The last few years have seen start-ups increasingly turn away from traditional bank finance towards alternative sources of funding, with crowdfunding emerging as the biggest force in the market.<\/p>\n
A number of online platforms have sprung up to capitalise on the growing demand for crowdfunding including the market’s biggest players Seedrs and Crowdcube.<\/p>\n
Crowdfunding records are consistently being smashed as platforms facilitate larger and larger rounds and begin to challenge venture capital firms for the growth-stage market.<\/p>\n
Some of the UK’s most innovative and disruptive companies have used the power of the crowd to fuel their growth. The Crowdfunded Business of the Year category celebrates those companies.<\/p>\n
As well as having raised a significant amount of investment through any crowdfunding platform, entrants to the Crowdfunded Business of the Year category will demonstrate strong potential for growth and an intriguing or disruptive proposition.<\/p>\n
2017’s winner was Mous – title holder of the world’s largest crowdfunding raise for a mobile accessories company. Mous, founded by James Griffith and Joshua Shires in 2015, designs and manufactures savvy phone cases which both look good and effectively protect smartphones from damage.<\/p>\n
At the time of its win, Mous was already shipping to over 100 countries across the world, had opened a second office in Shenzen, China, and had grown from a team of five to 25 in just six months.<\/p>\n
Businesses will be also be assessed on the strength of their revenue growth, profitability and client base. Your business must be independently owned, have started trading no earlier than 1 August 2017 and no later than 31 July 2018, and be UK-founded and UK-based.<\/p>\n
The Startups Awards offers your business a chance to raise its profile on a national level, exposing your business to new clients, customers, employees and even potential investors.<\/p>\n
Your business will also receive recognition and validation from a high profile judging panel including Zoopla founder Alex Chesterman, Nick Wheeler of Charles Tyrwhitt Shirts, Griselda Togobo of Forward Ladies, and founder of StartUp Britain and regular Startups’ columnist; Oli Barret MBE.<\/p>\n
Winners and finalists will also have access to a template press release and a logo for marketing content. Winner’s video interviews will also be displayed on the Startups Awards website.<\/p>\n