Did you know that Birmingham alone has created more startup companies over the past couple of years than any other UK city besides London? The Midlands has long been an engine of innovation, enterprise and SME growth for the UK, so it’s hardly surprising that the region is currently boasting more highly promising startups than ever before. Let’s take a look at some of the best ones, as we get a glimpse of the future of the economic prospects of the region.
Whisk
Sustainability is on the lips of everyone in business these days, and this punchy Birmingham-based startup delivers that in spades. Available in both app and desktop format, Whisk allows users to enter all of the leftover ingredients in their kitchen into a search engine, and the app will generate all of the different recipes you can use to make meals based on those leftovers. An environmentally friendly way to save money and reduce food waste is always going to be a big seller.
Droplet
Droplet is one of the many startups championing the cause of smaller British businesses. It’s essentially a payment platform that rewards the loyalty of customers towards small businesses by allowing all parties to avoid transaction fees by using the app for payment. It has already saved some small businesses thousands of pounds a year in fees and has gone on to gather over £2 million in seed funding since launching.
Independent Birmingham
Many failed small businesses could have been raging successes, if only they had the right marketing behind them. Luckily, Birmingham small businesses have found their messiah, Independent Birmingham, which operates a PR and loyalty scheme for small businesses in a model that encourages residents to opt for independents over big high street chains. Good marketing is essential for any business to thrive, which is why more and more SMEs are relying on marketing tool comparison sites like growthsupermarket.com in order to find the tools they need to thrive. No matter how good a startup might be, it’s hard to succeed without the right marketing assistance.
BlueSky
BlueSky has grown so quickly that it probably no longer belongs in the humble startup category. Based in Coalville, Leicestershire, BlueSky is an aerial photography company that uses small planes to conduct ordinance surveys and collect GIS data. Despite being a rather young business, they have recently blown up, providing services to Google, the BBC and the Met Office. Definitely a high flyer.
Buckt
Buckt caters specifically to the fun-seekers in life. It operates across the West Midlands, working as a subscription service that will send you tickets to different fun activities across the region throughout the month. This could be a trip to a craft beer brewery, or indoor skydiving or tickets to the comedy club – you won’t know until you receive your box. For only £17 a month, the service has caught on fast, particularly among younger demographics.
With so many promising young companies across the region, it’ll be fascinating to watch how they blossom in the years to come, and what other innovative startups will choose the Midlands as their home.
