Monzo, an online banking service, has topped the 2021 UK Top Startups list for the second time in three years. Financial services, Revolut, is runner up for a second year in a row, and Starling Bank jumps five spots to take third place. With the majority of brands headquartered in the British capital, London remains dominant as a hub for entrepreneurial and forward-thinking startups.

Bio-based loungewear retailers, Pangaia and Lounge Underwear, complete the top five in fourth and fifth place. This comes as no surprise after 18 months of working from home. Beauty and creative e-commerce are also emerging trends for 2021, as luxury beauty buyers club Beauty Pie Ltd takes the seventh spot, and personalised stationery brand Papier comes in at number eight.

Siobhan Morrin, News Editor at LinkedIn, said: “This year's list also has some interesting insights into consumer habits with loungewear, beauty and fitness-focused brands all featuring. It also shows the rising importance of online convenience in day-to-day life. Consumers are increasingly seeking out sustainable brands, as well as companies offering bespoke ways of doing everyday tasks online, from organising grocery deliveries to managing their money and savings.”  

Sujata Bhatia, Chief Operations Officer at Monzo Bank, commented: "We’re delighted to have been named Linkedin’s Top Startup in Britain for the fourth time, recognising us as a top employer. At Monzo, we're building the best bank in the world, and it's all down to our people. We're focused on bringing together the brightest banking and technology talent and creating an inclusive culture so our people can do outstanding work. In 2021 we deepened our commitment to mental health by becoming one of the first UK companies to offer paid leave for employees who are affected by the loss of a pregnancy.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is one of the greatest cities in the world in which to be a startup with 13 of these 15 exciting organisations based here. Entrepreneurs and new businesses in all sectors will always be welcome to build their brands in this city. 

This year has been another really challenging year for businesses, with most having to adapt or introduce new ways of working to continue operating and support their employees. It’s no surprise that this list includes many of the most innovative UK businesses we’ve seen launch in the past few years.” 

This year’s Top startups list shows the impact of the pandemic which has fuelled an e-commerce boom, as well as other interesting trends for consumer behaviour and buying patterns:  

Beauty and lounge time

For the first time ever, a pioneering beauty company has made it into the Top 15. Beauty Pie (#7) buys direct from the world's leading beauty and wellness labs, bringing the best possible products to its customers via a subscription service. Lounge Underwear (#5) seeks to empower women worldwide, redefining beauty standards and paving the way for all things ‘Comfort Made Sexy’ and Pangaia (#4) uses as many sustainable and recyclable elements as possible in its range of colourful loungewear.

Self-care soars

The stress and uncertainty of the last 18 months has taken its toll on many, so it’s no surprise that this year’s list includes pioneering brands who are looking to support consumers’ physical health. Let's Do This (#13) was founded in 2016 and helps users identify the best sporting events near them, whether that’s a 5k run or a double Ironman triathlon.

Money talks

From companies that empower their customers to use apps that make it simple to invest in cryptocurrency, to lenders that put consumers in charge, startups addressing the financial needs of consumers and businesses make their mark on this year’s list. Topping the list is Monzo (#1) that promises to make money work for everyone. Revolut (#2) is building the world’s first truly global financial super app, helping customers improve their financial health across the world. Meanwhile, at the core of Starling Bank’s (#3) value system is a belief in transparency, fairness and inclusion.

Better business tools for the future of work

A number of this year’s Top Startups are dedicated to making businesses work better and more efficiently. Hopin (#9) is an all-in-one event management platform that creates immersive virtual, hybrid and in-person event experiences. Stint (#8) enables employers to achieve customer service excellence, whilst keeping costs under control.

 Below are the top 15 companies on this year’s UK Top Startups list: 

1. Monzo 
2. Revolut 
3. Starling Bank 
4. The Pangaia 
5. Lounge Underwear 
6. Streetbees 
7. Beauty Pie
8. Papier 
9. Stint 
10. Hopin 
11. Moneybox App 
12. Curve 
13. Lets Do This 
14. Weezy 
15. Cognism 

LinkedIn Top Startups List Methodology

LinkedIn measures startups based on four pillars:

• Employment growth is measured as percentage headcount increase over methodology time frame, which must be a minimum of 15%.
• Engagement looks at non-employee views and follows of the company’s LinkedIn page, as well as how many non-employees are viewing employees at that startup.
• Job interest counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company, including both paid and unpaid postings.
• Attraction of top talent measures how many employees the startup has recruited away from any global LinkedIn Top Company, as a percentage of the startup’s total workforce. Data is normalised across all eligible startups. The methodology time frame is July, 1 2020 through June 30, 2021.

To be eligible, companies must be fully independent, privately held, have 50 or more full-time employees, be seven years old or younger and be headquartered in the country on whose list they appear. LinkedIn excludes all staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, law firms, management and IT consulting firms, non-profits and philanthropy, accelerators and government-owned entities. Startups who have laid off 20% or more of their workforce within the methodology time frame are also ineligible. Minority venture investments that LinkedIn or Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company) make in other companies have no impact on a company’s eligibility.