Omnea tops London-dominated 2026 Startups 100 Index

Omnea has been named winner of the 2026 Startups 100 Index after impressing judges with its AI-led approach to modernising procurement.

The London-dominated list, which has returned for its 18th edition, featured 69 companies which are said to be headquartered in London.

Startups from regions including Oxford (4), Cardiff (3), Cambridge (3) and Brighton (3) were featured but their numbers were fractional compared to the eye-watering figure of firms in the capital.

Elsewhere, Lucie MacLeod’s Pembrokeshire-based Hair Syrup ranked in 30th after a stellar 2025 and only one Manchester company, 100th-placed Recondition, made the list. 

Four of the top five companies in the Index are headquartered in London, with Oxford-based clean aviation fuel spinout OXCCU the only business outside the capital to break into the highest-ranked group.

The top five for 2026 is made up of Omnea, HIVED, MAGIC AI, OXCCU and Lightyear.

Despite the lack of geographical diversity, businesses from 17 different sectors made the list, ranging from a hybrid fitness company and a firm making clothing out of potatoes, to a startup looking to close the racial wealth gap and a creative bean company backed by Deborah Meaden. 

The startups have already raised a combined £1 billion despite being five years old or younger. 

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First-placed Omnea, founded by Ben Freeman and Ben Allen, aims to remove the friction and manual workload involved in buying goods and services. 

Judges said the business stood out for tackling a core operational pain point that affects businesses of every size, particularly as companies face rising costs and increasing regulation around technology investment.

The business claims its platform has saved customers more than 100,000 hours of manual work, while the company has grown revenue five times since 2024 and tripled headcount. 

Freeman said: “This recognition is a testament to the amazing people who make up Omnea and work tirelessly to deliver a great product and customer experience.

“We’re still in the early innings of the long, difficult journey of building an enduring company, and moments like this fill us with pride and energise us to push even harder. 

“Procurement is part of the plumbing every company relies on – unseen, unglamorous, and mission-critical. We’re turning it into a competitive advantage.” 

The ranking comes a day after RSM research showed that 27,164 technology companies were incorporated in London in 2025 – an 11% increase on 2024’s figure.

This made up nearly half of the total of 56,615 across the entirety of the UK and reflects the dominance of the capital. 

“The 2026 Startups 100 Index isn’t just a list, it’s a living, breathing roadmap for a new era of purpose-driven pragmatism,” said Zohra Huda, editor of Startups.co.uk.

“Yes, the economic climate remains challenging. But these top five businesses prove that UK founders have moved on from just disrupting markets – they are repairing them, from decarbonising the skies to closing the gender health gap. 2026 is shaping up to be a year where AI-native efficiency and environmental urgency create businesses that are both resilient and revolutionary.

“In spite of really tough competition this year, we felt Omnea earned the top spot with its mission to make life easier for businesses at a time when every UK business needs as much help as they can get. 

“By taking care of the slog of supplier lifecycle and spend control, Omnea allows enterprises to focus on being entrepreneurial, the kind of win-win problem-solving solution that the Startups 100 Index and partner Sage champions.”

The full list: