7 Best London Startups to Work for

Ben Gateley -

Building a company culture where people want to work for you can be tough – it takes more than just ping-pong tables and cool co-working spaces.

What the 7 Best London Startups have in common is the building of strong HR policies to give their team the means to do their best work, but not only – they also aim to build a product that their team really believes in.

London is definitely the place to be when it comes to finding the best startups to work for. As the CEO of CharlieHR (an HR software for small businesses and startups), it's my pleasure to introduce you to some of the best out there.  

Best London Startup 1 – CharlieHR

  • Who: CharlieHR.com
  • What: automate all of your core HR tasks to build high-performing teams
  • Headcount: around 50 employees

As CEO of CharlieHR, it was impossible for me not to mention Charlie as one of the best startups in London. It may sound a bit biased, but hear me out!

At Charlie, we spent the last five years building a company where people can thrive and do their best work.

Of course, that means building HR policies that strongly support this statement, but it's also about developing a product that helps startups and small businesses like us automate their most time-consuming tasks.

We found that doing this, enabled us to free enough time to build strong HR foundations for our business and make sure we had the tools in hand to attract and retain top talent.

Start a 7-day free trial with us today to find out more.

Benefits

  • Flexible working hours  
  • 9-day fortnights – we don't work every other Friday
  • L&D budget
  • Enhanced Equal Parental Leave
  • Mental Health Wellbeing – mental health app available, Personal Days and monthly wellbeing budget
  • A transparent progression framework system
  • 90 days of Nomad Working per year including a yearly budget of £300

Want to learn more about what it takes to build a startup or small buisness? Get our complete HR for startups guide.

Best London Startup 2 –Trouva

  • Who: Trouva.com
  • What: Shop the best independent boutiques online
  • Headcount: around 60 employees

One of the UK's fastest-growing startups, Trouva's marketplace for shopping independents has been a success with both customers and their rapidly-growing team. Trouva focuses on an open and transparent culture, with a 'good is better than perfect' approach to getting things done and learning.

Benefits

  • Hybrid working with coworking spaces in London and Lisbon
  • 25 days holiday (plus applicable Public holidays) and 2 ‘Recoup and Revive’ days per year
  • Parental and compassionate leave policies
  • Wellbeing perks including meditation apps, healthy food, craft kits
  • 20% off across all boutiques and a special gift on your birthday
  • Physical and financial health
  • L&D budget

Best London Startup 3 – Juno

  • Who: Juno
  • What: flexible benefits for all your team
  • Headcount: around 100 employees

Engaging your team to enable them to do their best work can be hard. Benefits are not the only way to retain and engage your top talent, but they can certainly help when you're starting out and in the long run.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to put them in place. With Juno, you get a complete solution that enables you to do this, which means you never have to worry about compensation again.

With a digital card and a myriad of tailored solutions for your business, Juno is one of the best London startups to look out for.

Benefits

  • Work from anywhere
  • 31 days of annual leave + bank holidays on top every year depending on where you're located
  • £100 worth of Juno points each month to use on wellbeing
  • £500 to use towards home equipment
  • Company away days

Best London Startup 4 – Hofy

  • Who: Hofy
  • What: handle your equipment logistics anywhere in the world
  • Headcount: around 100 employees

Getting the right equipment for your team on time can be crucial for your HR, especially if you're working in a hybrid working environment or a completely remote one.

Hofy created a space where all of it is possible – their platform gives you the opportunity to order any equipment and have it shipped on time. No need for you to handle it, Hofy takes care of it all.

On top of that, Hofy is also one of the best London startups out there. Find out more below.  

Benefits

  • Company option schemes
  • Home office equipment and set up as needed
  • 35 days of annual leave including public bank holidays
  • £1,000 L&D budget
  • Company and team socials throughout the year

Did you know Juno and Hofy integrate with CharlieHR? Get a full HR stack ready to go. Start a 7-day free trial today.

Best London Startup 5 – Bloom and Wild

  • Who: Bloom & Wild
  • What: deliver flowers all over the UK
  • Headcount: around 230 employees

Bloom & Wild champions their informal, startup environment, with employee-friendly policies such as 26 days of holidays, company discounts, and personal development allowances.

The B&W team values include 'delight', 'customers first', 'pride' and 'innovation' and boast that their highly-selective hiring process helps them cement their status as a great place to work.

Benefits

  • 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays
  • Day off for your birthday
  • Possibility to buy 5 extra days per year
  • Discount on flower orders
  • Wellbeing including yoga
  • Team away days and social outings
  • Help with commute through season ticket loan and cycle scheme

Best London Startup 6 – BornSocial

  • Who: BornSocial
  • What: helps brands take their their social media strategy further
  • Headcount: around 100 employees

Founded in 2012, BornSocial is a social media agency that works with a lot of brands to create new opportunities through social media.

Wanting to challenge the status quo, BornSocial has already worked with many leaders in different industries including but not limited to Nando's, Bravissimo, Tinder and many more.

Want to find out what BornSocial is also about when it comes to benefits? Just have a look below.

Benefits

  • Hybrid working with core hours and flexible holiday allowance
  • A £30 monthly well-being allowance to spend or Health insurance
  • £100 Learnbly budget to spend
  • Work from Anywhere for up to 4 weeks a year
  • Get rewarded depending on how long you're working at the company
  • Socials and many events for team building  

On your way to building a business? Don't forget about your HR checklist for startups.

Best London Startup 7 – Progression

  • Who: Progression
  • What: get career progression moving and retain your team members for the long run
  • Headcount: around 20 employees

Progression is on a mission to make career development easier at your business. Faced with a lot of admin, startups and small businesses often tend to put progression on the back burner.

That's where companies like Progression come in to change the game – simply get everything you need to start and scale.

And when it comes to working at Progression? As one of the best startups in London, it gives you the guarantee that they will take your career seriously, just like they do their product.

Benefits

  • Remote working
  • Autonomy for team members
  • Fair pay and options
  • Plenty of holidays and downtime
  • Budget for L&D
  • Budget for mental health

That's it for the best startups in London, but if you want to find out more, we've got plenty of content to help you get there: