Wales, you smashed it.
The 2025 Wales StartUp Awards landed in Cardiff with a full house and serious momentum.
Every product and service in the room had one thing in common: a founder who said let’s do this and did.
Winners were crowned across sectors including AI, sustainability, health and wellbeing, education, and the creative industries.
A special congratulations to our overall Wales StartUp of the Year winner, Dill, an AI-powered platform transforming how food businesses manage labelling. From compliance to customisation, they’re eliminating manual processes and helping companies save time, reduce errors, and scale with confidence.
Wales has always had heart, but now, it’s got a thriving start-up scene to match. Founders who’ve stepped up, solved real problems, and turned big ideas into businesses with real impact.
We’re proud to champion the best new ventures coming out of Wales and the people making it happen.
The Wales StartUp Awards Winners in Cardiff.
Let’s meet this year’s winners.
AI StartUp of the Year – Dill
Dill is an AI-powered food labelling platform that helps food businesses instantly create compliant, customised labels, no manual formatting or IT setup required.
Business to Business StartUp of the Year – Pilates Class
Pilates Class is redefining the UK wellness space by connecting top-tier Pilates instructors with luxury studios, hotels, and boutique fitness venues. With a strong track record in studio launches and over 18,000 bookings since 2022, they provide end-to-end support to deliver premium, high-impact wellness experiences.
Business, Consulting & Management StartUp of the Year – Quest
Quest is a talent partner for start-ups and scaling businesses, embedding directly into their teams to build lasting, high-impact hiring strategies.
Cleantech StartUp of the Year – Nellie Technologies
Nellie Technologies uses bioengineered microalgae to capture carbon from the air, transforming it into PhycoChar®, a long-term carbon sink and sustainable biofertiliser.
Construction & Building Services StartUp of the Year – Alyn Bowen
Alyn Bowen is a fast-growing civil engineering and construction contractor delivering tailored, high-quality solutions across the UK.
Consumer Products StartUp of the Year – Môr
Môr is a health and wellness start-up creating science-backed supplements and digital tools designed for women with ADHD.
Consumer Services StartUp of the Year – Norah Rose
Norah Rose is a premium property staging and design collective transforming spaces into high-impact, market-ready environments. Led by founder Sian Howarth, the award-winning studio blends strategy with storytelling, unlocking value, beauty, and purpose in every project.
Creative StartUp of the Year – Creadigol Design
Creadigol Design is a creative studio blending motion design, branding, and virtual production to craft powerful visual stories for clients like S4C and BBC Sport.
Digital StartUp of the Year – Tool Archive
Tool Archive is a free app built by tradespeople, for tradespeople, offering real protection against tool theft through secure serial number registration, instant reporting, and a tool-checking system. More than just tech, it's a growing movement to safeguard livelihoods, reduce crime, and give the trade community the support they’ve long gone without.
Education & Training StartUp of the Year – Romodels
Romodels partners with primary schools across Wales to deliver a bilingual, online careers programme that helps children aged 3–11 “Discover, Experience, & Believe” in their future potential. Through real-life role models and immersive learning, they’re inspiring the next generation of changemakers, particularly in communities that need it most.
Equity-Backed StartUp of the Year – Darogan
Darogan is Wales’s dedicated graduate hub, connecting employers with top graduate talent especially those who’ve left Wales for work or study. Through their job board, events, and consultancy services, they help Welsh businesses tackle skills gaps and build stronger, future-ready teams.
Fashion & Beauty StartUp of the Year – Chair Freelance
Chair Freelance is the extended arm of Wales’ first gender-neutral hair salon, offering inclusive, accessible education and creative services across the hair industry. From training the next generation of stylists and working on major TV and film productions to delivering social media content and brand partnerships, they’re redefining what it means to be a modern, values-led freelance business.
Food & Drink StartUp of the Year – Kiwis Bowls
Kiwis Bowls is a vibrant quick-service concept serving up “Nutritious Bowls for the Soul,” with a core menu of açaí bowls, smoothies, and healthy grab-and-go options. Built for busy, health-conscious lifestyles, they’re on a mission to make nutritious eating exciting, accessible, and full of flavour.
Global StartUp of the Year – Pelly
Pelly is an information management platform designed for professional football clubs to streamline operations and make smarter, faster decisions. By turning complex data into clear, actionable insights, Pelly helps clubs optimise player recruitment, transfers, and contract management; all in one flexible, easy-to-use system.
Green StartUp of the Year – The Full EV
The Full EV is a Cardiff-based consultancy helping individuals and SMEs make a smooth, informed shift to electric vehicles through turnkey EV charging solutions.
Health & Wellbeing StartUp of the Year – Rise Life
Rise Life is on a mission to make sport truly inclusive, delivering adapted, seated versions of activities that support confidence and wellbeing, regardless of age, ability, or environment.
Hospitality, Tourism & Events StartUp of the Year – North Wales Days Out & Events
North Wales Days Out & Events is a community-focused online directory helping local residents discover places to go, eat, and explore across the six counties of North Wales. With affordable listings, inclusive filters, and hands-on promotion for small businesses, it’s built to boost local visibility and strengthen community connections.
Innovative StartUp of the Year – ValArt
ValArt is a digital platform built by collectors for collectors, offering seamless tools to catalogue, value, and protect everything from art and antiques to memorabilia. With features like real-time market insights, secure document storage, and legacy planning, it’s a smarter way to manage what matters most.
Marketing, Advertising & PR StartUp of the Year – The Cusp
The Cusp is a Swansea-based marketing agency helping purpose-led organisations stand out through bold, results-driven campaigns. With deep expertise across sectors like education, healthcare, and government, their team blends innovation with sustainability to deliver real impact.
Media & Entertainment StartUp of the Year – Copperhouse Films
Copperhouse Films creates high-quality, cost-effective TV commercials that make broadcast advertising accessible to small and local businesses.
Professional Services StartUp of the Year – Talent Tent
Talent Tent delivers expert HR and recruitment support to start-ups, scaleups, and SMEs across the UK helping businesses grow with the right people in place.
Retail & E-Commerce StartUp of the Year – The Little Blazer Company®
The Little Blazer Company® is the UK’s first gender-neutral luxury kidswear label, reimagining the timeless blazer with sustainability, comfort, and self-expression at its core. Proudly made in Britain using Orb Stamped Harris Tweed® and vegan satin, each piece is crafted to be worn, loved, and passed down—supporting individuality with every stitch.
Rising Star Award – BALDILOCKS
BALDILOCKS is a profit-for-purpose venture creating wellbeing experiences to help people reclaim their confidence after hair loss due to alopecia or cancer treatment. Through their inclusive BALDIVERSE, they offer supportive services and products designed to empower individuals and foster community resilience.
Rural StartUp of the Year – LanoTech
LanoTech is pioneering the use of lanolin, a natural by-product of sheep’s wool, as a sustainable alternative to imported oils in animal feed. By creating a circular economy that supports Welsh farmers, they’re boosting rural incomes while reducing environmental impact and strengthening local food supply chains.
Social Enterprise StartUp of the Year – NeuroBuds
NeuroBuds is a peer-led support network for people recovering from brain or spinal injuries, offering both in-person and online spaces to share stories, connect, and find community. Founded after lived experience with traumatic brain injury, it now works closely with hospitals, families, and NHS partners to improve patient wellbeing and recovery experiences.
StartUp For Good Award – Young Entrepreneur Start Ups
Young Entrepreneur Start-Ups empowers teens globally to build financially independent, purpose-driven businesses through a holistic 7-step program. By combining self-development, philanthropy, and community support, they nurture ethical entrepreneurs who aim to create positive change beyond profit.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Bowla – A Bowl With A Roll
Bowla offers a one-of-a-kind lunch experience with the world’s first bowler hat-shaped loaf of bread. Designed to separate into a bread bowl and a roll, it’s a playful and delicious twist on traditional bread.
Cardiff StartUp of the Year – PharmaFootpath
PharmaFootpath streamlines global pharmaceutical trade by helping wholesalers and manufacturers connect with international partners quickly and cost-effectively.
North Wales StartUp of the Year – Ecodetect
Ecodetect develops AI-driven marine monitoring systems that automate the detection of wildlife near offshore renewable energy sites, drastically cutting data analysis time and costs. Their technology supports sustainable clean energy growth by helping regulators mitigate environmental risks and speed up project approvals.
Fintech StartUp of the Year & Judges Choice – Driverly Company
Driverly is an Insurtech innovator offering AI-powered, app-based geo-intelligence to help insurers and fleet companies assess driver risk without intrusive devices. By combining real-time driving data with weather and road conditions, Driverly improves risk prediction while enabling quick, code-free customization for clients.
Graduate StartUp of the Year & Judges Choice – Grade Stream
Grade Stream revolutionizes grading for K-12 and higher education by simplifying assessments and providing powerful learning analytics. Their flexible platform supports educators and institutions alike, making student evaluation more efficient and data-driven.
Manufacturing & Engineering StartUp of the Year & Judges Choice – AilArian
AilArian develops pioneering silver conductive inks that enable safe, chemical-free recycling of electronic waste by allowing easy separation of components without damage. Their technology promotes circular electronics manufacturing by recovering silver for reuse, cutting costs and reducing environmental impact.
And that’s the full list of this year’s winners from Wales; each one proof of what’s possible when big ideas meet bold action. They brought the energy and what a celebration it turned out to be.
A heartfelt thank you to the people who made it all happen. To Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, your commitment to championing start-ups across the UK powers this entire tour. To our host, Calvin Eden, thank you for bringing the warmth, wit, and spark that lit up the room.
With seven regions now celebrated, the 2025 UK StartUp Awards tour rolls on. Here’s where we’re headed next:
24 June – South East (Reading)
25 June – East of England (Cambridge)
26 June – London
To everyone who joined us in Cardiff, thank you for showing up, speaking up, and showing the rest of the UK what Welsh founders are made of. See you at the next stop.