The 10 Winners of Tech Nation's 'Rising Stars' competition are revealed

by Startacus Admin
Female founders take the lead as Tech Nation announces the most diverse winners of its national ‘Rising Stars’ competition to date
Tech Nation has announced the 10 winners of its fourth Rising Stars competition, which recognises the brightest and best early-stage tech scaleups from every area of the UK. Previous years’ Rising Stars Winners have included Selazar (from Northern Ireland), Circa5000 (from the North West) and SeedLegals (from London), who have received a combined £33.79mn in investment to date, demonstrating the ability of the Rising Stars to scale quickly, and their potential to become the UK’s tech ‘unicorns’ (companies with valuations of $1bn+) of the future.
This year’s winners were selected by a panel of 7 judges (industry experts with extensive experience in starting and scaling tech businesses), including Emma Jones (Founder of Enterprise Nation), Nahu Ghrebremichael (Partner at Singular Ventures) and Jess Jackson (Head of Investment at GC Angels), based on their value proposition, competitive advantage, market traction, team experience and potential to scale. Tech Nation has been delighted to partner with multinational law firm Pinsent Masons to deliver Rising Stars 4.0.
The winners of this year’s competition are HR DataHub, Kuberno, Kythera AI, MYNDUP, Naurt, Renude, Settld, RDvault, xigxag and Zoa Rental. These companies are working to transform a range of different industries, ranging from fintech, healthtech and deathtech to gaming and retail.
Together, these Rising Stars have a combined average raise of £678,000 and a total combined raise of £6,780,000. They have an average number of 8 employees, and 8 out of the 10 winners are revenue-generating.
Esme Caulfield, Competitions Lead at Tech Nation, said: “This year’s Tech Nation Rising Stars 4.0 Winners demonstrate the very best of UK tech innovation. It’s been so exciting to see this year’s Rising Stars winners disrupting a wide variety of tech sectors. like fintech, lawtech and so many others, including - for the first time - deathtech. Perhaps even more excitingly, this is one of our most diverse cohorts yet, with the majority of winning companies having female founders or co-founders, and nearly three quarters hailing from outside of London.”
This year has also seen the most regionally and gender diverse set of winners in Rising Stars history, which showcase the pockets of innovation and entrepreneurship right across the UK. 7 out of the 10 businesses hail from outside of London and the South East, with 2 of the winners from the East of England and 2 in the North East, and the South West, Scotland, North West each being home to one winner. Notably, this is the first time Rising Stars winners have come from the North East.
6 out of the 10 companies have a female founder or co-founder, and this representation mirrors the strength of female-founded businesses overall, which have already attracted more investment in 2022 so far than the whole of 2021 and 2020.
9 out of 10 of this year’s winners also stated they have taken steps to make their businesses more diverse and inclusive over the last year, citing strategies including using inclusive language in job descriptions, providing D&I training to their teams, and having transparent pay structures.
The Rising Stars are also contributing to the UK’s net zero goals. 70% of this year’s 10 winners stated they have taken measures to reduce their business’ impact on climate change in the past year, citing strategies such as eliminating the use of paper, embracing remote working, switching to more sustainable delivery providers, using energy efficient services and assessing the environmental impact of business decisions.
Going forward, the 10 Rising Stars winners will continue to be supported by the UK tech ecosystem as they are inducted into the Tech Nation alumni network. Recognising and empowering all of the winners of the Rising Stars competition is at the core of Tech Nation’s mission to fuel the growth of tech scaleups who are helping us create a stronger UK economy, society and future.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.

Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.

The lowdown on FuturePlus, the startup that's on a mission to make sustainability accessible, achievable and affordable for all businesses.

John McLachlan, author and co-founder of Monkey Puzzle Training & Consultancy examines the differences between action-oriented and reflective leaders and which approach is best.

The fitness app that's not just about physical fitness; GoJoe helps employers to engage, motivate and connect their people across all pillars of wellbeing.

Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.

Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.

London-based startup Deep Render tackles the internet’s data and bandwidth challenges via its innovative AI-powered file compression technology.

The lowdown on Dublin-based startup and NUI Maynooth spin-out Neuromod Devices and its innovative evidence-based bimodal neuromodulation treatment for chronic tinnitus.

With the clear shift towards generative AI, Richard Hayes, search director at digital marketing agency Catalyst explores what it means for SEO...
Published on: 30th March 2022
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Startup Sook Receives Investment from Tobin Capital 24th May 2023 Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.
- L Marks Seeking Startups and Scaleups for Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator 23rd May 2023 Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.
- United Utilities Innovation Lab launches call-out for innovative ideas for fifth programme 18th May 2023 Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.
- OneTech Spins Out from Capital Enterprise to Support Underserved Communities in Tech Across the UK 18th May 2023 Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.