Climate change innovators
Our Fast 50 CleanTech category
Finding new solutions to today’s biggest challenges
As we move towards net-zero, the world is changing.
Products and services that put the planet first are vital elements of the energy transition.
Companies built around sustainability and society are redefining what success looks like, focusing strongly on the green credentials they hope will provide a strategic advantage.
The Deloitte Fast 50 CleanTech Award celebrates the rapidly growing scale-ups contributing to the UK’s net-zero ambition. Businesses like environmental tech pioneers UrbanChain and Utopi are making renewables and energy-efficient buildings more mainstream.
With an entrepreneurial spirit, they’re finding fixes to climate challenges while creating jobs and growth.
Scale-ups are showing how to do things differently
Against the backdrop of the energy transition, a powerful new force is emerging: cleantech companies, rooted in innovation and ethics committed to a greener future.
From groundbreaking waste solutions to sustainable agriculture and circular economy models, these businesses are challenging the status quo. Unburdened by legacy systems and traditional thinking, they’re stimulating the economy and helping to shape our low-carbon future.
For the best part of three decades, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Awards have highlighted innovation, entrepreneurship and success in the tech sector, ranking companies with the greatest growth. For 2024, total revenues from all 50 entrants on the index added up to almost £2 billion.
Now, the Fast 50 also showcases cleantech high-fliers. Five were recognised in the latest awards, celebrating innovation in London, the North West and Scotland.
Together, they’re cutting carbon – and costs – for companies, consumers and communities.
“The Fast 50 CleanTech category is about supporting those with innovative tech solutions to today’s climate-related challenges,” says Kariel Parian, a senior manager at Deloitte.
“We’re celebrating these ideas in the hope they’ll find bigger market footholds and be part of the UK’s sustainable growth story.”
Amid challenging economic conditions, these businesses have navigated their way to growth with tenacity, talent and innovation in what remains a competitive market.
Kiren Asad, Lead Partner for the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 programme
The vision became to make energy affordable for all – or basically to decouple everybody from the wholesale market and to create alternative markets with renewables.
Dr Somayeh Taheri, Cofounder and CEO, UrbanChain
More affordable local energy
Category winner UrbanChain is changing the way we buy renewable energy in the UK.
Instead of relying on big names and unpredictable costs, the Manchester-based business lets people purchase clean power directly from local producers.
Founded in 2017, its platform enables secure, transparent transactions that bypass the traditional market. It’s helping to stabilise prices and give control back to consumers.
“I could see in the data that there is a huge mismatch between what renewable energy is costing and what people are paying,” explains co-founder and CEO Dr Somayeh Taheri. “We want to make energy affordable for all, not just in the UK but internationally.”
The company has experienced phenomenal growth – more than 8,800%. It has gone from a handful of employees to over 50 and has raised £10.75 million to power its expansion. It has also attracted crucial partnerships with renewable energy and technology providers.
While there is still a lot to do to educate the market, UrbanChain is making it easier for everyone to access green energy and save money.
From profit to purpose
Fellow CleanTech entrant Utopi is making it possible for more people to live and work in smart sustainable buildings.
The Glasgow-headquartered company’s digital platform extracts live data from multi-tenant premises and shows owners and occupants how they’re performing against ESG standards, helping to manage heating, lighting and power use. It features analytics, energy control tools and a residents’ app to encourage sustainable behaviour.
For people living or working in the buildings, it means a better environment and even lower bills. For owners, it’s a way to cut energy costs and contribute to climate action.
Initially concentrated on fast growth, Utopi’s focus has now switched.
“We rediscovered ourselves as a business with the potential to make a genuine difference to the planet and people, shifting from a purely commercial venture to one with purpose,” explains CEO and cofounder Jonathan Burridge.
The company has raised £6.42 million across three funding rounds, which is helping to create jobs and enabling its expansion.
Ultimately, Jonathan and the team want to support the move towards large-scale greener living, so more people can embrace decarbonisation in their day-to-day lives.
It’s a goal that powers all the Fast 50 CleanTech trailblazers.
