At The Small Consultancy, we thrive on helping businesses scale, refine their strategy, and build teams that drive meaningful change. Europe’s startups ecosystem is flourishing with innovative companies —people-first businesses with a strong sense of purpose. From sustainability pioneers to game-changers in health and wellbeing, we’ve picked five standout startups that are set to bloom this year and analyse the current state of the startups landscape.
The UK & EU Startups Landscape in 2025
The UK startups scene remains resilient and highly competitive, with companies leveraging cutting-edge technologies to solve complex challenges across various industries. Cities like London, Cambridge, and Edinburgh foster a dynamic environment for startups, supported by world-class universities, access to venture capital, and government-backed initiatives that encourage technological growth.
In 2024, VC investment in Femtech reached over €334m, approaching its previous peaks of €337m in 2021 and €346m in 2019, according to Dealroom data. Europe also saw its first Femtech unicorn in London-based Flo Health.
Additionally, recent regulatory shifts, including reforms to the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), now offer extended tax reliefs, making it easier for early-stage businesses to attract angel investment. Meanwhile, European regulations focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance mean that purpose-driven startups are seeing increased support from impact investors.
With this evolving backdrop, let’s explore five startups that embody innovation, growth, and resilience.
Innovative Startups To Watch
Several of the UK’s top e-commerce startups are fiercely competing in London’s on-demand grocery delivery scene — with London-based Zapp standing out. Launched in November 2020, Zapp has quickly outpaced its rivals in equity funding, securing £31.6 million — more than any other UK-based on-demand grocery company. Offering 24/7 delivery in 20 minutes or less, Zapp is now active in Central London, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam.
Field’s mission is to finance, build, operate, and generate returns from renewable energy infrastructure essential to achieving global net zero targets. By focusing on profitability, the company aims to prove that investing in green infrastructure can deliver strong returns for both the planet and investors. Field is led by Luke Gibson and Amit Gudka, co-founder of Bulb.
With an initial focus on energy storage, Field is fast-tracking the development of a 4.5 GWh pipeline of grid-scale battery projects across the UK and Western Europe, helping to power the transition to renewable energy.
So far, the company has raised £240 million across four funding rounds, backed by DIF Infrastructure VII, LocalGlobe, Plural, Giant Ventures, and a group of angel investors.
Founder and CEO Charmaine Chow struggled for years with acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema—spending time, money, and energy searching for effective treatments. When she couldn’t find a service that offered easy access to expert advice and medical-grade products, she decided to build one herself.
Launched in 2019, GetHarley is an online platform that connects patients with qualified skincare practitioners and delivers curated, hard-to-access medical-grade products directly to their doorsteps. Today, over 150,000 patients use the platform, which works with a network of 1,500 skincare professionals across the UK and Ireland.
The company has seen triple-digit growth year on year, and in August 2024, secured a $52 million (£39.6 million) funding round led by Index Ventures.
In 2022, Shilpika Gautam founded Opna to tackle a common challenge faced by climate project developers: lack of upfront financing. The platform helps companies find, fund, and manage high-quality carbon removal projects at scale.
With a focus on the Global South, Opna has supported over 45 projects across sectors like agroforestry, blue carbon, biochar, and direct air capture. The platform streamlines due diligence, contracting, and portfolio management — saving buyers time and money while ensuring impact for both climate and communities.
Opna raised $6.5 million (£7.6 million) in a seed round led by Atomico.
Final Thoughts
The Future of Startups
With PE and VC firms increasingly backing purpose-led businesses, startups that prioritise sustainability, people, and impact are thriving. Whether it’s improving workplace culture, revolutionising healthcare, or making sustainability mainstream, these businesses are poised for an exciting year of growth.
For companies looking to scale, the key takeaway is clear: purpose and profit can go hand in hand. If you’re an entrepreneur seeking to build a high-growth, people-focused business, The Small Consultancy is here to help you navigate the journey.
We specialise in helping businesses scale strategically (without the overwhelming cost of an agency) by refining talent strategy, people and culture approach, and recruitment marketing. Our tailored solutions cover strategic planning, talent acquisition, and marketing to ensure sustainable growth. Find out more about The Small Consultancy’s services here.
We understand the unique challenges that founders face, which is why we’ve developed our Startup Founder’s Toolkit (our sister company) provides expert guidance to help startups scale efficiently.
With Startup Founder’s Toolkit, you gain a strategic partner committed to making your startup thrive – a comprehensive resource designed to support entrepreneurs in building sustainable, high-growth companies.
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