Recent news that the UK government is to support the freeing up of over £50bn in funding for growth companies from nine pension funds is the latest in a long line of good news for British-based start-ups.
Earlier this year, the UK was ranked third globally in terms of VC investment and ecosystem value. The strong ecosystems which support tech start-ups, specifically within London, has seen the capital attract £19bn in VC investments to date.
The UK’s impressive educational system has resulted in a skilled workforce that remains attractive to foreign investors with start-ups specialising in finance, energy, healthcare and security proving to be the fastest growing sectors.
Within those areas, investment in services on demand has risen by 75 per cent, with 192 of the UK’s active high growth companies operating in the area. Similarly, property technology saw a 67 per cent increase in investment opportunities between 2020 and 2022. Growth areas within that sector such as AI, cyber security and financial support show continued promise for career opportunity.
Fastest growing start-ups
Some of the UK’s fastest growing start-ups include fintech company Tranch, which enables customers to buy now and pay later with ease.
Taking advantage of the change in consumer habits as a result of the pandemic, London-based Tranch raised $100m in a seed round of funding earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Octopus Energy weathered the Covid storm that saw dozens of other energy focused start-ups go under, and the introduction of generative AI into its customer service earlier this saw the company raise $225m in 2022.
Mobile-only neobank Kroo raised $26m last year and went on to be granted its full banking licence – the second only fintech to do so since 2016. It can now offer personal accounts to customers, something larger fintech company Revolut is still working towards.
Against that backdrop, the fastest growing start-ups across the UK cover a range of industries with the majority providing career opportunities for those who have a wide range of skills.
In fact, a recent study from the UK Department of Education shows that 46 per cent of start-ups are facing a skills shortage when it comes to recruitment and hiring in a shallow pool of talent, to such an extent that 80 per cent of them are now investing in upskilling workers to fill the shortfall. Skills that remain in high demand include coding, machine learning, cyber security and engineering.
The Growth Business job board is full of opportunities across fast growing start-up and scale-up companies. Three exciting roles are highlighted below but browse the entire job board to ensure you don’t miss a perfect opportunity.
IT Service Management Analyst, Zilch, London
Zilch, the world’s first commerce card and double unicorn, is looking for an IT service management analyst to maintain customer relationships and improve response and delivery times for Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers.
On a day-to-day basis, you will assist in creating and maintaining IT operational workflows, knowledge documents, reports and communications to IT and third parties. The successful candidate will have at least three years’ experience as IT service management analyst and be proficient in ITSM tool administration and management. To apply, find more information here.
Software Engineer (Backend) | Lifecycle & CRM, Lyst, London
Providing a system as a service, fashion platform Lyst has grown from strength to strength since it launched in 2010 and now it’s looking for a software engineer to help maintain its CRM Lifecycle technology. You will work closely with current engineers, designers, marketing, growth and product managers to help execute product strategy.
The successful candidate will be a subject matter expert on all technical aspects of CRM platforms with experience in designing, delivering and documenting repeatable, flexible and efficient campaign solutions within the Braze platform. Discover more about the role here.
Senior Android Developer, Octopus Energy, London
Growing company Octopus Energy is currently hiring for a number of roles, including senior android developer working with the company’s Kraken field – a multifunctional team made up of product, backend, design, mobile, web and more – focused on making the company the go-to name in green home installations.
On a day-to-day basis, you will work on projects spanning electric vehicles, energy usage flexibility, energy accounts, smart home devices, acquisitions and engineer solutions. The right candidate will have a proven track record in app design and be passionate about app architecture. Find more information here.
For more open opportunities and to find your perfect role, log on to the Growth Business job board.
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