Sixley, the SaaS recruitment platform that proactively engages and incentivises employees and their networks to share positions, recommend others or apply for roles, has been announced as the overall winner of the Britain’s Got Startups event series.

Having attracted 322 applications, which resulted in 36 regional shortlisted businesses, South East based Sixley was one of just eleven finalists to be chosen to take to the stage to present to investors at the Home Grown Club in London on Tuesday 2 July.

Each of the finalists were given eight-minute slots to present before questions were taken from prospective investors, giving them a chance to secure between £150k – £10m. Once all presentations were complete, the audience was asked to choose just one organisation to be named overall winner.

CEO and Founder of Sixley, Paul Naha-Biswas, comments: “We were really impressed with the quality of the other finalists and how the Britain’s Got Startup Event Series was run. It was straightforward to apply, and the three rounds we presented at were handled professionally. What’s more, there was a diverse mix of businesses and investors in the room, which led to some really useful feedback.

“Listening to the founders share their journeys was a real highlight for me. It’s encouraging to know that we have so many early-stage businesses in the UK that combine innovation with ambition and execution. Given that, being named the winner of the series was a real accolade. It means a great deal to us and is further affirmation of our model and what we have set out to achieve.”

Managing Director of Novus Capital and Founder of Britain’s Got Startups, Jenson Brook, comments: “We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Sixley. With more than 320 applications, it is no mean feat to be named overall winner of the event series.

“The presentation delivered was concise and gave investors everything they needed to know. The model is clear and scalable. We look forward to hearing more from the business and they follow up with prospective investors over the coming weeks and months.

“As a facilitator, we are here to make introductions that really matter. We are sure that Sixley will become another example of how our event series works in practice and redirects the funding these founders are looking for.”

CEO of Abstract Group, Minan Majid, comments: “As sponsor of the Britain’s Got Startups Event Series, we were really impressed with the calibre of the businesses that applied and also those that made it through to the final.

“It’s organisations like this that really put the UK on the map. We look forward to hearing more from those that have been successful and that secure the investments they are looking for to scale and to meet with their aspirations.”

The eleven businesses that made it to the finals were Lemon, Gaia Learning, Minimass, Ciqurix, IoT Solutions, Sixley, Sharesy, Rubitek, Oxcel Ltd, Thrift+ and Rare Earth.

Sponsored by Abstract Tech, Vestd, the Home Grown Club and Novus Capital, in addition to attracting 322 applicants, the regional events and finals that have taken place during the 2024 event series have already facilitated the offering of 12 term sheets, providing a fundraising value of £2.5m.

Britain’s Got Startups first launched in 2023 and attracted 117 applications, resulting in 24 shortlisted candidates, 12 finalists and 50 investor follow ups. This then paved the way for the 2024 series, which has seen more than double the number of applicants, reiterating the demand for investment from UK start-up and scale-up businesses.