Tech Innovator in the UK

What's in it for you? ��Hear from past winners ��What do you need to know to apply? ��About the global competition

Are you building the future of tomorrow, today?

Since 2013, we have been celebrating the trailblazers, difference makers and tech entrepreneurs of tomorrow �� bringing together the best of tech and innovation in the UK.

If you are a fast-growing scaleup business from early stage to accelerated growth, we invite you to pitch your innovations and present your growth ambitions to regional, national and global industry experts.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be recognised as one of the UK’s most ambitious technology innovators. Gain global media exposure and exclusive networking opportunities with like-minded peers and key influencers �� what have you got to lose? What could you gain?

The opportunity gets even bigger - for the fifth year, our search to find the next tech titan has gone global �� including at least 20 other countries across most key regions of the world.

If you're ready to push the limits and take your tech innovation to the next level, we want to hear from you!

To get started, tell us about how you and your business are making a difference through innovation.

What’s in it for you?

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National and global exposure

Raise awareness of your innovation and your business by showcasing it on a prestigious platform to a national and global audience of industry experts, investors, potential partners and customers.

Increase your company’s local profile through social media coverage and media profiles, that reach tech and business influencers in your country.

The UK winner goes on to compete on the global stage in Lisbon in November.

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Networking opportunities

The competition is a hub for networking, fostering collaborations, and gaining insights from seasoned professionals.

Connect with fellow tech innovators and join both local and global peer-to-peer networks to share ideas and build important connections in a growing community of high-achieving tech entrepreneurs.

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Mentorship and growth

Access the experience of ��㣨Leyu�� mentors and advisors who provide valuable guidance, expertise, and mentorship to refine your innovation and navigate the challenges of scaling up your tech and more.

Ongoing feedback throughout the competition from external judges and interactions with other participants regionally, nationally and globally, can also help refine your innovation and presentation skills.

Hear from past winners

We were delighted to win the ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise Tech Innovator in the UK crown. It was great recognition and a real boost for the team who have worked so hard on the project. As a result of the competition, we are connected with all the other businesses who were UK finalists, and we have built up a really supportive network within ��㣨Leyu��. The win has also given us a lot of broader exposure, which we would not have got otherwise.

Henrietta Boyd

Halocycle

2024 Tech Innovator in the UK Winner

The competition was really impressive; it was an amazing group of entrepreneurs with brilliant innovations. We had great support from the ��㣨Leyu�� UK team at every step in the process and our business has continued to go from strength to strength. We have seen a marked increase in enquiries from a variety of sectors since entering the competition and our credibility as we enter into discussions has been strengthened.

Tim Davies

HiiROC

2022 Tech Innovator in the UK and Global Winner

The Application

What makes a Tech Innovator in the UK?

The Detail

What are the FAQs you need to know to apply?

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The Application
The Details

What makes a Tech Innovator in the UK?

Applicants are typically technology entrepreneurs who are successfully making the transition from the start-up phase to the next stage in the growth of their businesses. They have developed innovative, proven technologies, established robust business models, demonstrated traction and have the potential to scale up globally.

Do you meet the criteria?

To be eligible for the competition, you must:

Be a registered company in the UK.
Have been actively operating for seven years or less (in the current form).
Generate revenue between US $1 million and $15 million; or have raised at least US $500,000 in equity.
Be either a pure technology or a tech-enabled, tech-driven or tech-led business.
Not be majority owned by a large corporate.
Conduct all pitches in English.
Be available to pitch at the UK heat events in between 12 and 20 June, 2025.
Available to attend the UK Celebration event on 17 July, 2025.
If selected as a finalist, be available to pitch at the global in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2025.

What are we looking for?

Each pitching competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts. All applications will be scored based on seven, equally-weighted criteria:

Disruption and innovation
Market potential
Customer adoption
Market traction and marketing
Long-term potential
ESG credentials
Pitch quality

The decisions of the panel will be final.

What are the FAQs you need to know to apply?

Applications

A: To enter the competition, you must fill out the online application form for your company before the application deadline of Friday 23 May, 2025.

A: Any technology entrepreneur that has operated for less than five years and is registered and based in in the UK can apply. Applicants must have innovative, proven technologies, robust business models, the ability to demonstrate traction in their activities and the potential to scale up. All entrants entering the competition on behalf of the company must be residents in the UK and aged 18 years or over. ��㣨Leyu�� employees and contractors are prohibited from entering the competition.

A: Applications are open from Monday, 22 April, 2025 and close on Wednesday, 23 May 2025. All applications must be received by midnight (GMT) on Wednesday, 23 May 2025. Read the full terms and conditions here.

A: During the application period, there is no limit to the number of companies that can apply, however we request that no more than one application per company is submitted.

If you’d like to apply, here’s what we’ll need:

Company details (name, address, company registration number, contact details)
CEO, founder and management team details �� including short biographies
A brief description of the company, business model, any media coverage and proprietary technology (maximum of 200 words)
Details on funding raised to date, 2024 revenue figures and projections for 2025
A high-resolution image of your company logo

Selection Criteria

A: We aim to be as inclusive as possible; whether you’re a pure technology company or tech-enabled, tech-led, or tech-driven, we want to hear about your growth ambitions.

A: We are looking for companies that have been operating for seven years or less, and must have a viable product or service. If you’re unsure if you meet the criteria, send us an email at ukfmtechinnova@kpmg.co.uk.

Pitching

A: Each company will be given a total of approximately six minutes to both pitch and answer questions from a judging panel. All presentations must be in Microsoft PowerPoint or PDF file format. A detailed pack outlining requirements will be shared with shortlisted businesses as appropriate.

A: Each pitching competition will be judged by a panel of industry and ��㣨Leyu�� experts. All applications will be scored based on seven, equally-weighted criteria. The criteria are disruption and innovation, market potential, customer adoption, market traction and marketing, ESG credentials, long-term potential, social impact and governance and pitch quality.

The decisions of the panel will be final.

Winners

A: The UK winner will receive exposure and recognition through local media coverage and ��㣨Leyu�� corporate channels. The 2025 UK winner will also receive a discretionary prize of ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise services.
The UK winner will also be put forward as a finalist in the Global Tech Innovator competition, which will take in November.

The finalists will be provided with standard class flights/travel, hotel accommodation to the final event.

The prizes cannot be substituted for cash or any other alternatives.

A: The UK winner will be notified at the UK final. The Global Tech Innovator winner will be announced on stage in Lisbon, in November 2025. The winner and shortlisted finalists will also be profiled in the global “Winners Report��.

Further information

A: There is no charge for entering into the competition, although all costs related to attendance at the heats and country final must be covered by the participants themselves, where they are being held in person. ��㣨Leyu�� will cover the cost of standard class flights/travel, accommodation and conference passes for the finalists who are invited to present in Portugal, Lisbon in November.

A: ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise will be promoting the pitch heats alongside various partners throughout the course of the competition. By entering the competition, you agree that any personal information provided by you with your entry may be held and used by ��㣨Leyu�� to administer the competition and it’s promotion.

If you are a finalist of the competition, you agree that ��㣨Leyu�� may use your name, image and company branding to announce the winner and finalists of the competition and for any other reasonable and related promotional and marketing purposes.

A: Unsuccessful applicants will be notified. Due to the volume of entries received, we are unable to provide detailed feedback to each unsuccessful applicant.

We value the time and effort put into each submission and thank you for your participation.

A: For any further information please email ukfmtechinnova@kpmg.co.uk

Meet our previous winners and finalists

Global Winner Report 2023

The impact of the uncertainty didn’t stop at the doors of corporate entities.

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Building on the success of the Best British Tech Pioneer competition, which has been running for 7 years in the UK, we've evolved and gone global.

Compete on the global stage

Find out more about our Global Tech Innovator competition

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About ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise

You know ��㣨Leyu��, you might not know ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise.

At ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise, we’re committed to discovering and supporting tech entrepreneurs who are working hard to have a positive impact on the future. If you’ve created a tech breakthrough or a new tech-enabled solution that you believe can make a difference in the world, entering the Global Tech Innovator Competition can help you transform that bold vision into a reality among national and global industry experts, investors and potential business partners.

The ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise Global Network for Emerging Giants has extensive knowledge and experience working with the startup ecosystem. Whether you are looking to establish your operations, raise capital, expand abroad, or simply comply with regulatory requirements —��we can help. From seed to speed, we’re here throughout your journey.

Private Enterprise

From early stage funding advice to planning an exit, ��㣨Leyu�� Private Enterprise (KPE) teams support privately owned businesses with their growth agendas.

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