The Growth 100 is our annual list and awards that will shine a light on the finest and fastest-growing, founder-led businesses in the country. This is the beating heart of our club that inspires, motivates and supports the very best entrepreneurs and their companies. But, why founders? So many people talk about ‘entrepreneurial businesses’. But what does this really mean? The Growth 100 celebrates ‘true entrepreneurialism’. The individuals who to took their epic idea and turn it into reality are still there, inspiring and driving their company’s future growth. But, they’ve now built teams of people around who are all on the entrepreneurial journey together.
Our Ambassadors
Many will dream, few will do
FEBE celebrates those who dare to do
Juliet Barratt
Co-founder Grenade
Charlie Bigham
Founder Charlie Bigham’s
Jenny Campbell
Founder YourCash & Former BBC Dragon
Aron Gelbard
Co-founder Bloom & Wild
Sarah Willingham
Co-founder Nightcap plc & Former BBC Dragon
Piers Linney
Founder Moblox & Former BBC Dragon
dates and launch
The 2024 G100 will be published in June and our awards party will be held in September. Please see our full criteria below and send us your nominations by the end of April. If you are, or if you know of, any amazing businesses where the founder is still involved we would love to hear from you as we search for the 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK.
Our partners
A massive thank you to all our partners who fell in love with the FEBE philosophy, believe in our vision, and who are now joining us on our mission to celebrate the UK’s greatest founders.
Founder Stories
Founder Stories: Best Bits
Founder Stories: Full Story
‘To be extraordinary you need to be ‘extra’ ordinary’
‘Why getting married was the best first step for our business’
How my side hustle became a multi-million pound business
From start-up to Europe’s largest online florist
‘How we made tofu sexy’
‘The reality of being a founder…you make it up as you go along!’
My life after my £200m exit
‘I’ve raised millions but money doesn’t make you happy’
How I kept my business alive when demand evaporated
OUR CRITERIA AND RESEARCH PROCESS
The FEBE Growth 100® is a league table of Britain’s founder-led private companies with the fastest-growing sales. Companies are ranked by compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in sales over their latest two financial years.
Our entry criteria for 2023 are:
- UK-registered, independent, unquoted and ultimate parent companies
- Founders remain involved in the business
- Had sales between £3m and £200m in their latest financial year
- Made an operating profit in their latest financial year
- Did not show a decrease in sales from their penultimate to the latest year
- Had annualised sales of more than £200,000 in the base year, and traded for at least 6 months in that year
- Recruitment firms, payroll services providers and media agencies must show gross profits of at least £3m in their latest financial year
- Excluded companies include: pure property developers, financial trading companies, LLPs and companies with a turnover of £200m or more
Companies that do not meet these criteria are considered for our Watch List, which features 25 finalists that are on a mission, achieving great things and deserve to be celebrated.
Data collection: Sources used include: Companies House, Beauhurst (a primary data supplier), news articles and other public sources. Some companies were self-nominated, some were nominated by their advisers, and others were identified through FEBE’s own research. Where accounts are not available at Companies House, FEBE has used financial data directly provided by the companies – this applies to a third of the entrants on this year’s league table. The ranking does not claim to be complete, as most small companies file abbreviated accounts and choose not to make their sales figures public.
Disclaimer: The inclusion of any company within the league table, or within any of FEBE’s publications, articles or other content, is not an endorsement or recommendation whatsoever by FEBE or any of its partners or sponsors; nor is it an indication that they one of the best-run companies in the UK. The league table is based on historical data and is not an indicator of present or future performance. FEBE reserves the right to make exceptions to the qualification criteria in its absolute discretion.
Get in touch
The Growth 100 is published annually, and we welcome all nominations. There is no cost for businesses to be included in the list or to attend our celebration party. So, if you are, or if you know of anyone you think should be featured in the UK’s most exciting business list, please contact us by using the link below.
We are also interested in talking to companies that share the FEBE philosophy and would like to partner with us. If you’d like to understand more about our partnership opportunities and become part of the beating heart that inspires, motivates and supports Britain’s best entrepreneurs, contact us at hello@febe.com.
