Entries now open for the 2018 Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 awards

• Awards recognise and rank the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK
• Last year’s winner Deliveroo achieved a record average four-year revenue growth rate of 107,117%;
• The average four year growth rate recorded for the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 companies was 3,756% in the year 2016/17;
• Last year’s Fast 50 companies generated combined revenues of almost £1bn 2016/2017 and employed more than 9,000 people.

Entries are now open for the 21st annual Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 awards. The awards rank and recognise the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the UK, based on the last four years of revenue growth. Supporting Deloitte’s initiative for the UK’s fastest growing companies are the award sponsors DLA Piper, Oracle NetSuite and Silicon Valley Bank.

Since 1998, the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 awards have been showcasing an increasingly diverse and compelling range of UK-based technology companies, celebrating the fast growth and innovation of the start-up sector. Last year’s Fast 50 winners generated cumulative revenues of £960m in 2016/17, and employed more than 9,000 people in the UK, including 1,800 in research and development alone.

Duncan Down, lead partner for the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 programme commented: “Without question, the UK technology start-up scene is in rude health. This year’s awards will seek to capture the landscape during what is such an exciting and dynamic period for the UK technology sector.

“These awards have celebrated one thousand aspirational and influential new companies in the past two decades. This year we look forward once again to showcasing the breadth of innovative and talented companies who will participate in the 2018 awards, and wish them all good luck in the competition.”

Delivering results – Deliveroo (2017 overall Fast 50 winner)
With a record-breaking four-year revenue growth rate of 107,117%, last year’s winning entrant was online food courier service Deliveroo. In the twenty-year history of the Fast 50, no other company has ever grown at a faster rate.

Dan Warne, Deliveroo General Manager UK and Ireland, commented:
“We were delighted to win last year’s Fast 50 award which recognised the hard work and dedication of the people who have made Deliveroo a British tech success. These awards act as an important vote of confidence for the UK’s technology start-ups in what is a highly competitive market.

“Since achieving this accolade, we’ve continued to grow and expand across the globe, powered by our cutting-edge technology and a desire to bring amazing meals direct to peoples’ doors.”

For full details and the entry form please visit: www.fast50.co.uk.

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Notes to editors

About the Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50
The Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 is one of the UK’s foremost technology award programmes. Since 1997, the awards have ranked the country’s 50 fastest-growing technology companies, based on revenue growth over the last four years. The UK Fast 50 awards are all about growth driven by leading intellectual property and are a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship. The UK Technology Fast 50 is part of an international programme run by Deloitte and qualifying entrants of the UK Fast 50 will be put forward to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) programme. Previous winners have come from across the UK, are both large and small, and included some of the most dynamic players in all areas of technology, from internet specialists to biotech, digital media technology to life sciences, computers to semiconductors and software to telecommunications.
For more information visit www.fast50.co.uk

Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 eligibility criteria

• The parent company must be UK-owned and have its headquarters in the UK;
• NB: Companies headquartered in Northern Ireland can take part in the UK OR Irish programme, but need to choose one or the other and cannot enter both.
• Operating revenues must be at least £44,000 (€50,000) for the first financial year of the four year period and £880,000 (€1,000,000) for the most recent financial year;
• NB: The accounts for the most recent financial year must have an accounting period ending between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2018.
• All submissions must be accompanied by signed accounts for the first and last financial year being measured in the competition. Unless a statutory exemption is being taken, these accounts must be unabbreviated and audited.

For more information and to find out whether your company qualifies, please visit: http://www.deloitte.co.uk/fast50/about/do-you-qualify/

If you have any further questions regarding whether your company qualifies, please contact fast50@deloitte.co.uk

About Deloitte
In this press release references to “Deloitte” are references to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”) a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms.

Deloitte LLP is a subsidiary of Deloitte NWE LLP, which is a member firm of DTTL, and is among the UK's leading professional services firms.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

For more information, please visit www.deloitte.co.uk

Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

About DLA Piper
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help companies with their legal needs anywhere in the world.

Our global technology sector lawyers work across practice areas and offices to support technology clients wherever they do business. From startups to fast growing and mid-market businesses to mature global enterprises, our clients are companies that develop or create technology, are enabled by technology, or whose business model is fundamentally based on technology.

We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality and value to our clients. We achieve this through practical and innovative legal solutions that help our clients succeed. We deliver consistent services across our platform of practices and sectors in all matters we undertake.

Web: DLAPiper.com
Twitter: @DLA_Piper
LinkedIn: DLA Piper

About Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite pioneered the Cloud Computing revolution in 1998, establishing the world's first company dedicated to delivering business applications over the internet. Today, it provides a suite of cloud-based financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR and omnichannel commerce software that runs the business of companies in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.netsuite.com.

Follow Oracle NetSuite’s Cloud blog, Facebook page and @NetSuite Twitter handle for real-time updates.

About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank is pleased to support the UK Fast 50 for the fifth consecutive year. We are dedicated to helping drive growth in the UK innovation economy and look forward to recognising the accomplishments and celebrating the success of fast-growing UK businesses.

For more than 35 years, Silicon Valley Bank has helped innovators, enterprises and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. Today, we provide a wide range of banking and financing services to businesses of all sizes in innovation centres around the world. SVB Financial Group, the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, has had a presence in the UK since 2004. The bank is committed to supporting disruptive technology and life science businesses within the UK’s vibrant innovation sector, including Learning Technologies Group, Trustpilot and Hello Fresh.