The logo of the Economic Innovator of the Year Awards for 2024

Economic Innovator of the Year Awards 2024

An initiative by The Spectator and Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) to recognise and celebrate Britain's leading entrepreneurs

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Unveiling Britain's best entrepreneurs

We're excited to be partnering with The Spectator again in 2024 to deliver the seventh edition of The Economic Innovator of the Year awards. 
Overall winner of the 2023 Economic Innovator of the Year

The awards seek to honour outstanding ventures in six regions in the UK, of which one will be named overall Economic Innovator of the Year. In addition, we'll also be awarding an Excellence in Sustainability, and recognising a smaller or newer venture as our One to Watch.

We'll have more information, including how to nominate someone for the 2024 awards, in late April. In the meantime, find out about the 2023 award winners below. 

Like all businesses, innovators have had to overcome familiar hurdles over the last year. Michelle White, the Head of our Private Office and one of the awards' judges, suggests high inflation has been a significant problem for many sectors, especially manufacturers and food producers: “The cost of energy and raw materials has skyrocketed, and staff are more expensive to hire”. She also explains that political instability and higher taxes have dampened business sentiment. However, even in an uncertain world, one thing remains constant: where many of us see threats, innovators see opportunities. We look forward to celebrating their achievements.

 

Michelle White
Michelle White, Investment Director, Private Office

We’re proud to be joining forces with The Spectator for the third year to celebrate creative UK entrepreneurship.

What awards are given?

Economic Innovator of the Year

  • West & North West Innovator
  • Scotland & Northern Ireland Innovator
  • North East Innovator
  • South West Innovator
  • Midlands Innovator
  • London & South East Innovator

Innovator to Watch

Excellence in Sustainability

Who can nominate?

You can nominate a company you work for or a company you know of.

Nominations are yet to open but when they do, we invite businesses from all corners of the UK to showcase their remarkable achievements and contributions to our economy and society.

2023 award winners

Overall winners
London & South East winners
Midlands winners
North East winners
North West & Wales winners
Scotland & Northern Ireland winners
South West winners

Overall winners

Economic Innovator of the Year Winner:

ComplyAdvantage

A financial crime intelligence organisation, providing over 1000 fintechs, financial institutions, and other businesses with the information they need to detect money laundering, fraud, sanctions evasion and other financial crimes. A data-first company, ComplyAdvantage uses AI and Machine Learning to help customers identify and prioritise their greatest risks.

Excellence in Sustainability Winner:

Graphene Innovations Manchester Ltd

Rapidly scales graphene-based formulations into sustainable GIM Concrete for the construction industry using proprietary advanced manufacturing systems. GIM Concrete does not use cement (8% global carbon dioxide emitter) and freshwater (in shortage). Additionally, GIM has signed a billion-dollar agreement in the UAE to upscale GIM Concrete.

London & South East winners

Scale Up Winner:
 
ComplyAdvantage
 
A financial crime intelligence organisation, providing over 1000 fintechs, financial institutions, and other businesses with the information they need to detect money laundering, fraud, sanctions evasion and other financial crimes. A data-first company, ComplyAdvantage uses AI and Machine Learning to help customers identify and prioritise their greatest risks.
 
Breakthrough Winner:
 
Nuclera

A UK-based biotechnology company driven by the mission to better human health by making proteins accessible. Nuclera is enabling life science researchers to obtain active proteins from DNA in 48 hours through its benchtop eProtein DiscoveryTM platform.

Midlands winners

Scale up Winner:

Nourished

The world’s first truly customised daily chewable supplement. Using a 3-tiered stack of patented technology and our clever recommendation matrix algorithm, Nourished is able to gather information from individuals about their lifestyle and goals and 3D print a gummy vitamin on demand which is specifically suited to them.

Breakthrough Winner:

Coracle

A digital learning company which provides inmates at 86 prisons in England and Wales with access to education in their cells. It is one of the few companies permitted by the Ministry of Justice and HM Prisons and Probation Service to provide prisoners with laptops for education.

North East winners

Scale Up Winner:

Ethoss Dental

A global leader in the development and distribution of synthetic biomaterials for use in dentistry and oral surgery. The company’s flagship product, EthOss® bone graft material, is sold in over 65 countries and was recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2021.

Breakthrough Winner:

Miniml Refills

Miniml is a Yorkshire-based manufacturer of eco-friendly household, personal care, and laundry products. Founded in 2020, the company is committed to revolutionising the way people consume these products by providing a unique Closed Loop supply Chain.

North West & Wales winners

Scale Up Winner:

Net World Sports

A global eCommerce business that is on a journey to becoming the largest online sports equipment retailer in the world. Net World Sports cover a multitude of sports, from football and cricket to more niche sporting markets such as pickleball and handball. 

Breakthrough Winner:

Aqua Metreology

Real-time, on-line, remote water quality monitoring of contaminants that put at risk human health and the environment. This data is used by leading municipalities and industries to reduce their carbon footprint while meeting regulations and is also made available to consumers to alert them if water is not safe to use.

Scotland & Northern Ireland winners

Scale Up Winner:

Sunamp Limited

Sunamp is a pioneer of innovative thermal storage solutions. Founded in 2005, their mission is to transform how we generate, store and use heat to make a significant global impact on tackling climate change and safeguarding our planet for future generations.

Breakthrough Winner:

MacRebur

Using end of life waste plastics to replace bitumen in roads.

South West winners

Scale Up Winner:

Huboo Technologies

A global eCommerce fulfillment provider that takes care of selling, storing and shipping products anywhere. Huboo combines best-in-class technology with a human-centric fulfilment network to alleviate the fulfillment burden faced by eCommerce businesses of all sizes, and help them reach additional markets, find new audiences and grow revenues.

Breakthrough Winner:

QLM Technology

A UK-based photonics technology and analytics company. QLM has developed a novel Quantum Gas Lidar technology that combines tuneable diode laser gas absorption spectroscopy and lidar with quantum, single-photon detection. This unique imaging technology can detect, visualize, localize and accurately quantify emission rates of greenhouse gases (GHGs).

 

 

Winners of the 2023 Economic Innovator of the Year awards


Winners of The Spectator's 2023 Economic Innovator of the Year awards.

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