Jersey-based startup Vida has been named a finalist ahead of the South East final of the StartUp Awards.
The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated over the last few years with over 900,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2023, a 12% increase from the year before.
Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year’s UK StartUp Awards and the contribution of these firms – all of which were started in the last three years – is significant, having created nearly 6,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £480 million.
Vida is a Gen Z marketing and management agency founded by Emma Wildbore-Hands in February 2023. The business has been nominated for the Marketing, Advertising & PR StartUp of the Year Award in the South East.
Emma Wildbore-Hands, founder of Vida , said: “It’s been an incredible journey since I founded Vida just over a year ago. To see how far we’ve come, working with both local and international brands and now being shortlisted finalist for a regional Startup award on a national level, is truly amazing to me.
“The recognition from the UK Startup Awards means the world to me and my team. Being shortlisted for our first-ever award at this scale is something I’ll never forget. It’s a validation of the hard work and dedication we’ve poured into building Vida into a nationally recognised Gen Z marketing and management agency.
“Our focus on Gen Z marketing and particularly on TikTok, has really set us apart. While it’s a newer concept for Jersey, it’s great that Vida has been able to gain traction in the UK and build client relationships there too.
“I’m incredibly proud of my team and what we’ve achieved, and I’m looking forward to the future. We have some big news to announce soon. These are truly exciting times for us at VIDA, and being a finalist for the UK Startup Awards is a testament to that.”
The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures. The winners from each region will then be invited to the first UK final taking place at Ideas Fest, the Glastonbury for Business festival in Tring, Hertfordshire on 12th September 2024.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said: “Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and wealth creation across the UK. All the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created amazing new businesses that are creating real impact in their sectors. Building on the success of previous years, we are now looking to identify the ‘best of the best’ with all the finalists who win their category in their region going on to represent their region at the first ever UK National StartUp Awards final later this year”.
