. The company serves more than 120,000 merchants worldwide, including major global brands such as Nespresso, LG, and Colgate.
Shop Circle has raised a total of $245 million across multiple funding rounds. The company secured $120 million in Series A funding in May 2024, led by 645 Ventures and 3VC, followed by an additional $60 million in Series B funding, led by Nextalia Ventures.