Barclays Eagle Labs and Plexal have continued our partnership to launch Elevate – a new initiative for exceptional founders. This is an exclusive extension developed from our third Scaleup Programme, which prepares high-growth UK tech companies for tackling the challenges of scaling.
Our elite Elevate cohort of eight founders – selected from the current Scaleup Programme – was chosen based on their outstanding ambition, engagement and potential for growth.
Elevate is centred on each founder’s personal and professional evolution, providing enhanced access to strategic resources, tailored one-to-one mentorship and curated opportunities.
The focus is helping each leader to develop and navigate the critical transition from hands-on operators to visionaries who can shape culture, strategy and long-term organisational success.
We kicked Elevate off this week with an immersive retreat in Central London to offer reflection and connection, which was complemented with an evening at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards.
During the retreat, founders were presented with insights from Barclays Entrepreneur Awards nominees in the Scaleup category. They included Ben Hewitt, Product Director at premium technical apparel brand ThruDark – which went on to win the award – Mark Rushmore, co-founder and CCO at sustainable electric toothbrush brand SURI and Clem Bigot, Head of Startups at Connectd, a platform connecting startups with investors, advisors, and non-executive directors.
Elsewhere, the cohort heard from speakers including Stewart Bewley from Amplify Lisa Perkins, Director at Plexal and Katie Muldoon from Yellow Rattle Coaching. As the Elevate cohort bonded with one another and guest speakers, they exchanged nuggets of wisdom with one another:
“You can’t lose sight that there is a journey. Enjoy being present.”
“Authenticity means aligning your mission with your money.”
“If you listen well, people will feel listened to – and it’s beautiful.”
“My business is not a unicorn, it’s a cockroach – we will survive anything.”
“Empathy is good – and empathy when you disagree with a person is super important”
“Listening is a form of deep work. It requires intensity. The only way we go deep is between 45 and 90 minutes without being interrupted by tech. Going for a run is deep work. Reading a book is deep work. Listening is deep work.”
Our eight Elevate leaders are behind scaleups including:
ARC marine
Founded by Tom Birbeck, ARC marine is an eco-engineering company pioneering nature-inclusive infrastructure for the blue economy, delivering scalable solutions for offshore energy developers, coastal engineers and governments.
ARC’s flagship product Reef cubes protects critical marine infrastructure while accelerating reef restoration. With over 80,000 units deployed across seven countries, ARC has become a trusted partner in marine development.
Backed by over £5m in pre-Series A investment, ARC is scaling production and investing in data-driven technologies to set the global standard.
Ad Signal
Founded by Sophie Bartlett, Ad Signal helps video-led businesses cut waste, cut cost and take control of their content. Its tools use proprietary fingerprinting (frame and audio analysis) to identify what’s duplicated, what’s similar and what’s unique.
This means streamlining archives by keeping only what’s need and deleting the rest, cutting storage costs by an average of 60%. With measurable lifetime savings on storage and AI processing, faster access to what’s useful and no fluff, Ad Signal turns video complexity into clarity.
Body Rocket
Founded by Eric DeGolier, Body Rocket is a sports technology company revolutionising cycling and triathlon performance by delivering real-time aerodynamic, biomechanical and power data directly from the bike.
Capturing live data during rides, athletes receive lab-grade insight on the road, enabling immediate adjustments for optimal performance.
Already in use by the Uno-X Pro Team and Olympic, Ironman and World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt, Body Rocket empowers users at every level to train smarter, race faster and unlock their full potential with precision data that was previously out of reach.
CanSense
Founded by Adam Byant, CanSense uses advanced spectroscopy and artificial intelligence to enable early detection of bowel cancer using a standard blood draw. This innovative approach aims to transform cancer diagnostics by allowing earlier detection, with an accurate, non-invasive and more acceptable test.
CanSense is committed to improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs through early intervention. With a strong foundation in clinical research and technology, the company is working closely with healthcare providers and researchers to bring its innovative solution to market and make a significant impact on global cancer care by saving lives through earlier detection, faster treatments.
Cheqd
Founded by Fraser Edwards, Cheqd is building the trust and payment infrastructure for digital identity, personalised AI and verifiable data ecosystems. Their platform enables privacy-preserving payments, supports multiple credential formats and offers trust registries that allow ecosystems to self-govern.
With bespoke network capabilities and a focus on interoperability, the company is driving innovation in digital trust, helping organisations build scalable, secure and user centric solutions for identity, compliance and AI-driven services.
White Label Loyalty
Founded by Achille Traore, White Label Loyalty is an enterprise SaaS platform helping global brands like Dubai Holding transform customer engagement through behaviour-driven loyalty. Its API-first technology powers scalable, personalised rewards, gamification and data-driven campaigns that drive retention and growth.
The platform integrates seamlessly with existing systems and provides real-time analytics and AI-powered insights to optimise performance and deliver measurable outcomes. With a focus on user experience and ROI, White Label Loyalty enables enterprises to build deeper customer relationships and unlock long-term value.
SimSage
Founded by Sean Walsh, SimSage helps enterprise organisations access and leverage data across multiple disparate systems and sources to enable successful implementation of generative AI. Itsplatform offers a powerful search engine, detailed data inventory and workflow automation tools that reduce time, cost and risk.
SimSage enables users to find and use information quickly, improving decision-making and operational efficiency. With a focus on usability and integration, the solution supports compliance, knowledge management and digital transformation initiatives.
Zamna
Founded by Irra Ariella Khi, Zamna AI is an award-winning software company transforming how airlines and governments manage passenger data. Its platform securely verifies and connects identity data before travel, enabling faster, frictionless journeys while reducing manual processing and fraud.
Built specifically for aviation, Zamna AI automates checks across the travel ecosystem, improving operational efficiency and passenger experience. The technology integrates seamlessly with existing systems and complies with global data standards. Trusted by leading airlines, Zamna AI is redefining digital identity in travel.
