Full Listing of UK Startups Acquired In 2025 

One thing thrilling is occurring within the UK startup scene. In current months, we’ve seen a wave of main acquisitions, with fast-growth startups like Impolite Well being being purchased out by well-known firms, typically leading to multi-million-pound windfalls for the founders.

It is probably not the normal picture of entrepreneur success. However for a lot of founders, a profitable exit is the last word objective. Some use their newfound capital to fund their subsequent huge thought; others keep on to develop the enterprise utilizing the sources of a bigger mum or dad firm.

Under, we’ll spotlight the largest acquisitions to date this 12 months, together with who made the purchases and what every deal may imply for the manufacturers concerned.

April 2025

Slightly than searching eggs, it appears various big-name manufacturers spent this Easter interval looking for out new UK startups to place of their portfolios. Acquisitions this month included:

Runna

When a London-based coaching app for runners introduced it had been acquired by Strava for an undisclosed sum in mid-April, it was huge information for the UK health neighborhood.

Based in 2021 by Dom Maskell and Ben Parker, Runna supplies personalised coaching plans for each means. Because of intelligent model partnerships, it boasts a whole bunch of hundreds of followers referred to as ‘Runnas’ and in January, it additionally gained our 2025 Startups 100 Advertising and marketing Award.

For Strava, the social media health app that runners use to trace (and flaunt) their exercises, the acquisition makes apparent sense. Runna is the reply to a lacking piece within the app’s performance, enabling it to extend its dominance within the health market.

And for Maskell and Parker? Except for a reported million-pound payout, the duo stated they had been excited to assist Strava’s 150 million customers, including “we got down to construct Runna to enhance individuals’s lives by working and this deal permits us to do this much more.”

Wild

Charlie Bowes-Lyon and Fred Ward, founders of Wild

One other Startups 100 success story got here in the beginning of this 12 months, when private care model Wild introduced it had been acquired by the worldwide shopper items model, Unilever.

Wild, which got here fifth within the 2023 Startups 100, made a reputation for its pure, refillable deodorants (full with whacky scents) which aimed to eradicate plastic waste from toilet cabinets. It has additionally since expanded into lip balms, physique and hand washes.

Unilever is the corporate behind a number of the UK’s greatest care manufacturers together with Dove cleaning soap. It purchased Wild for an undisclosed sum, although stories estimate the deal to be price £230m.

That quantity would make each founders millionaires. But it surely appears their eyes are nonetheless firmly on the mission. The pair will keep on to run Wild from its Brixton HQ. On LinkedIn, co-founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon wrote, “our promise stays: “Nice in your physique, nice for the planet.”

Two Chicks

Alla Ouvarova and Anna Richey, founders of Two Chicks

Fittingly for the month of Easter, the egg white model Two Chicks confirmed it had bought a majority stake in its enterprise to Eurovo Group, one in every of Europe’s largest egg producers.

Based by Alla Ouvarova and Anna Richey in 2007, the model featured in our first ever Startups 100 Index again in 2008. It was the primary ever egg white producer within the UK, saving Brits hours of painstaking pavlova labour spent fiddling about with yolks and teaspoons.

In keeping with stories, Richey and Ouvarova will keep in cost. The acquisition will allow them to develop into the greater than 40 international locations that Italy-based Eurovo operates in.

In 2022, the duo additionally launched the Future Feminine Entrepreneur programme to encourage and assist the subsequent era of feminine entrepreneurs. You possibly can hear extra about it of their Talking of Startups podcast episode, which aired final October.

Biotiful Intestine Well being

Kefir startup Biotiful Intestine Well being has been a staple on billboards throughout the UK, after a formidable 12 months that noticed turnover develop by over 80%. That success attracted the eye of dairy large, Müller UK & Eire, who acquired the model in April for a reported £115m.

Biotiful was based in 2012 by former determine skater and financier Natasha Bowes. Its spectacular development story partly displays the buyer pattern in the direction of gut-friendly merchandise (rivals embrace one other intestine model Bio&Me).

The buyout is a pure match for Müller, which discontinued its personal kefir vary in 2023. Via Biotiful, the yoghurt model can lastly get its spoon into this sought-after market nook.

March 2025

March was a preferred month to buy startups. Right here’s a take a look at a number of the most high-profile startups that had been acquired on the finish of the monetary 12 months.

Elvie

Femtech startup Elvie had an attention-grabbing month to say the least. The creator of the wearable pelvic ground coach gadget confirmed it had gone administration in March 2025, after racking up unsustainable money owed resulting from expensive innovation and growth overseas.

In the identical breath, although, Elvie — which was nominated for our Individuals’s Champion award in 2018 — introduced it had been acquired by Willow, a San Francisco-based producer of wearable breast pumps. Willow apparently started talks to buyout Evie a while in the past.

Phrases of the deal haven’t been disclosed, nevertheless Evie’s newest valuation was $241m. TechCrunch has reported that Willow will tackle Evie’s merchandise and 170 group members, though a few of these are already understanding their discover intervals.

Peak.ai

There’s been a flood of funding for AI startups because the UK emerges as one of many key gamers on this rising market. That gravy prepare now appears to be attracting international curiosity, exemplified by the acquisition of the Manchester-based AI startup, Peak.ai, in mid-March.

Peak, which raised $75m in 2021, builds “decision-making” AI for retail and manufacturing, serving to automate features like stock administration. Its new proprietor is international software program agency, UiPath, which bought the startup to construct out its AI companies after a tough 12 months.

Phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed, however it could have taken Peak’s C-Suite unexpectedly. TechCrunch has reported that the AI startup was not on the lookout for a purchaser and the deal was in money. Peak’s group will now work with UiPath to additional develop its service providing.

Lux Rewards

Six years in the past, Lux Rewards — a loyalty tech startup based in 2015 — was on the point of failure. However in March, it concluded a outstanding turnaround when it was acquired by international rewards large Enigmatic Smile for a reported eight determine sum.

Based in 2015 by Bathtub entrepreneur James Courtney whereas at college, Lux Rewards started as a loyalty platform for high-end eating places. Then, COVID hit and eating places closed. Near going underneath, Lux Rewards pivoted to associate with worker profit software program and different platforms with hefty buyer bases.

Mixed with a profitable Crowdcube elevate in 2020, the corporate gained sufficient traction to safe a serious cope with Barclaycard. Put up-acquisition, Courtney and his co-founders Tom Munday and Ash Dey are actually millionaires, and can now keep on to develop the enterprise additional.

February 2025

allplants

Jonathan Petrides, founding father of allplants

100% plant-based, chef-made meal supply service, allplants first got here onto our radar in  the 2021 Startups 100. One month later, it secured a whopping £38m in Collection B funding. Then, catastrophe. After an preliminary growth in funding for plant-based manufacturers, the cash dried up.

allplants entered administration in November 2024. Manufacturing ceased at its manufacturing website and 65 workers members had been made redundant. allplants started looking for a purchaser and, fortunately, one other F&B startup got here to the rescue.

Ella Mills, the founding father of Deliciously Ella, stepped in to buy the model in mid February. Mills had bought Deliciously Ella to the Swiss model Hero Group in September 2024, however retained its vegan Crops model, which it’ll now mix with allplants to scale at tempo.

January 2025

Right here’s how acquisitions kicked off in January, the identical month we launched our record of the UK’s high 100 fastest-growing startups..

Freetrade

Effectively-known sock buying and selling app, Freetrade, confirmed it had been acquired by the FTSE 250 fintech, IG Group in the beginning of this 12 months for a reported £160m. In an electronic mail despatched by Freetrade CEO Viktor Nebehaj stated he hoped the deal would shut mid-year after regulatory approval.

There’s a threat it may fall by, nevertheless, after Freetrade shareholders reacted with dismay on the information. Freetrade had beforehand focused a valuation of £700m, and plenty of of its early traders had been disillusioned that the worthwhile firm had bought for thus low.

Why are so many startups being acquired?

There are lots of the reason why acquisitions are within the air in 2025. After a couple of risky years within the financial system, one quarter of corporations nonetheless report that they haven’t recovered from the pandemic. With no signal of enchancment on the horizon, founders have change into open to early exits.

Startup valuations have additionally dipped after the 2021/22 funding highs. Enterprise capital (VC) funding has considerably dried up, with many VC fund managers nudging their portfolio corporations towards exits to indicate returns on their investments.

And naturally, the maxim stays the identical: giant corporations have capital to spend, however wrestle to adapt internally. As expertise evolves quickly, even the large gamers can’t maintain updated with new innovations, like AI. Buying modern startups is a straightforward option to play catch up.

2025 might be the best 12 months for a buyout. In the event you’re fascinated about promoting up store this 12 months, then learn our information on easy methods to construct the right exit technique.