Top Five High-Growth ESG Companies UK
Lily Ruaah, 23 November 2023
You might have heard of ESG before—and not just from us. A lot of companies are now focusing on ESG factors.
In fact, we found 1,171 active companies in the UK that hit one or more of our ESG signals—1,120 of which were in the seed, venture, or growth evolution stage. And while this number might seem relatively small compared to the number of active businesses in the UK, it’s soared since 2013 when just 150 active companies hit ESG signals.
Using ESG data can allow businesses to make informed and fair decisions, and steer them towards being part of the green economy. The green economy represents a transformative shift towards a future where economic growth and sustainability go hand in hand.
It’s an ecosystem where resources are utilised sustainably, waste is minimised, and the environment is revered. And being a part of this movement is imperative if you’re a business that wants to stay at the forefront of the market.
What is ESG?
Environmental
Environmental factors look at how a company performs as an advocate on green issues. This includes how it handles issues related to climate change, its carbon footprint, waste management, water usage, and how the company’s policies and practices impact the environment.
Social
Governance
Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. It encompasses the standards for running a company, such as policies on corruption and bribery, board diversity and structure, and transparency in accounting and tax matters.
Still have questions? Check out our ESG Q&A.
Why are ESG signals important?
We introduced ESG signals because they will become an essential part of any complete dataset.
In the face of climate change, societal shifts, and governance challenges, ESG signals provide valuable insights that can drive long-term growth, mitigate potential risks, and foster a positive impact on society and the environment.
As these factors become intertwined with financial performance, our inclusion of ESG signals ensures that our dataset is not just comprehensive for today’s standards, but is also equipped to meet the more sophisticated and conscientious analytical demands of the future.
Are ESG signals valuable for your business?
Here at Beauhurst, we believe that ESG signals are essential for every business. Whether or not you’re focusing on environmental or social issues, every company needs to be a part of the change. Many stakeholders will want to see businesses that align with their own practices and beliefs, and they’ll want to see those companies upholding ESG factors.
Although ESG signals can be important for everyone, they may be particularly beneficial to businesses such as councils. As a local council, you need to advocate for diverse and inclusive business practices, and focus on green issues. This can be overwhelming, especially considering the lack of specific data out there. But with our new ESG signals, councils can easily find the data they need to make the right decisions.
Basildon Council uses BeauhurstImpact to identify high-growth companies, secure funding, and build relationships
What’s more, ESG factors are increasingly relevant to investment decisions, as many investors believe that companies with strong sustainability practices are more likely to be successful in the long term. Companies that use ESG signals have a lower risk of negative incidents that could harm their reputation and financial performance.
Methodology
We used a unique methodology to select our top five high-growth ESG companies.
We’ve ranked seed, venture or growth-stage private companies on the amount of equity raised since the beginning of the year (1 January 2023). The data was accurate up until 05 November 2023. These businesses are all headquartered in the UK and have hit at least one of our new ESG signals.
These signals are:
- Clean & renewable energy
- Green transport
- Green infrastructure & building
- Sustainable farming & food production
- Environmental accolades
- Gender pay equality
- Gender equality of directors
- Age diversity of directors
- Social impact accolades
Our top five ESG companies
We’ve ordered our companies from five to one.
05.
Sonnedix
Total amount raised: £284m
Established: 2009
Location: London, UK
Established in 2009, Sonnedix operates a number of global renewable energy projects. It develops, builds and operates renewable energy projects for the long-term—with a focus on providing green electricity.
This clean energy company secured £34.4m funding in June 2023—this is its fourth fundraising. The company also hit a 20% scaleup over a three-year period, and has offices in 10 countries.
This company hit our clean & renewable energy signal.
04.
Zilch Technology
Total amount raised: £312m
Established: 2018
Location: London, UK
Zilch Technology has developed a mobile app that allows customers to make staggered payments with zero interest. Similar to other Buy Now, Pay Later options, such as Klarna and Monzo Flex, they offer customers to pay for products over six weeks or three months.
This fintech company secured £19.2m funding in October 2023 from eBay— its ninth fundraising and bolstering its trajectory in the financial technology space.
This company hit our age diversity of directors signal.
03.
Tandem
Total amount raised: £362m
Established: 2013
Location: North West, UK
Tandem specialises in green finance. It’s working on creating an online retail bank that includes green fixed, and instant access savings accounts. It also offers home loans, motor finance, and mortgages. And its green hub encourages customers to make greener choices.
Tandem made three high-growth lists: LinkedIn Top Startups UK in 2018, 100 FinTech Disrupters in 2019, and Top 200 Women-Powered Businesses in 2023. The company has secured a staggering 17 fundraisings since its inception in 2013—the most recent for £20m in June 2023.
This company hit our social impact accolades signal.
02.
Cera
Total amount raised: £366m
Established: 2015
Location: East of England, UK
Cera offers a suite of services, including in-home care, virtual health consultations, and medication delivery, all of which are accessible and manageable via their mobile application, which additionally facilitates the scheduling of on-demand nursing appointments.
Cera’s featured on a huge 10 high-growth lists, including the Startups 100 three times, and the Deloitte Fast 50 three times. It also attended three accelerators: DigitalHealth.London Accelerator, PwC Scale Programmes, and Govstart. The company secured £1.74m in funding earlier this year.
This company hit our age diversity of directors signal.
01.
Netomnia
Total amount raised: £734m
Established: 2020
Location: South West, UK
Netomnia stands out as a dynamic provider of fibre broadband services for both businesses and households. Despite entering a market with established giants like Virgin Media and BT, Netomnia has quickly carved out a significant presence.
The company’s rapid ascension is underscored by a remarkable £86m in equity fundraising secured in February, contributing to a total of £734m since its inception. This financial achievement not only highlights Netomnia’s growing influence but also underscores the market’s confidence in its potential and the strategic role it plays in shaping the future of broadband connectivity.
This company hit our age diversity of directors signal.
"We're only going to see more regulation and more pressure from governments to address environmental concerns. For our clients it would be best to get ahead of that curve and start thinking about their ESG strategies now."
Beauhurst is at the forefront of this movement, spearheading the effort in data curation by placing these signals at the core of our dataset offerings. We provide clear, searchable criteria enabling you to refine your results with precision and extract the most pertinent information that aligns with your strategic objectives, facilitating informed decision-making that’s ahead of the curve.
