Which Energy Firms Made The Times' Top 100 Tech Start-Ups?

The Sunday Times's recently published '100 Tech 2026' list looks into how a new generation of innovative companies are shaping the modern British economy. While a great many of those included are computing or AI companies, climate tech and energy firms also feature heavily, thanks to their ever-increasing relevance in an age defined by climate change.

Collectively, the nation’s fastest-growing private tech firms generate a combined revenue of £3.7bn (US$5bn) and are forecasted to create 4,300 new jobs this year.

Average annual growth across the 100 companies has reached 128% over the past three years, while their founders are now navigating the challenges of hypergrowth.

From scaling technical teams to securing investment, this new cohort of runners and riders are striving for success, all while putting more of an emphasis on resilience and sustainability than previous generations.

“The revenues of Britain’s top 100 fastest-growing tech companies are more than doubling each year,” says Richard Tyler, Editor of Entrepreneurs Network at The Times.

The relationship between energy and technology

Among 2026’s leaders, renewable and infrastructure innovators have made some of the most striking impressions.

Fuse Energy, for instance, which was founded in 2022 by ex-Revolut executives Alan Chang and Charles Orr, achieved growth of 484% last year by offering low-cost renewable power to households and businesses.

It now stands as one of the most dynamic entrants in Britain’s energy sector.

Also gaining ground are the AI and data-based platforms that are designed to optimise the consumption of both energy and resources.

Vertice, an AI-driven procurement platform created by Eldar and Roy Tuvey, has expanded 437% thanks to its smart cost management tools – crucial for energy companies facing fluctuating input costs.

Elsewhere, Oxbury Bank is redefining sustainable finance from its headquarters in Chester, supporting farmers to modernise through green loans and digital services.

The road to a cleaner, smarter economy

The report touches frequently on the ways in which cleaner technologies and efficiency are going hand in hand.

Netomnia, the Tewkesbury-based fibre provider, is expanding broadband infrastructure crucial for smart energy systems and connected operations. Magic AI, focused on tech-enabled fitness, reflects a broader merging of lifestyle, data and sustainability in consumer markets.

More than 90 companies on the list have raised external funding totalling £11.3bn (US$15.3bn). Backers range from the UK government’s Future Fund to major industry investors, demonstrating confidence in Britain’s innovation ecosystem.

Among these, Synthesia – valued at more than US$2bn just nine years since it was founded – is showing how AI commercialisation is advancing into global markets, with support from NVIDIA and other major investors.

The new generation of clean tech unicorns

Seven of the listed companies now hold valuations above US$1bn, including Fuse Energy, Halo Service Solutions and Cycle Pharmaceuticals, making them "unicorns".

Others, like Scan.com in medical imaging and Hived in sustainable logistics, are catching up quickly.

That said, 62 of the firms on this edition of the list reported losses last year – a reminder that growth in emerging energy and tech markets depends more on long-term investment than immediate profit.

The trend mirrors Silicon Valley’s patient-capital approach, now taking root in the UK.

What this means for the UK's net zero push

The growing influence of clean-tech innovators within Britain’s top-performing tech firms aligns squarely with national net zero ambitions.

Their advances in low-cost renewables, digital optimisation and sustainable finance are helping reduce emissions across sectors ranging from agriculture to manufacturing.

If this pace continues, these start-ups could help accelerate progress towards the UK’s 2035 power decarbonisation target and strengthen domestic supply chains for the clean economy.

Beyond commercial success, these new firms suggest that the country’s tech boom is increasingly becoming an energy transition story.

For investors, corporate buyers and partners alike, the findings point to an economy diversifying into high-impact niches like green energy, AI and precision infrastructure.

As global competition intensifies, Britain’s energy-focused scaleups may provide the spark that powers the country’s next wave of global tech champions.