Britain’s startup ecosystem is entering an exciting new chapter as a fresh wave of soonicorns—companies valued just shy of £1 billion—edges closer to achieving unicorn status. Although the pace of unicorn creation has slowed, with Mubi emerging as the UK’s only new unicorn in 2025, anticipation is high for the next generation of high-growth contenders.

A dozen companies across fintech, healthtech, enterprise software, energy solutions, and more are attracting attention for their rapid scaling, market momentum, and investor backing. Below, we spotlight 10 of the UK’s most promising soonicorns preparing to break the billion-pound barrier.

1. VetPartners

• Founder: Jo Malone
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $924M

VetPartners operates a network of veterinary practices covering small-animal, equine, farm, mixed, and referral services. Emphasising compassionate, vet-led care with strong central support, it allows veterinarians to focus on clinical excellence while handling HR, finance, IT, and marketing centrally.

In 2018, VetPartners was acquired by private equity firm BC Partners for approximately £700 million, fueling rapid expansion across the UK’s veterinary sector.

2. Moneybox

• Founders: Ben Stanway, Charlie Mortimer
• Founded: 2016
• Valuation: $726M

Moneybox is a mobile-first fintech app that helps users save, invest, and plan for retirement. With features like “round-ups” that invest spare change, it has become the UK’s largest Lifetime ISA provider, serving over a million customers.

In October 2024, Moneybox completed a £70 million secondary share sale, attracting new investors including Apis Global Growth Fund III and Amundi to support its next growth phase.

3. Selina

• Founders: Rafael Museri, Daniel Rudasevski
• Founded: 2014
• Valuation: $713M

Selina combines hospitality with coworking, wellness, and cultural experiences, appealing to millennial and Gen Z travellers. Each location—whether a city hub or a remote beach—is brought to life with local art and design.

In 2024, Selina amended a $12 million subscription agreement with Osprey International, securing accelerated investment to upgrade properties and expand marketing initiatives.

4. MeiraGTX

• Founders: Alexandria Forbes, Joel Marcus
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $706M

MeiraGTX develops genetic medicines for inherited and acquired conditions, with a focus on the eye, CNS, and salivary glands. Its platform leverages viral vectors and integrated manufacturing for precise therapy delivery.

In March 2025, it secured $200 million in immediate funding plus access to another $230 million to fully finance late-stage development of its Parkinson’s disease therapy.

5. ClearScore

• Founders: Justin Basini, Nigel Morris, Dan Cobley
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $700M

ClearScore provides free credit reports and scores while connecting users to credit cards, loans, and financial products. Operating in multiple countries, it partners with over 150 financial institutions.

Earlier in 2025, ClearScore secured £30 million in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking UK to fuel international expansion and broaden its services.

6. Modulr

• Founders: Myles Stephenson, Manoj Kumar Bithal, Manoj Kumar Badale, Ritesh Tendulkar
• Founded: 2016
• Valuation: $657M

Modulr offers embedded payment solutions through its Payments-as-a-Service API, helping companies integrate transactions directly into their platforms. It now processes over £100 billion annually across the UK and Europe.

In 2022, it raised $108 million in a Series C round led by General Atlantic, with backing from PayPal Ventures and others.

7. Fresha

• Founders: William Zeqiri, Nicholas Miller
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $640M

Fresha is a beauty and wellness marketplace that allows consumers to book salons, spas, and clinics while offering businesses free software for scheduling, payments, and customer management.

In 2024, Fresha secured a $31 million venture debt facility from JP Morgan to accelerate its expansion in the global beauty sector.

8. Ori Biotech

• Founders: Chris Mason, Farlan Veraitch
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $600M

Ori Biotech builds automated manufacturing systems for cell and gene therapies (CGT), enabling scalable and cost-efficient production. Its platform integrates hardware, software, and analytics to move therapies from R&D to commercialization.

In 2022, Ori Biotech raised over $100 million in Series B funding, led by Novalis LifeSciences, to accelerate global growth.

9. Transformity (TFY)

• Founders: Lilia Stoyanov, Desislav Kamenov
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $502M

Transformity is a workforce management platform for hiring, paying, and managing remote teams and freelancers worldwide. It also embeds social impact by supporting NGOs with free recruitment tools and creating jobs in war-affected regions.

The company has sustained profitability while scaling globally with its “Rebuild Lives” initiative.

10. Current Health

• Founders: Christopher McCann, Stewart Whiting, Chris McGhee
• Founded: 2015
• Valuation: $400M

Current Health delivers hospital-level care at home using an FDA-cleared wearable that tracks vital signs and integrates with electronic health records. It enables proactive remote care, especially in oncology and hospital-at-home programs.

After being acquired by Best Buy in 2021 for $400 million, Current Health was divested back to co-founder Christopher McGhee in mid-2025, marking a new chapter of independent growth.

Final Thoughts

While the UK may have produced fewer unicorns recently, its soonicorn pipeline is strong, spanning industries from fintech to biotech and hospitality to healthcare. With supportive investors and growing international footprints, these companies are well-positioned to join the billion-pound club in the near future, ensuring Britain’s reputation as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship remains intact.