Luxury Italian car manufacturer, Maserati, and The Sunday Times have announced the third annual ‘Maserati 100’ index; the 2017 edition, which is a definitive list of one hundred British business disruptors- that innovative start-ups pumped with smart technology, who are challenging established players.
The diverse list which includes members from the Asian community, published in The Sunday Times on 26 March 2017, celebrates a range of vibrant success stories, start-ups and business influencers, who are using ground-breaking practices to revolutionise their respective industries.
Over 75% of the entrepreneurs named in the list are aged under 50 years old, with the average age of the disruptors being 38. Almost half of the businesses are based in London, with 25% based in major northern cities and the rest spread across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The food and drink industry is represented by 19 individuals whilst the technology industry makes up over 25% of the index. Below are some of the Asian names mentioned on the list.
- SAMIR DESAI
Oxford University graduate Desai, 33, co-founded peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle in 2010 after a stint as a consultant for Olivant. The platform, run from London, has facilitated more than £2bn of loans. It was valued at $1bn in 2015.
- RICKY KOTHARI
Selling tea to China has been the big idea for Kothari, 37, a former management consultant. His company offers one-serve tea sachets in micro-perforated packaging “sticks” that double as a stirrer. He sold 4m last year, with 85% exported, mainly to China and India.
- MANISH MADHVANI
Madhvani, 42, is co-founder of GP Bullhound, a London-headquartered investment banking firm that launched in 1999. Since then his brainchild has advised on mergers and acquisitions for the likes of Spotify and WPP.
- ISHAAN MALHI
What he claims to be Britain’s first online mortgage broker was begun by Malhi, 27, in 2015 after a stint working in mortgages at Bank of America. Trussle, based in Highbury, north London, has backers including the Zoopla property group.
- ARJUN PANESAR AND CHARLOTTE SUMMERS
Panesar, 31, and Summers, 26, are the driving force behind diabetes.co.uk, Europe’s largest support website for diabetics, which Panesar co-founded in 2010. The business has used the experiences of 475,000 members to develop digital health advice.
- NITIN PASSI
Passi, 34, started Missguided with a £50,000 loan from his father in 2009. Thanks to clever marketing and collaborations with the likes of model Jourdan Dunn, he presides over one of the hottest fast-fashion outlets in Britain, with sales of £117m. Its buyers order up to 500 copies of a garment, then “repeat big” if they get a reaction from shoppers.
