Resilience Award

Recognises the achievements of high-growth startups younger than three years. Major award for a business that has shown resilience, adaptability and leadership in the last year.

The Resilience Award is a standalone award and is not part of the Smart50 list. Businesses who are eligible for the Smart50 list (can demonstrate three consecutive years of growth) and other awards below are not eligible for the Resilience Award.

Award Winner

Smart50 Resilience Award

Charlie’s Fine Food Co.

Charlie’s Fine Foods Co. pivoted to survive during the COVID-19 crisis, but founders Jacky Magid and Ken Mahlab also prioritised the wellbeing of the team members and those in their local community.

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Award Shortlistees

Hacker Exchange

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hacker Exchange pivoted its travel-based education model to provide digital skills training, maintaining ties with universities, keeping all staff on board, and ultimately increasing revenue in one of the hardest-hit sectors.

Our judges also noted the startup’s focus on mental wellbeing among staff, and its ability to “nourish the resilience of students, combating ‘Zoom fatigue’ and social isolation”.

Immediation

As one of our judges said, Legaltech startup Immediation was “a platform built for the future of work”, even before we needed it.

Already working to bring tech into a very conservative space, the Immediation team was able to quickly meet the changing requirements of the legal sector, providing “the answers the profession didn’t know it needed”.

Muso

A startup spanning the hospitality and music industries, Muso’s business ground to a halt in March 2020. Rather than taking it lying down, the team focused on building a new Software-as-a-Service product for customers. Now venues are reopening again, Muso is bringing in more revenue than ever.

“Resilience takes grit,” one of our judges noted. “The Muso team has it in spades.”

Learnmate

Pre-pandemic, Learnmate was a tutoring business that saw 85% of its business coming from in-person sessions. When COVID-19 put a stop to that, the team quickly implemented an online platform instead, and that platform is now a permanent part of its business.

Not only was the business able to continue offering sessions during lockdown, it has been able to reach more students and connect them with suitable tutors.

As one of our judges said: “The business is now in a prime position to make the most of future growth opportunities.”