UK tech companies thrive in Startups 100 2015 list

Tech entrepreneurs have been widely recognised as part of the Startups 100 index for 2015, used to collate privately owned companies in the UK that "demonstrate innovation, solid financials, economic impact and growth potential".

The list includes 187 entrepreneurs, who have collectively raised more than 140 million in order to grow their businesses. The tech industry is heavily featured on the index, pointing to healthy innovation in the sector.

Online estate agency Purplebricks.com topped the list, and the top 10 includes online marketplace Flubit and currency transfer platform Currency Cloud.

In addition to the strong showing from tech start-ups, it should also be noted that 24 of the 100 businesses on the list have been founded or co-founded by women.

Explaining the reasons it came top, Startups.co.uk said it has raised 11 million in investment, sold 2,000 properties and reached a million monthly site visits all within a year of launching.

The news comes after fresh concerns over how the government's stance on anti-encryption measures could drive tech start-ups away from the UK were raised this month, following the results of the general election.

Brighton-based start-up Ind.ie fears a Tory government would lead to "mass surveillance," and warned that start-ups would soon start leaving the country to avoid such measures affecting their privacy.

Ind.ie co-founder, Aral Balkan, said: "Following the election of a Tory government with a mandate to further mass surveillance, we're leaving the UK to avoid the possibility of having to add backdoors to our products at Ind.ie."

"I suspect Ind.ie won't be the last firm to make the same decision to leave if the UK government's plans for internet surveillance go ahead," security analysts Graham Cluley wrote in a blog post.

"After all, if you were a large financial firm in the City of London would you really feel comfortable knowing that your communications were not secure?"