The aspirin of the first week of January has cleared the hangovers of the New Year, and with the promising news of reducing Omicron case rates and its generally milder symptoms, attention turns to the economic possibilities of 2022.
Hundreds of companies have been reviewed to identify which are our ones to watch in 2022. Given the impact that COVID-19 has had on businesses’ staffing and alternative modes of working, eCommerce, and personal health and wellbeing, we have focussed on these sectors in making the selection of our ‘top ten companies to watch in 2022’.
The successful companies are not ranked below but are presented by sector. Read on to find out more…
Business and Organisational logistics
Noon Dalton
COVID-19 has resulted in rapid changes in the HR sector. It is expected that 2022 will see the continuation of remote working, or at least flexible modes of working for a significant proportion of the workforce.
This trend has already flipped the recruitment market in the favour of highly skilled employees who can demand improved work/life balances as well as increased remuneration. As such, outsourcing is likely to be an attractive proposition in 2022 for businesses keen to expand rapidly in the predicted post-COVID-19 growth, without the burden of recruitment particularly due to increased staff turnover.
Since 2009, Noon Dalton has provided bespoke offshore back-office admin and customer care teams from across the globe. Noon Dalton prides itself on the seamless integration, as well as robust management against KPIs, whilst protecting core activities for the in-house workforce.
As outsourcing becomes a more popular option in the 2022 climate, Noon Dalton is confident that their seamless solutions will be more in-demand than ever.
bOnline
The flexible modes of working witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic thus far are expected to continue into 2022, even as restrictions and guidance relax after Omicron. VoIP (Voice over internet protocol) communication systems will be increasingly necessary and in-demand to facilitate a mobile workforce.
In addition, to changes in work patterns in larger corporations, increasing numbers of startup businesses have emerged in the COVID-19 marketplace as a result of the changing economic and social environment.
bOnline is one of the market’s most respected and most awarded specialist VoIP providers, already supplying 50,000 UK business clients with a 100% focus on startups, high street ‘heroes’ and family-run businesses.
bOnline is committed to making these digital communication products affordable and accessible, not merely available to large and established companies. bOnline claims that onboarding with them is as simple as choosing a number, activating your HD digital phone line and start making calls in minutes.
Hub
COVID-19 restrictions, reduced Global economic activity, the impact of Brexit, and changing working conditions have combined to make 2021 one of the most challenging years in recent years for the haulage industry. 2022 promises to be a brighter year for the global supply chain and Hub, a London based Software as a Service (SaaS) company, is looking to make haulage companies more effective, efficient, and sustainable than ever before during the forecasted uptick.
The Haulage industry is heavily reliant on paperwork and documentation. Hub’s goal is to facilitate the automation and digitisation of SME haulage firms to deliver greater accuracy and enable efficiencies and the possibility of scaled-up operations.
With an intuitive customer-facing platform with a range of existing features, as well as many more to be released over the course of 2022, Hub is well placed to disrupt this challenged sector.
People Club
As outlined above, startup growth and recruitment have emerged as key areas in the COVID-19 economy. People Club, founded in 2020 by former early-stage BCG Digital Ventures employees Jason Waterman and Michael Curds, offers consultancy on the building of teams, scaling of businesses and leadership and corporate vision.
Having tripled their 2021 targets, People Club is optimistic for 2022. The last year has been focussed on developing their People Consultancy which has facilitated significant growth for their client base, delivered through a unique Recruitment as a service model, and support for Series A fundraising and international expansion.
2022 builds from this commercial bedrock, and promises the launch of ‘Hya’, a recruitment service specially developed for startups. 6 months’ work is behind the recent soft launch which is already gaining significant interest.
With an existing dynamic client base and emerging offerings, People Club is definitely one to watch for 2022.
Candu.Ai
Whilst the development and marketing of a concept is one thing, the delivery of a product is another. Candu is the first no-code, drag and drop, User Interface (UI) component builder which enables anyone from novice to expert to quickly build a sophisticated personalised user experience (UX).
Candu claims that this novel approach enables individuals and teams to adopt a range of online features that will enable quick and simple onboarding of users and promotion of product data on a daily basis. This is a game-changer for the startup and SME alike, where IT know-how, as well as time, may be at a premium.
Founded in 2018, with the platform launched in 2021, founders Jonathan Anderson and Michele Riccardo Esposito aim to empower creativity and the development of SaaS products in all commercial contexts.
Candu has rapidly grown over the last year—adding clients such as Adobe, UserTesting, and Gorgias. We may expect to see big things from them in 2022. Candu plans to expand from UI components to fully supporting UX. Real-time and dynamic content, integrated forms and input fields for data capture, and major data stack integrations (including Salesforce and HubSpot) are to be online during 2022.
eCommerce
Segmentify
COVID-19 restrictions on business operations and individuals’ freedoms served as a catalyst for the pre-existing trend towards eCommerce. It is expected that in 2022 the fashion for eCommerce will continue, especially for as long as Omicron continues to impact the UK economy.
Segmentify is an eCommerce personalisation platform that helps eCommerce businesses increase their conversion rates and Average Order Values (AOVs). The platform analyses consumers behaviour and purchasing patterns, and via an intelligent algorithm recommends products to individual platform users.
2021 saw the launch of Segmentify’s ‘Personalised Seachandising’. Personalised Searchandising develops an enhanced search experience by enabling the personalisation and customisation of search areas, in accordance with selected business metrics. The success behind this model is due to the majority of purchases being made through search areas.
It is expected that 2022 will see the ongoing development of this product, as well as the ongoing success of Segmentify’s business and that of its clients.
Just Fix
Another trend during COVID-19 that has shown no sign of slowing down in 2022 is the investment in property, either by the building of a property portfolio or home improvement.
Just Fix is an online marketplace that connects property owners with trusted tradespeople offering domestic property maintenance solutions. Whilst there are competitors to the Just Fix model, none of them has the hyper-local and real-time service that uses geolocation and social recommendations to supply solutions to the market demand. The system promises to be the most transparent offering, putting customers first.
Just Fix is the brainchild of Adam Graham, an entrepreneur who developed the first music-on-demand internet radio station, in the late 1990’s before Spotify was even launched. He is also the genius behind several digital communications businesses, as well as being the CEO of RYVL, a Nasdaq-listed marketing company with operations in 12 countries.
Launching in Q1 of 2022, this highly scalable business is promising to disrupt this sector in the coming 12 months.
DAYMADE
One of the many economic casualties of COVID-19 has been the hospitality and entertainment sectors. With the end of the Pandemic insight (hopefully!), 2022 promises to be a better year for the sectors, and for individuals to get out and enjoy life. But what if amazing days out and other treats didn’t cost the earth, in more ways than one?
DAYMADE is an Instagram-based lottery platform that hosts weekly draws offering exciting prizes, both big and small. Not only are there lots of prizes to be won, but each time also that a player enters the Premium draw DAYMADE donates a tree to the Eden Reforestation Project.
DAYMADE are a major disruptor in the lottery market, with an appeal that reaches a younger demographic. In 2021 JP Morgan rated the company 11th in its ‘Top 200 Female-Powered Businesses’ review. 2022 is a big year for DAYMADE with plans already in place to bolster its product portfolio and build partnerships to promote the brand.
Health and wellbeing
The Cookaway
The New Year is a time for new starts and resolutions. After 2021 lockdowns and with the feasting season now over, many will be looking for a healthier 2022 with a focus on a healthy and nutritious diet.
The Cookaway is the UK’s first no-subscription recipe box, with Free Virtual cook-alongs and private corporate packages in the offering as well. The Cookaway is an industry disrupter with an amazing product that drives customer loyalty, above locking-in consumers to unwanted subscriptions. The offering is driven by the vision to make cooking fun and exciting and delivers over 180 nutritionally-balanced recipes from all over the world.
All The Cookaway chefs, which include 2 MasterChef Champions, 1 MasterChef Professionals Winner and 2 MasterChef Finalists, are passionate about the dishes that they offer, as well as having a real-world appreciation of cooking within the home.
With dishes from India, Italy, Japan and Spain, as well as many others, The Cookaway is a delicious delicacy of its own and planning its Series A investment round for 2022.
Pursue Fitness
A combination of awareness of the impact physical health has on mental health, and an increase in the leisure clothing market due to greater time spent at home during the COVID-19 period suggests that 2022 will be a good year for athleisure clothing brands, including Pursue Fitness.
Founded in 2013, Pursue Fitness export to over 140 countries worldwide from their UK base. 2022 promises much for this brand as this year they’re set to expand their women’s sustainable seamless product offering, as sustainability rightfully becomes a key purchasing decision for many consumers. Their men’s collections will demonstrate a minimal and premium aesthetic to elevate that side of the brand. While doing this, Pursue Fitness aims to maintain an affordable price-point for their customers.
It’s not only front-end changes that will be made throughout 2022 at Pursue Fitness, but also the exploration of international distribution options to accommodate the brand’s growth and better serve international customers.
The 10 companies outlined in this review demonstrate the very best in creativity, efficiency, and potential as we enter 2022. Each one is primed for the economic possibilities of the new year in what we think will be the defining sectors of 2022.
