AI start-up Zelim wins 2026 UK edition of KPMG’s Tech Innovator
KPMG’s UK Tech Innovator contest has concluded its annual search the next generation of technological talent. The 13th edition of the event closed with the naming of Edinburgh-based AI start-up Zelim as the nation’s top technology innovator.
Every year, KPMG’s UK Tech Innovator event looks for the best and brightest tech scale-ups that are lighting up the UK. The competition is open to tech and tech enabled businesses, and applications are now open for the UK competition online.
After a hard-fought opening stage, a shortlist of eight regional champions were announced, celebrating innovators across the UK. These included Prospectral in the East of England; Pimloc in London; Supply Chain In-Sites in the North East and Yorkshire; ufuture in the North West; Digostics in South Central; RIG Corp in the South West and Wales; High Temperature Materials Systems in the Midlands; and Zelim in Scotland.
The shortlisted entrants were then invited to pitch their business and growth plans to a panel of judges across regional heats – before an overall UK champion was selected. And after that period of deliberation, the firm advancing to the world stage at the KPMG Global Tech Innovator Competition later in the year, is Zelim.
The Edinburgh-based start-up builds AI-enabled maritime safety and security systems to save lives when people fall overboard at sea. It will now face an international panel of judges, which will select a global champion.
Andy Tipping, from Zelim, said, “We are honoured to be chosen as the winner, especially given the phenomenal crop of tech companies that came to compete from across the UK. 2026 has been a big year for us already, so this award is the icing on top of the cake and is testament to the dedication of the team who worked so hard to bring a genuinely world leading product to market.”
The competition has has celebrated some of the UK’s best pure technology and tech-enabled businesses over the years. Zelim joins a hall of fame which includes What3Words, VividQ and HiiROC – all of whom have all been crowned previous winners. Zelim will hope to emulate HiiROC in particular, though, with the 2022 winner eventually going one step further by winning the global final at Web Summit, a tech conference that takes place each year.
Nicole Lowe, head of emerging giants at KPMG UK, commented, “Zelim is a perfect example of the UK’s burgeoning tech talent and we wish them the very best of luck as they represent the UK in the Global Final of the competition and look forward to playing a part in the exciting journey they have to come. This competition has allowed us to see an amazing range of scale-ups who are all showcasing why the UK is one of the most attractive places in the world right now when it comes to tech innovation and tech investment.”
