Britain's Fastest-Growing Companies 2026, Ranked by the FT

A wellness startup, a fried chicken chain, and a wave of AI-native fintechs. The FT's annual ranking of Europe's fastest-growing companies reveals a Britain that is scaling fast, concentrating in London, and increasingly powered by software.

Somto Uba

Apr 02, 2026 - 11 min read

The Financial Times has published the tenth edition of the FT1000, ranking Europe's fastest-growing private companies by compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2024. Britain is the third most represented nation, accounting for 18 per cent of all companies, behind France and Germany.

Two UK firms lead the entire European field. Healf, a London-based health and wellbeing platform, tops the ranking with a CAGR of 621.7 per cent, having crossed £100 million in annualised revenues by early 2026. Popeyes UK follows in second place at 510.9 per cent. Software, fintech, and professional services dominate the UK cohort. The table below lists some of the top UK companies from the FT1000 2026, ranked by their European position, with revenue data reported in euros as verified by Statista.

Britain's Fastest-Growing Companies 2026 — FT1000