Bath startup DRIFT Energy named among UK's most innovative

A Bath-based startup, which offers a new class of mobile, renewable energy using the power of ocean wind, is cheering after being named one of the UK's most ground-breaking businesses.

DRIFT Energy is listed number 11 on the prestigious Startups 100 Index for 2025, which showcases disruptive new companies. The list, run by Startups.co.uk, has previously identified brands such as Monzo, Deliveroo and HelloFresh.

The company has also won the Startups 100 Sustainability Award, which recognises sustainability leaders that prioritise the health of the planet as part of their company mission.

Behind the company are state-of-the-art sailing ships, which harness deep ocean wind to produce green energy at sea and deliver it globally.

They do this using a unique, AI-enabled vessel-routing algorithm, which enables the ships to find and stay in optimum weather conditions, returning to port when their tanks are full.

DRIFT founder and CEO Ben Medland said: "The UK is a hotbed of innovative and exciting startups tackling a multitude of important challenges of our time, so to be listed among them is a great honour.

"It's also the ultimate motivation to keep working towards bringing our vision of ‘Oceans of Energy’ to life with a fleet of net positive energy ships."

Editor of Startups.co.uk Zohra Huda added: "Amidst the gloom-and-doom headlines, our annual Startups 100 Index provides a much-needed jolt of optimism.

"These 100 companies, a diverse list of innovators from every sector and region, show that the grit and ingenuity of entrepreneurship is still very much alive.

"Despite the challenges, the UK is still a fertile ground for disruption and world-leading technologies, and these companies will be leading the charge to recovery and growth in 2025."

The Startups 100, run by Startups.co.uk, showcases the top 100 new UK businesses based on five key areas - finance, external validation, size of opportunity, innovativeness of idea and strength of concept.