The shortlist for the 2021 Wales Start Up Awards has been announced today.
Now in their sixth year, the awards are due to take place on September 9th at the Depot in Cardiff. They are exclusive to Welsh businesses that have launched within the last three years and provide a unique opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those new firms that are making an impact on the Welsh economy.
Having received a record 750 entries, a total of 90 finalists have been selected across twenty-seven categories covering all sectors in Wales.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, Assistant Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of South Wales who created the awards back in 2016, was delighted at the high number of entries into this year’s competition during the worst economic crisis ever.
“Over the last fifteen months, we have seen record numbers of new firms being created in Wales despite the challenges faced by businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic and this is reflected in the high quality and quantity of the entries to the awards which will make the final judging even more difficult this year. In particular, the Rising Stars category for startups less than 12 months old was the most competitive of all the categories and shows how new businesses have flourished despite the various lockdowns.”
“Various studies have shown that entrepreneurship remains an important element of economies around the World, and it is clear that companies like our finalists, who perceive an opportunity and take a risk to create a new business, will be critical in ensuring the recovery of the Welsh economy over the next few years. It’s good to see that 44% of the finalists are female entrepreneurs as closing the gender gap in new business starts is critical in boosting the Welsh economy.
The sponsors for this year’s awards come from all parts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Wales including Capital Law, NatWest Bank, BIC Innovation, Bluegg, Business in Focus, Business News Wales, CEMET, Chambers Wales, Fintech Wales, GLLM Food Technology Centre, Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub, M-Sparc, North Wales Ambition Board, the Prince’s Trust Wales, the Swansea Bay City Deal, University of South Wales, Universities Wales, WCVA and Young Enterprise.
There is also support for the awards from a range of entrepreneurial Welsh firms such as ALS Managed Services, Bad Wolf TV, Creating Enterprise, Evabuild, Freight Logistics Solutions, Genmed, GRC World Forums, Lux Family Law, Mazuma, Niche IFA, Penderyn Whisky, the Principality Building Society, Tiny Rebel, Town Square and Wolfberry, as well as London-based venture capital firm, Cognis Capital.
Chris Coughlan, senior associate of the overall sponsor Capital Law said: “It’s heart-warming to see so many start-ups in Wales continue to innovate and grow during such uncertain times. At Capital, we’ve always admired the talent and creativity of Welsh entrepreneurs. That’s why we support these awards. This year, the record number of applications, and the agility they demonstrate, is truly impressive. It’s certainly going to be difficult to choose winners among such high-quality finalists.”
The 2021 Wales Startup Awards finalists are as follows:
Business to business services start-up of the year
- DCW Insights
- Dewin Tech
- Infoteam International
- UK Gummy Company
Cardiff start-up of the year
- Aura Ads
- Configur
- Talent Ticker
- Yoello
Construction start-up of the year
- Inndex
- Intuety
- PS Engine
- Temptag
Consumer services start-up of the year
- Beaming Babies
- EcoFriendly Energy
- Kitchens by Emma Reed
- Meithrinfa Cywion Bach Nursery
Creative start-up of the year
- Aura Ads
- The Blackened Teeth
- Iungo Solutions
- Zodiak VFX
Digital start-up of the year
- Configur
- Cufflink
- Porter
- Talent Ticker
- Web Marketer
Financial and professional services start-up of the year
- Care Ethics
- Central Recruitment Services
- Elizabeth Jones Law
- Moxie People
Fintech start-up of the year
- Kuva
- Monva
- Ship Shape
- Yoello
Food and drink start-up of the year
- Bragdy Cybi
- Cardiff Distillery
- Mallows Distillery
- The Good Pud
Global start-up of the year
- Ecoslurps
- Log 6
- Olew
- Semper Paratus
Graduate start-up of the year
- Caerphilly Eats
- Grow up Gaby
- Pai Language Learning
- Route Konnect
Green start-up of the year
- ArcitekBio
- Eco Friendly Energy
- Harvst
- Log 6
High street startup of the year
- Cocovanill
- Cuffed in Coffee
- Loaded Burger and Fries
- SY23 Restaurant
- U Melt me and Gifts
Innovative Start-Up of the Year
- Grafmarine
- Intuety
- Nightingale HQ
- Starfish Labs
Manufacturing start-up of the year
- Harvst
- LIMB-art
- Slate Creation
- The Good Pud
Medtech start-up of the year
- Agile Kinetic
- Cansense
- Ceryx Medical
- Kingston Medical Equipment and Garments
Mobile and Emerging Technologies start-up of the year
- Dewin Tech
- PSEngine
- Starfish Labs
- Techdrobe
North Wales start-up of the year
- Aspire Leadership Academy
- Inndex
- Merch Locker Print Shop
- Semper Paratus
Online retail start-up of the year
- Bad Ass Mother Runners
- Mallows Beauty
- Mesoa for men
- Olew
- The Blackened Teeth
Prince’s Trust Wales start-up of the year
- Grow up Gaby
- Not Your Grandma’s
- Sero Zero Waste
- Welsh Luxury Hamper
Rural start-up of the year
- By the Wye
- Llaethdy Mynydd Mostyn
- Meithrinfa Cywion Bach Nursery
- The Farmers Arms Llanybri
Social enterprise start-up of the year
- Mubo
- Prom Ally CIC
- Swperbox
- Yma
Swansea Bay start-up of the year
- DCW Insights
- Kitchens by Emma Reed
- Temptag
- The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen
Tourism start-up of the year
- Black Mountain Bespoke Breaks
- By the Wye
- Henry’s Chepstow
- The Secret Beach Bar & Kitchen
Valleys start-up of the year
- Care Ethics
- Central Recruitment Services
- Infoteam International
- Nightingale HQ
Young entrepreneur of the year
- Ronnie Bourne and Laura Mallows (Mallows Beauty)
- Oliver Williams (Ollywood)
- Tim Winstanley (Pendragon Drinks)
- Sina Yamani (Yoello)
Rising Stars
- Consumer Insights Lab
- Darogan Talent
- Fleet-e
- Haia
- Lumen SEO
- Onesta
- Penbedw Lamb
- Reworking (Reliving Limited)
- Shroot
- The Scouted Hub
- The Sorbus Tree
- Willow Day Care
