The Unicorn Kingdom Pathfinder Awards (UKPA) winners have been announced. Four tech scale-up companies were recognized yesterday at a ceremony hosted by the Department of Business and Trade (DBT). The winners will also participate in a roundtable at No 10 in the near future.
Enabling innovation and investment is a key factor in driving economic growth. The UK is the top venture market in Europe and the new Labour government must chart a path to keep access to capital and enable entrepreneurs going forward. The DBT notes that the UK has more unicorns than France and Germany combined and continues to be a prime destination for tech businesses worldwide. The UK government states that it is focused on “transforming the UK into even more of a magnet for investors and global businesses of all shapes and sizes.
The DBT also highlights that the UK is one of only three economies in the world with a trillion-dollar tech sector, following the US and China.
The finalists for the award were drawn from four categories: AI, Cyber Security, Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technology, and Digital Trade Solutions. The winners of the UKPAs will receive a growth programme designed to help scale up their business in the UK, including support from industry and government sector specialists and from DBT’s Global Entrepreneur Programme.
The winners are as follows:
- AI: Massive Bio – an AI-driven platform connecting cancer patients to bio-pharmaceutical clinical trials. The primary goal is for individuals with cancer to be directed to clinical trials tailored almost precisely to their specific condition through accurate and rapid analysis.
- Cyber Security: CyLock– provides a simple solution to test IT systems’ resistance to cyber-attacks, facilitating ready-to-implement solutions for clients to overcome cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- Digital Trade Solutions: Grubtech – empowering restaurants and grocery chains to adopt omnichannel capabilities without the burden of changing core solutions like point of sales.
- Connected and Automated Mobility: Bottobo – specializes in developing robotics solutions designed to streamline industrial processes and enhance operational efficiency. The focus is mainly on autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and software platforms, revolutionizing how warehouses and distribution centers fulfill orders.
Commenting at the Awards, Minister for Small Businesses Gareth Thomas stated:
“We have a thriving tech sector worth over $1 trillion, and our Pathfinder Awards are vital in encouraging more tech scale-ups from around the world to do business here in the UK. Not only does the UK have more unicorns than France and Germany combined, but our country continues to be a prime destination for tech businesses from across the world to come and succeed.”
The complete list of finalists is available below.
AI:
Massive Bio – An AI-driven platform connecting cancer patients to bio-pharmaceutical clinical trials.
Pix Force – Specializes in developing artificial intelligence algorithms applied to computer vision.
Westwell – One of the first companies in China to develop autonomous container trucks.
Tessact – An AI Video Tech company which uses video recognition technologies built on advanced machine learning systems.
Digital Trade Solutions:
Gallarus Industry Solutions – Provides Intelligent Machine, IT & OT solutions that make smart decisions easy for customers.
Grubtech – Empowers restaurants and grocery chains to adopt omnichannel capabilities without the burden of changing core solutions like point of sales.
Connected & Automated Mobility (CAM):
MooVita – Curates smart mobility solutions to roadworthy autonomous vehicles for urban municipalities worldwide.
Bottobo – Specializes in developing robotics solutions designed to streamline industrial processes and enhance operational efficiency.
Cyber Security:
CyLock – AI-powered B2B SaaS cybersecurity platform that analyses any IT system automatically and remotely without the need for technical knowledge, installation, configuration or maintenance.
Cyberdes – Cyberdes provides AI meets semiconductors in the field of cyber security.
