Founders: Daniel van Binsbergen and Chris O’Sullivan
Founded: February 2014
Website: www.lexoo.co.uk

When looking for something as important as legal advice, you want to know that the source is reputable, reliable and fair. Lexoo helps solve that very issue – by letting businesses compare fixed prices from pre-screened specialist lawyers.

After working for five years at an international law firm, founder Daniel van Binsbergen found many of his business owning friends would ask him for advice on which lawyers to use. He started his company with a simple mission: to introduce transparency to the market. Lexoo is a free to use service for clients, charging lawyers a 10% marketing fee when the client pays them.

The website specialises in finding lawyers that have experience at large firms, but that have joined smaller firms so are able to offer services for half their former rates. They give a fixed quote and as they know they have competition, are compelled to give their best rate up front.

With a $400,000 seed round from Forward Partners secured and a Series A funding round coming up this summer, Lexoo plans to consolidate its reputation in the UK market before expanding into Europe. Over a 1,000 customers have already used the service since launch just over a year ago and, if it manages to capitalise on this promising start, its goal of becoming the go-to location for lawyer comparison should be within reach.

Founders: Alex Narracott, Sam Bruce and Guy Bowden 
Founded: May 2012
Website: www.muchbetteradventures.com

Much Better Adventures was created to “fight against the nightmare that is finding your perfect holiday admist thousands of ‘on the shelf’, inaccurate, out of date and irrelevant search results”. Currently focusing on ski holidays, the start-up offers thrill seeking ski-lovers a tailor-made holiday with just one enquiry form – your details are then shared with local and independent specialists who pitch bespoke deals. The business concept was conceived by the three founders after they spent years working for niche travel companies and realised how difficult it was to compete with big operators and how hard it was for travellers to find the best local, independent specialists.

Since launching in 2012, the tailor-made holiday site has seen rapid growth, selling £6m worth of holidays, securing angel funds from the creators of Nokia’s Snake and more than doubling customer numbers year-on-year. Alongside being pioneers of independent companies and adventurous travellers, the start-up’s founding trio are also do-gooders having set up the Much Better Holiday foundation – whereby a percentage of every holiday booked goes towards carefully selected grassroots conservation and sustainable development projects in adventure tourism destinations.

And the start-up shows no signs of slowing down– confidently asserting that they will book 11,000 customers and £11m in bookings over the next 12 months – as well as new hires, 20 plus new locations and targeting the lucrative (and travel hungry) Australian and American markets alongside steady European expansion.

Founder: Dr. Ganesh Rao
Founded: March 2010 (launched March 2015)
Website: www.rightclinic.com

Frustrated that he could compare car insurance online but not health clinics, when “surely your health is a lot more important”, Dr. Ganesh Rao quit his job at the NHS to set up RightClinic – an online marketplace run by doctors to compare and book health-related appointments.

The website currently features independent reviews and price comparison for laser eye and cosmetic surgery clinics, taking a commission for every booking. After starting the business with £50,000 in poker winnings, Rao was rejected by all five investors on Dragons’ Den when pitching for £100,000, however he later went on to secure £250,000 from VC firm Forward Partners in March 2015 – increasing the amount raised and doubling the business’ valuation.

The company currently works with big national chains including Optical Express and Ultralase as well as more than 300 independent clinics across the UK, and claims to have created £1.2m in new business from bookings through the platform. At an estimated £10bn, Rao says he’s only scratched the surface of this hugely lucrative market, and will use the next 12 months to expand into other sectors including eye tests, chiropractors and fertility clinics.

Founders: Viraj Ratnalikar, Ed Winters Ronaldson and Henry Kirkness
Founded: May 2014
Website: www.carquids.com

Spawned as many good ideas are while sitting in a pub, friends Viraj Ratnalikar, Ed Winters Ronaldson and Henry Kirkness noticed all the taxis going past with adverts; and the many more cars without. It’s not hard to work out what occurred to them – would drivers and brands advertise on ordinary motorists’ cars?

After some initial research with motorists proved they were happy to offset costs to place adverts on their cars, the company now has 5,000 registered drivers just one year after launch. Advertisers pay Car Quids to select appropriate cars, which are then professionally fitted with vinyl stickers. The firm monitors the campaign and provides brands with analytics and data to evaluate performance, with part of the revenue going to drivers.

As well as the 5,000 drivers and a few fleets brands that are signed up to the service, advertisers such as easyCar Club (part of the easyGroup) and global hotel chain Taj Hotels have jumped on the opportunity to get easy and affordable exposure. Car Quids will soon be raising an investment round through Seedcamp to fuel growth across the UK, and, once they’ve “succeeded with cars”, the young entrepreneurs will be turning their eyes to other potential “passive spaces” calling to be advertised on. Watch this space.