Meet the winners of Start Up Idea of the Year

We believe that the UK's brightest business ideas often come from the boldest and most passionate founders – those determined to make a difference in their communities and beyond.

That's exactly what we've seen with our StartUp Idea of the Year competition, and we're thrilled to introduce our three incredible winners.

Chosen from over 4,000 applicants, these early-stage entrepreneurs impressed our judging panel with their innovation, impact and vision for growth.

Alongside grant funding, each winner will receive tailored business support from Enterprise Nation and a six-month subscription to a Monzo Business Pro account.

First place: Phyta Biodesign – sustainable architecture for biodiversity

Founder: Zain Ansari (website)

Prize: £10,000

London-based architectural designer Zain Ansari is tackling two major urban challenges – climate change and species decline – with a game-changing building innovation.

His project Apia is a system of mycelium-based building panels that double as nesting habitats for solitary bees.

These panels are designed to be integrated into city architecture, creating "beelines" that help pollinators thrive in urban environments.

Zain launched the business after studying bio-integrated design at UCL. His goal is to turn Phyta Biodesign into a global sustainable design studio that champions biodiversity.

With the £10,000 grant, he'll be refining the Apia prototype and expanding its reach to customers ready to reimagine cityscapes that support nature.

"The UK is currently leading the integration of biodiversity in architecture globally with the Biodiversity Net Gain policy," Zain explains.

"We want to use this opportunity to foster innovation and create new jobs here – and show biodiversity can be a strong, viable business."

Second place: cubbi – a money-saving app for new parents

Founders: Olivia and Tanyka Davson (website)

Prize: £8,000

Created by sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson, cubbi is an app designed to take the financial pressure off new parents.

Think of it as the UNiDAYS of parenting: a one-stop platform offering exclusive discounts and deals to parents who are navigating maternity or paternity leave.

Since launching in 2024, cubbi has racked up 10,000 app downloads and a growing community on social media.

The £8,000 prize will fund a Father's Day campaign to engage more dads and further cubbi's goal of being the go-to platform for family savings and product recommendations.

"We're not the typical founders," says Tanyka, "but we're showing that people like us can scale successful businesses. Support from Monzo and Enterprise Nation is helping us take cubbi to the next level.

"We've managed to get to a point where we've proven the concept works and we know parents want this, and now it's about scaling. That's where support systems like this competition really drive that forward."

Third place: Intotum – adaptive fashion for the disabled community

Founder: Hanan Tantush (website)

Prize: £7,000

When Hanan Tantush couldn't find stylish, easy-to-wear clothes for her grandfather following his cancer treatment, she took matters into her own hands.

What started as a university project has grown into Intotum, a trailblazing adaptive fashion brand focused on inclusivity, representation and real-life solutions for disabled people.

With a mission to be visible on every UK high street, Intotum is creating functional, fashionable clothing for adults and children – with disabled individuals front and centre in design and marketing decisions.

The £7,000 grant will help fund upcoming collections like seated coats and accessible trousers – removing fashion barriers and empowering people to express themselves with confidence.

"We think everybody should be able to show their true self through their style," Hanan says. "If you can feel more included because you've got the right outfit, that's even bigger for us.

"We don’t see enough truly inclusive businesses or truly inclusive businesses that really accommodate people's reasonable adjustments. As we grow and scale, we plan to specifically be an inclusive business that hires within the disabled community."

Celebrating innovation with impact

Jordan Shwide, general manager at Monzo Business, sums it up perfectly:

"These outstanding ideas demonstrate how innovative businesses can solve very different problems, strengthen communities and fuel economic growth. We're excited to see what comes next."

And from Emma Jones CBE, founder of Enterprise Nation:

"It's such a pleasure to support these talented entrepreneurs and see their ideas turn into impactful, thriving businesses."

We're incredibly proud to back these three amazing founders and their visionary ideas. Start Up Idea of the Year is more than a competition – it's a celebration of resilience, creativity and the power of purpose-led businesses.

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