Examples of SaaS Companies in the UK
The United Kingdom has emerged as one of Europe’s leading hubs for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, with a thriving ecosystem that spans from innovative startups to established enterprise solutions. With SaaS companies securing 21% of all the deals made in the UK in Q1 2025, and equating to a huge 29% of the total amount raised, the sector continues to attract significant investment and drive digital transformation across industries.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking for inspiration, a business seeking software solutions, or an investor exploring opportunities, understanding the UK’s SaaS landscape is crucial. This comprehensive guide showcases real examples of successful SaaS companies across various categories, from fintech giants like Revolut to emerging startups making waves in 2025.
The UK’s SaaS ecosystem benefits from strong government support, access to global markets, and a deep pool of technical talent. As of 2025, there are 1870 SaaS companies based in United Kingdom. They have combined revenues of $14.1B and employ 107.1K employees, highlighting the significant economic impact of this rapidly growing sector.
What is SaaS? (Quick Refresher)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based software distribution model where applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to customers over the internet. Instead of purchasing and installing software on individual computers or servers, users access SaaS applications through web browsers or mobile apps, typically paying a subscription fee.
The key difference between traditional software and SaaS lies in delivery and ownership. Traditional software requires upfront purchase, local installation, and ongoing maintenance by the user. SaaS eliminates these barriers by providing software on-demand, with the provider handling all technical infrastructure, updates, and security.
Businesses prefer SaaS because it offers lower upfront costs, automatic updates, scalability, accessibility from anywhere, and predictable subscription pricing. This model has revolutionized how companies consume software, making enterprise-grade solutions accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Top SaaS Companies in the UK
Fintech SaaS Companies
Revolut Revolut stands as one of the UK’s most successful fintech SaaS companies, offering an all-in-one financial platform. In August, Revolut became Europe’s most valuable private tech company following a $500 million employee share sale, valuing the firm at $45 billion. The company provides banking services, currency exchange, cryptocurrency trading, and investment services through its cloud-based platform, serving over 60 million customers globally.
GoCardless GoCardless specializes in bank payment solutions, offering businesses an alternative to credit card processing. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in London, GoCardless facilitates online payments through bank account data rather than credit or debit cards, with a customer base of more than 100,000 businesses worldwide. The company helps businesses collect recurring payments through direct debit systems across 30+ countries, making it particularly valuable for subscription-based services.
Marketing SaaS Companies
Cognism Cognism provides marketing and sales acceleration solution and represents one of the UK’s leading B2B sales intelligence platforms. Cognism is a sales acceleration platform designed specifically for B2B sales. It provides sales teams with rich, real-time data about companies, people and events in order to streamline prospecting and assist users in finding and engaging with their next best business opportunities. In 2024, Cognism’s revenue reached $83M up from $64M in 2023, demonstrating strong growth in the competitive sales tech market.
Paddle Paddle is a UK-based e-commerce platform that provides software companies with tools and services to sell their products online. Paddle’s platform includes features such as checkout and payment processing, fraud prevention, and customer support. The company serves as a comprehensive revenue delivery platform for SaaS companies, handling everything from payment processing to tax compliance. In 2024, Paddle’s revenue reached $90.9M up from $76.3M in 2023.
HR & Productivity SaaS Companies
Deputy Deputy provides workforce management software that helps businesses schedule, communicate with, and manage their teams. The platform combines scheduling, time tracking, communication, and task management in a single solution, making it particularly popular with shift-based businesses and retail operations.
Smart Pension Smart Pension is a workplace pension tailored specifically for UK businesses, having raised $300.8M in funding. The company provides an automated pension platform that helps UK employers comply with auto-enrolment regulations while offering employees better retirement outcomes through technology-driven investment management.
Data & AI SaaS Companies
Quantexa Quantexa specializes in decision intelligence and data analytics, providing AI-powered platforms that help organizations make better decisions by contextualizing data. The company’s solutions are particularly popular in financial services for anti-money laundering, fraud detection, and risk management applications.
Darktrace Darktrace is an AI company that uses cybersecurity solutions to identify, prevent, and eliminate insider threats, having raised $230.5M. The company uses machine learning and AI to detect cyber threats in real-time, providing autonomous response capabilities that can neutralize attacks before they cause damage.
E-commerce & Digital SaaS Companies
Shop Circle Shop Circle is a technology company that acquires and grows e-commerce software, having raised $245M in funding. The company focuses on acquiring and scaling specialized e-commerce software solutions, particularly apps for platforms like Shopify.
Fresha Fresha is a SaaS-enabled marketplace platform for beauty and wellness industry, having raised $219M. The platform connects beauty and wellness businesses with customers while providing business management tools including booking systems, payment processing, and customer relationship management.
Benefits of SaaS for UK Businesses
Cost-Effective SaaS eliminates the need for significant upfront software investments and reduces IT infrastructure costs. Businesses pay only for what they use through subscription models, making enterprise-grade software accessible to companies of all sizes.
Scalable Cloud-based SaaS solutions can easily scale up or down based on business needs. Companies can add or remove users, features, or storage capacity without major technical overhauls or lengthy procurement processes.
Easy Deployment SaaS applications require minimal setup and can be deployed quickly across organizations. Updates and maintenance are handled automatically by the service provider, reducing the burden on internal IT teams and ensuring businesses always have access to the latest features and security patches.
SaaS Startups to Watch in 2025 (UK)
Lighthouse Lighthouse, based in Southwark, is a SaaS and cloud-based platform designed to help hotels with revenue and pricing management. Founded in 2017, the company has raised £379 million across seven funding rounds. The company provides hotels with market intelligence and pricing optimization tools.
Healthera Healthera is an exciting early stage company that developed a simple and effective health management app and SaaS. The app is integrated with mainstream healthcare IT, supported by healthcare professionals and has been designed around maximising patient UX. The company is transforming how patients manage prescriptions and interact with pharmacies.
Payhawk Payhawk is a leading spend management solution for domestic and international businesses throughout Europe, the US, and the UK. Combining company cards, reimbursable expenses, accounts payable, and seamless accounting software integrations into a single product, Payhawk makes business payments easy. The company has expanded rapidly across 32 countries.
The UK SaaS startups landscape continues to evolve, with 2025 has seen the creation of 42 SaaS startups in United Kingdom. Over the past 10 years, an average of 1,042 new companies have been launched annually. Many of these startups are emerging from top universities, with several of these startups have been founded by alumni of University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Imperial College London.
Key Trends Shaping UK SaaS in 2025
AI Integration SaaS platforms are embedding artificial intelligence to create smarter, more adaptive products for businesses. This trend is evident across multiple sectors, from Darktrace’s AI-powered cybersecurity to Cognism’s AI-driven sales intelligence.
Fintech Infrastructure Growth Many SaaS businesses, like Starling Bank, are helping to reshape how money moves with infrastructure – supporting instant payments, global commerce, and regulatory compliance. The convergence of financial services and software continues to drive innovation.
Sector Specialisation The UK SaaS sector is seeing a trend where companies are building hyper-focused tools tailored to specific verticals such as hotel revenue management, ESG compliance and cross-border remittance. This specialization allows companies to develop deep domain expertise and create more valuable solutions for specific industries.
Investment Landscape and Growth
The UK SaaS sector has shown remarkable resilience and growth. In Q1 2025, SaaS companies secured £1.67b investment, a 41% increase from Q4 2024 — marking it one of the most significant industries in the UK. And looking year-on-year, SaaS companies raised £5.04b in 2024, a 20% increase from 2023.
This investment activity reflects strong confidence in the UK’s position as a global SaaS hub, supported by factors including:
- Strong regulatory framework and business environment
- Access to European and global markets
- Concentration of technical talent and universities
- Established venture capital ecosystem
- Government support for digital transformation
Final Thoughts
The UK’s SaaS ecosystem represents a massive opportunity for entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors alike. From established giants like Revolut and GoCardless to emerging startups in specialized verticals, the diversity and quality of UK SaaS companies demonstrate the country’s strength in software innovation.
The sector’s continued growth, supported by significant investment and strong market demand, positions the UK as a leading global hub for SaaS development. Whether you’re looking to start a SaaS company, implement SaaS solutions in your business, or invest in the sector, the UK market offers compelling opportunities across multiple industries and use cases.
The examples in this comprehensive UK SaaS companies list showcase the breadth of innovation happening across fintech, marketing technology, HR solutions, data analytics, and specialized vertical applications. As digital transformation accelerates globally, UK SaaS companies are well-positioned to capture increasing market share and drive the next wave of business software evolution.
Looking for SaaS growth strategies? The UK market offers valuable lessons in scaling software businesses, from navigating regulatory requirements to accessing international markets through London’s global connectivity.
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