• Swindon & Wiltshire Awards
• Thursday March 28 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

The Future Smiths shortlisted for StartUp Award

A business established to support start-ups in Swindon and Wiltshire has itself been recognised in the StartUp Awards.

The Future Smiths is a finalist in the regional heat of the national competition, in the education and training category.

The Future Smiths is a business support and coaching organisation founded by Simone Ward-Baptiste and Duncan Robinson in 2023.

The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated over the last few years with over 900,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2023, a 12 per cent increase from the year before.

Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year’s UK StartUp Awards and the contribution of these firms – all of which were started in the last three years – is significant, having created nearly 6,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £480 million.

‘Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy’

Simone said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that The Future Smiths has been selected as a finalist.

“We created The Future Smiths to strengthen local economies by empowering small businesses. We have a shared passion for making a difference, and being a finalist of such a prestigious award will strengthen our impact through awareness.”

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said: “​​Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and wealth creation across the UK.

“All the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created amazing new businesses that are creating real impact in their sectors.

“Building on the success of previous years, we are now looking to identify the ‘best of the best’ with all the finalists who win their category in their region going on to represent their region at the first ever UK National StartUp Awards final later this year”.

Pictured: Simone (left) and Duncan (right) with Andrew Whyatt-Sames of Uptake AI at a recent Future Smiths event