UK top startups aren’t just in London. Here are a few worth watching outside the capital.

We just published our rankings of the 25 LinkedIn Top Startups in the UK this year. This list, an entirely data-based initiative looking at companies that grow fast, attract and retain top talent, highlights some of the most exciting young companies in the United Kingdom. (You can read more about the methodology here.) It also mechanically reflects shortcomings of the current startup ecosystem, such as its lack of diversity and its London-centricity. Just two companies outside the capital — Gymshark and LADBible — made the top 25.

So we dug further into the list of the first 200 or so UK startups according to LinkedIn data, hunting for more companies outside London that are growing fast and doing big things. Here are eight startups across the United Kingdom worth keeping an eye on. 

Bad Wolf (Cardiff)

This media production company proudly flies the Welsh flag. BBC veterans Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner first came to Cardiff to film Doctor Who, and there they stayed to start their own independent production company in 2015. They’re notably behind the highly anticipated HBO and BBC show, His Dark Materials, filmed primarily on their Cardiff lot and on location in Wales.

Oh Polly (Glasgow)

This fast-fashion brand is also a fast-growing company. The Scottish online retailer has drawn in the Instagram generation with aggressive social marketing. 

One Below (Barnsley, South Yorkshire)

Launching a new brick-and-mortar retailer in 2019 is bold. But One Below founders, the father-and-son team of Christopher Edwards and Chris Edwards Sr, are not novices. Chris Sr was the man behind Poundworld, which he sold in 2015 and which went under last year. Same concept with One Below, a value retailer where everything is priced at £1 or less, minus the mistakes he says Poundworld's acquirer made. 

Arctic Shores (Manchester)

Arctic Shores blends AI, neuroscience and gaming to deliver psychometric tests in recruitment. It promises better and more diverse hires by considering behavior, rather than past experience, as a predictor of success.

Immersive Labs (Bristol)

When was the last time you enjoyed an HR-mandated course? Bristol’s Immersive Labs helps cyber security professionals keep their vital skills fresh through an interactive, gamified platform that aims to be less boring than your average corporate training. 

BigChange (Leeds)

BigChange sells software for customers to manage their mobile workforce, from freight drivers to waste crews or gas meter readers. Its apps help plan routes, track workers, share information and centralize paperwork.

Peak (Manchester) 

Peak is an AI company helping businesses without that skillset utilize data and machine learning. It’s helped a shoe retailer personalize its marketing, an equipment hire company better manage its stock or a pharma company manage feedback from a drug trial.  

Access Pay (Manchester)

Fintech isn’t confined to the City of London. In Manchester, Access Pay is working to redefine corporate banking with cloud-based tools that make finance and treasury professionals’ lives easier. It bills itself as the fastest-growing fintech outside London.

What other startups outside the capital are you keeping an eye on? Mention them in the comments below.