Business shortlisted for Midlands UK StartUp Award 2024

Kettering - based startup Mr Christian has been named a finalist ahead of the Midlands 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.
By Christian ShortlandContributor
Published 9th Apr 2024, 07:57 BST
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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.

Mr Christian is a new ethical farm to finish product, leather manufacturing fashion company and branded product business founded by Christian Shortland in 2022. The business has been nominated for the manufacturing and engineering start up award StartUp of the Year Award in the Midlands for 2024.

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Christian Shortland, founder of MR CHRISTIAN, said: “ being shortlisted represents two years of uncertainty, doubt, struggle, tenacity and financial hardship in just getting started. This acknowledgement by The Start up Awards of MR CHRISTIAN assures us that we have a credible, viable and important product offer in our chosen space, but there is also a commitment from the business and start up community to support us and other emerging new talent to market for the UK economy which can only be a win for all.

MR CHRISTIANMR CHRISTIAN
MR CHRISTIAN

Supported nationally by ScoreApp, GS1 UK, Starling Bank, OVHcloud, GiftRound, Airwallex, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service.

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:

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“​​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”.

MR CHRISTIAN - Midlands Start Up Awards Finalist 2024MR CHRISTIAN - Midlands Start Up Awards Finalist 2024
MR CHRISTIAN - Midlands Start Up Awards Finalist 2024

The UK StartUp Awards was created in collaboration with the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, one of the most successful awards programmes in the UK. The UK StartUp Awards are running for the third year after launching in 2022.

This year’s regional UK StartUp Awards finalists can be found online at https://startupawards.uk/

Related topics:Kettering