Emerging Growth Insights and the Fast 50 2025

Key findings

The Deloitte Tech Fast 50 report highlights the defining trends shaping both the 2025 Fast 50 cohort and the wider UK technology ecosystem.

The UK Fast 50 sees the return of alumni participants, including Allica Bank, Moneybox, and Yoto. Software as a service and Fintech remain leading sectors, reflecting the continued pace of technological adoption and innovation. This year, however, sees a stronger presence from environmental technology, with returning companies such as Utopi underscoring the growing commercial opportunity in sustainability-driven solutions.

London remains a central hub for Fast 50 winners and the wider high-growth tech ecosystem. The capital accounts for approximately 40% of the nation's tech companies and is the headquarters for 35 of this year’s Fast 50. Between 2020 and Q3 2025, UK high-growth tech companies collectively secured £121b in equity investment, of which the Fast 50 alone raised £2.08b. Additionally, this year’s Fast 50 companies generated a combined £2.02b in turnover, reinforcing both the commercial strength of this cohort and the broader resilience of the UK’s innovation economy.

A word from our 2025 Tech Fast 50 programme sponsors

Thank you to all partner sponsors for supporting the 2025 Tech Fast 50 programme. Read below for their expert perspectives on how scale-ups should navigate key growth milestones, from financing options to international expansion and everything in between.

The UK Fast 50 2025 

The Fast 50 recognises the UK’s most rapidly growing technology companies. These businesses are reshaping industries, attracting investment, and developing novel and innovative products. Qualifying companies are ranked on revenue growth over a three-year period and must be technology-enabled. These types of businesses use technology at the core of their business model, whether through proprietary intellectual property, advanced software platforms, or sustained investment in research and development. This ensures the Fast 50 reflects companies where technology is a true driver of value.

Regional distribution

Fast 50 companies remain heavily distributed in London, with the city accounting for 70% (35) of this year’s Fast 50 cohort. The capital’s popularity can be attributed to its access to funding, investor networks, skilled talent and renowned academic institutions. The number of Fast 50 companies outside of London remains the same, with regional winner Previsico, an environmental technology business from the Midlands, ranking 4th. The distribution of Fast 50 companies reflects the broader challenges of scaling outside London and the South. To unlock the full potential of the UK’s tech ecosystem, greater regional support, including funding, infrastructure, and talent development, will play a crucial role in enabling more companies nationwide to scale.

Industry focus and subsectors

While the Fast 50 represents only a small subset of the UK’s wider tech landscape, it offers valuable insight into the subsectors driving growth and innovation.

While the Fast 50 represents only a small subset of the UK’s wider tech landscape, it offers valuable insight into the subsectors driving growth and innovation.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is the most prominent sector among Fast 50 participants. Companies in this industry utilise technology to deliver scalable solutions to their customers. Its prominence in the ranking mirrors the wider ecosystem, where SaaS consistently leads as a growth engine for UK tech, fuelled by rising demand for digital tools across both B2B and B2C markets. Fintech follows closely, reflecting the rise in challenger banks and their popularity in recent years. This year’s cohort sees alumni such as Allica Bank and this year’s runner-up, Monument. Environmental technology ranks third in this year’s cohort. Companies in this sector develop innovations that reduce environmental impact, improve resource efficiency, and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. This year features four companies, including alumni Utopi and this year’s overall CleanTech winner, Cambridge-based decarbonisation firm Levidian, which placed 16th in the main ranking.

Funding and support

Between 2020 and September 2025, this year’s Fast 50 companies raised £2.08b in equity investment, completing 173 fundraising rounds.

Investment into this year’s Fast 50 companies peaked in 2021 at £531m, boosted by COVID-19 stimulus measures designed to support high-growth businesses. The years that followed saw a correction, with investment activity moderating as markets adjusted. Despite a more challenging economic backdrop, these companies attracted substantial backing, raising £458m in 2024. Notable funding rounds include a £146m raise by video AI platform Synthesia.

This year’s Fast 50 companies have raised £261m with an average of £24m per deal since Q1 2025. The high average was driven by significant deals such as software developer Xelix’s £119m raise to further invest in R&D. Equity crowdfunding is the top source of investment for Fast 50 companies, with Republic (formerly Seedrs) and Crowdcube facilitating the greatest number of fundraising deals alongside the British Business Bank (BBB). Companies often choose equity crowdfunding because it allows them to raise capital from a large pool of investors while also building a community of engaged supporters who share in the company’s success.

Gender

Gender diversity is a vital driver of innovation and resilience in the tech ecosystem, with research consistently showing that diverse teams outperform their peers. 

All male-founding teams account for 80.8% of this year’s Fast 50 cohort - a reflection of the wider industry and in the UK’s scaleups, where men continue to make up the majority of founders. Yet this does not diminish the progress being made: more women are leading businesses in tech, stepping into leadership roles, shaping product development, and inspiring the next generation of founders. Encouragingly, this year’s report shows that the share of Fast 50 companies with mixed-gender founding teams has grown from 2% in 2024 to 8.5%, signalling an important shift toward greater inclusivity in the sector.

Employee and turnover metrics

The Fast 50 companies reported a combined total turnover of £2.02b and an average turnover of £48.2m.

Monzo accounted for 51% of this combined turnover, recording £1.03b in its latest annual accounts, reflecting the rapid scalability of Fintechs. Allica Bank, Zilch and Moneybox also reported strong performances, collectively filling £542m in turnover. This financial success underlines the growing appeal of technology-led solutions to both consumers and investors. It also reflects a wider societal shift: as technology becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, people are increasingly gravitating toward fintech platforms that deliver speed, transparency, and accessibility beyond what traditional banks can offer. The broader impact of these firms is evident in the Fast 50 employment figures. Collectively, this year’s winners employ more than 7,000 people, with Monzo alone accounting for 51.5% of this workforce. This expansion underscores the sector’s growing significance as a hub for skilled employment, attracting expertise across technology, finance, compliance, and design, and reinforcing its role in driving both economic growth and workforce development.

Interviews with our winners

Find out more about the UK Technology Fast 50 2025 winners.