Reborn Tech Nation, in partnership with OnetoWin, has launched the 2025 Rising Stars competition to uncover and accelerate the most innovative early-stage companies in the UK.
Powered by Founders Forum Group and supported by Rigby Group and its cornerstone IT services businesses SCC, Haatch and Wealth Club, the competition is open to early-stage B2B and B2B2C founders from all regions of the UK who are building technology in any sector, including agritech, edtech, medtech, AI, health, beauty tech, and more. Applications are open from January 21 to March 2, 2025.
Technology companies in the UK are worth a combined value of $1.1 trillion and the nation is home to 171 unicorn companies, according to Tech Nation’s most recent report. The Rising Stars competition aims to support up-and-coming entrepreneurs and innovators from across the UK, including those in underserved regions and communities, with new investment and exposure. The revamped competition aims to inspire and enable more people to embrace tech entrepreneurship by providing resources to help bring their ideas to life.
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Rising Stars features two competition tracks: pre-seed or seed-stage companies, and Pre-series A to Series A and later. A judging panel of founders, investors and ecosystem leaders will assess each company’s team experience, value proposition, traction and revenue, and future goals and projections. Over a nine-week period, selected participants will benefit from networking opportunities, as well as regional support and resources.
Winners of the early-stage track regional finals will have the opportunity to win the Haatch regional investment prize of £335K. Across the regional finals there will be over £2 million up for grabs. For the later-stage track, grand finalists from each region will have the chance to exhibit at London Tech Week, taking place June 9-13 at London’s Olympia.
In the lead-up to the event, finalists will receive individual mentoring to improve their business propositions and prepare to pitch their startups to a live audience of ecosystem leaders, investors, and media, competing for a potential £1 million investment prize at the event. Throughout the process, participants will also gain access to the Founders Forum Group community, with top-tier networking opportunities with other UK and global founders, CEOs, and influential investors.
This year’s competition is merged with the West Midlands pitch competition OneToWin, which brings existing partners Rigby Group (including SCC) and Haatch on board. Wealth Club will also be contributing to the investment prize this year and additional partners include HSBC Innovation Banking, Amazon Web Services and British Business Bank.
Regional NGOs and industry organisations across the UK are also providing support and resources for the Rising Stars competition, including Northern bodies like Manchester Digital, Sunderland Software City and ScotlandIS.
Carolyn Dawson, CEO of Founders Forum Group which powers Tech Nation, said: “Fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the UK is crucial to the growth of our economy. In turn, it provides life-changing opportunities and skills to people from all communities and all regions. Now, with the help of our partners new and old and via our merger with OneToWin, Tech Nation’s Rising Stars can support the most exciting scaleups from across the nation and foster the UK’s tech ecosystem at scale with better resources and investment, enabling more people to make the jump into entrepreneurship.”
Steve Rigby, co-CEO of Rigby Group, added: “Talent can only thrive when it meets opportunity. That’s exactly what this revamped competition offers – with an incredible prize on offer for the UK’s best up-and-coming tech entrepreneurs.
“The UK has huge untapped potential, with tech talent spread far and wide throughout the country. By providing resources, mentorship and networking opportunities through a competitive pitch process, this year’s Rising Stars competition will unleash new, amazing ideas that can boost our economy and solve problems for customers in sectors ranging from AI to medtech.”