As part of a weekly series, BusinessCloud is highlighting updates from some of the companies featured in our Founder 250 list.
The UK-wide list celebrates 250 of the country’s best founder-led and founder-influenced businesses.
RSM UK is the headline sponsor of Founder 250, alongside law firm CG, property specialist OBI and investor Mercia Ventures.
1. Car Finance 247 accelerates growth
Car Finance 247, the UK’s leading car finance platform, has chosen Bournemouth as the location of its first office outside Manchester. The digital car finance platform was founded by brothers Reg and Louis Rix in 2006. From 1 September, the new office will initially be home to 12 team members, including existing employees based in the Bournemouth area, with plans to scale quickly by early 2027.
2. Applied Nutrition heads towards £1bn valuation
Liverpool-based Applied Nutrition’s market capitalisation has hit £866.25m and is on track to hit £1bn before Christmas. Self-made entrepreneur Tom Gardner is a former scaffolder from Liverpool who founded Applied Nutrition in 2014.
He said: “Great testament to the brightest and most hardest working team you could ever have the privilege of working alongside each and every day.”
3. FYLD eyes US growth
FYLD, the AI-powered field management system, has made a key appointment as it looks to grow its revenue in the lucrative US market. The company was founded in 2020 by Shelley Copsey, Anish Patel and Karl Simons OBE.
Fresh from securing £32m in Series B investment earlier this year, the company has announced the appointment of Sonam Kala as vice president of strategy and growth. She’ll be based in Houston.
US revenue grew by more than 60 per cent in the first half of 2026, with the market expected to account for more than 40 per cent of FYLD’s total revenue by the end of the year.
4. Scullion exits Matillion CEO role
Tributes have been paid to Matthew Scullion, who has been replaced as CEO of UK unicorn Matillion by veteran enterprise data executive Girish Pancha. Scullion, who co-founded the business with Ed Thompson in 2011, will remain an ‘active member of the company’s board of directors’.
5. Brush with death inspires £100m target
A near-death experience was the catalyst for Ian Hudson to try to create a business with a turnover of £100m. The entrepreneur is the founder of IT support provider commited and is all about new beginnings.
In 2019, he collapsed with Covid – before it had been declared a pandemic and before the world went into lockdown. After recovering from Covid, he took 18 months off before realising retirement was not for him and set out his stall to build a business with a turnover of £100m.
6. Vivify beefs up executive leadership team
Vivify, the technology-enabled operator that helps schools unlock the full value of their facilities, has appointed Katie Winstanley as its new chief operating officer. Winstanley joins Vivify from Morson Group and will become part of the company’s executive leadership team alongside founder and CEO Russell Teale and CFO Stephanie Potts.
7. The Rest is Cooking, anyone?
Could Goalhanger Podcasts be about to expand its burgeoning portfolio of hit shows, such as The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Football?
Ex-footballer turned TV presenter Gary Lineker co-founded Goalhanger alongside Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport. Goalhanger is looking for an experienced producer to help launch an exciting new podcast featuring high-profile UK talent from the hospitality world.
Watch this space.
8. FuelHub receives Men’s Health accreditation
FuelHub, the premium meal prep delivery firm founded by James Laithwaite and his wife Michelle seven years ago, has received accreditation from Men’s Health magazine UK and some great feedback from customers.
Michelle and James Laithwaite, FuelHub
9. MyoMaster flips table on Steven Bartlett
Getting ‘torn to pieces’ in front of millions of people by Steven Bartlett could finish most founders – but Lottie Whyte is not most founders.
Along with her husband, former professional rugby player Joe Gray, she famously appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2024, offering 5 per cent of MyoMaster for a £100k investment.
In the end, they accepted a combined £100k offer from guest Dragon Gary Neville and Sara Davies in exchange for 10 per cent of their business, but the appearance was most memorable for a feisty exchange between Bartlett and Whyte, which has had more than 30 million online views.
Fast forward two years and Whyte and Gray have definitely had the last laugh. As well as being included in BusinessCloud’s inaugural Founder 250 list, the couple have gone on to build the ninth fastest-growing founder-led business in the country.
10. Dwelly raises £128m in Series B funding
London-based PropTech firm Dwelly has raised £128m ($170m) in Series B funding. Dwelly was founded by Ilia Drozdov, Dan Lifshits and Dmitry Khanukov in 2023. It announced a £69m ($93m) funding round in February 2026.
The $170m Series B round was led by EQT Growth, with participation from General Catalyst, s16vc, Begin Capital, DVC and several founders, including the CEOs of Legora, Synthesia and ElevenLabs, as well as Philipp Freise, partner and co-head of European private equity at KKR.