What is AXA Startup Angel?
At AXA, we’re on a mission to give businesses the confidence to thrive. That’s why we created the AXA Startup Angel competition.
In partnership with The Standard for the 5th year, we’re on the hunt for the UK’s best business ideas and startups. We’re offering incredible prizes including £25,000 to the two best entries, first-class mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels, and business insurance for a year, thanks to AXA.
Got a great idea for a business, or already building something from scratch? Enter today!
What to expect from AXA Startup Angel 2026
Want to find out more about AXA Startup Angel 2026? Check out the video below for some more details on the competition.
Here’s what our 2026 winners will win
Our two top prize winners will receive:
- £25,000 funding to launch your idea or take your business to the next level
- Business insurance for a year thanks to AXA
- Dedicated mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels
- Access to a Mental Health webinar provided by AXA Health
- 50% off business health insurance provided by AXA Health
Our four runners up will receive:
- A profile on their business in The Standard
- Mentoring from The Standard team on digital branding, marketing and social media
- Total value of the runners up prize estimated to be worth over £18,000
Enter AXA Startup Angel today and get started on your business journey
Entering couldn’t be simpler, just follow these steps:
- Register your details and tell us a little bit about your business
- Upload a short video about your business – give us your elevator pitch, why should you be one of our winners?
Tip: Your video doesn’t need to be professionally polished; we just want to hear your passion for your business idea.
Deadline for entries is 21 June 2026
Meet the AXA Startup Angels
The AXA Angels are four of the UK’s most inspiring entrepreneurs who will judge our entries and mentor the top prize winners.
Izzy Obeng MBE
Founder and CEO, Foundervine
Izzy Obeng is an award-winning speaker, executive coach, and founder and CEO of Foundervine, which is listed in the Financial Times as one of Europe’s leading startup accelerators. She has been named in Forbes 30 Under 30 and was awarded an MBE in 2025 for her contributions to UK digital growth.
Here’s what she said about joining the judging panel for 2026:
"I'm really excited to be a mentor for the AXA Startup Angel competition this year. This year it's going to be bigger and better and I’m really excited to meet the founders [who are] bringing game changing ideas that can transform our economy."
Henry Firth
Co-founder, BOSH!
Henry is the co-founder of BOSH! and is dedicated to showing the world just how easy it can be to be vegan. Along with business partner Ian, the pair launched BOSH! from their living room in 2016 with only £15,000. Fast forward to now, and they have best-selling cookbooks and a range of cooking kits in UK supermarkets.
Henry is keen to help our 2026 winners reach their full potential, saying:
“You’ve got nothing to lose – you’ve got everything to gain – and this could be that moment that you turn your dream into reality.”
Ian Theasby
Co-founder, BOSH!
It was only a few years ago that Ian, co-founder of BOSH!, and his business partner Henry were in the same position as many of our applicants. But it was his experiences prior to starting out on their BOSH! journey that led him to agree to be an AXA Startup Angel judge. He said:
“We were in the position as many applicants are in a few years ago, where we had an idea, and we had a dream to build the business.”
Raphael Sofoluke
Founder of the UK Black Business Show and UK Black Business Week
Raphael’s passion is in diversity and inclusion in all its forms. That why he founded the UK Black Business Show – the biggest business show in the UK and Europe for black business owners and professionals. His aim is to inspire and connect black business professionals. To anyone consider entering, he said:
“It’s an opportunity to change your life. You don’t become successful by sitting on your ideas. Take that leap of faith and gamble on your dream.”
Introducing last year’s AXA Startup Angel winners
Our two top-prize winners won £25,000 of startup funding to help launch or grow their business, as well as mentoring advice from our expert Angels, and business insurance for a year thanks to AXA. So, let’s meet our winning businesses.
Simone Panella
Founder, Dyamotech
“Winning the AXA Startup Angel competition has been a significant catalyst for our growth.”
Dyamotech is the world’s first wearable concussion management system designed to monitor head impact exposure for schools and sports clubs. The smart headband tracks g-force and rotational data, with instant feedback via an app.
Princess Ebi
Founder, Main Squeeze
“It’s been a real gamechanger for the business. (...) Since the competition, we’ve grown more than 100% in sales.”
Main Squeeze creates compression socks that combine medical-grade performance with bold, fashion-forward design, for people who live with invisible conditions – all with the aim of helping people feel stylish, supported, and seen.
What are our previous winners up to?
This is the AXA Startup Angel competition’s sixth year, so why not take a moment to see what our previous winners have been up to?
Could you be one of AXA’s next Startup Angel winners?
AXA Startup Angel gives you the chance to turn your business dreams into a reality and set your business up for success.
Please read full Terms & Conditions at standard.co.uk/axastartupangel. AXA Health is a trading name of AXA PPP healthcare Limited, AXA Health Limited and AXA Health Services Limited. Along with AXA Insurance UK plc, all the companies are registered in England and Wales and have their registered office at 20 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V 0BG with registered numbers 03148119, 12839134, 03429917 and 00078950 respectively. AXA Health Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority whilst AXA PPP healthcare Limited and AXA Insurance UK plc are both authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Their Financial Services Register numbers are 932948, 202947 and 202312 respectively. All companies are part of the global AXA Group.