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

Economic Innovator of the Year Awards 2024

Recognising and celebrating the UK’s brightest entrepreneurial talent, in partnership with The Spectator

Enter your business today
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. 
The logo of the Spectator Economic Innovator of the Year Awards

The awards seek out the most ingenious and promising entrepreneur-founded businesses from every sector and region of the UK.

The winners receive recognition amongst their peers, as well as coverage in The Spectator print and digital magazine. 

Find out how to nominate a business below. 

 

What awards are given?

Economic Innovator of the Year, chosen from a Scale-up winner (revenue over £3m) and a Breakthrough winner (revenue under £3m) from each of the six regions: 

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

There is also an award for Excellence in Sustainability, and in 2024 we've launched a new One to Watch award to recognise a smaller or newer business that’s making waves. 

How are the winners chosen?

1. Nominations collected

Submit a nomination on The Spectator's website, telling us why your business, or one you admire, deserves to be recognised for innovation. 

2. Finalists chosen

The judging panel, consisting of experts from The Spectator, Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) and industry, will analyse all entries and handpick the list of finalists. 

3. Judging lunches

All finalists attend in-person lunches in each region, where they'll have a chance to bring their business' story to life in conversation with the judges. 

4. Voting

The judging panel will cast their votes in each category, each lending their unique perspectives to the process. Judging is based on financials, growth potential, uniqueness, purpose, people and sustainability. 

5. Awards dinner

All finalists are invited to attend the awards gala dinner on 7 November in London, where the winners will be announced!

Who can nominate and who's eligible?

ComplyAdvantage, the 2023 Economic Innovator of the Year, collects their award

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

Businesses must be headquartered in the UK and revenue positive, but you can nominate a business of any size (bear in mind that the awards are split for businesses with revenue less than £3m and those with revenue above £3m). 

The awards are free to enter, and the process gives all entrants the opportunity to meet like-minded people and make connections that may help to further their business. 

 

FAQs

  • What kind of business can I nominate?

    As long as they're headquartered in the UK, you can nominate any business of any size. Before you start your nomination on The Spectator's website, read our guide about what the judges are looking for. 

  • Is there a time commitment for nominees?

    After being chosen by a panel of judges, finalists will need to attend an in-person lunch with the judging panel. And then if you're lucky enough to be a winner, we'd hope you can attend the black tie awards dinner on 7 November 2024 in London at the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel. You can see photos of the 2023 dinner on The Spectator's website. 

  • When are the winners announced?

    Award winners are announced at a black tie awards dinner on 7 November 2024 in London at the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel. The Spectator's website features an image gallery of the 2023 dinner. 

  • What do winners receive?

    Apart from receiving recognition amongst their peers, award-winning businesses will receive coverage in The Spectator print and digital magazine and access to corporate networks and advice. 

  • Got any tips for submitting a great nomination?

    The judges are independent, so we'll never know exactly what sways their vote, but we did speak to one of them, Investec Wealth & Investment (UK)'s Marc Wright about what makes a nomination leap off the page.

    Read our Q&A with him before starting your nomination

Supporting Britain’s entrepreneurs

Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) is proud to support entrepreneurs across the UK at every stage of their journey. Find out how we help determined and innovative leaders grow their businesses, manage their tax liabilities, plan their exit or retirement, and pass on their business assets to the next generation.

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Michelle White
Michelle White, Head of Private Office

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

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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