What start-ups taught me about ambition this year

Ambition AM Editor Jennifer Sieg takes a look at what she’s learned from covering the world of entrepreneurship this year

I am often asked what I look for when it comes to writing about a start-up or interviewing an entrepreneur, and for quite some time I considered it to be the million dollar question. 

Fortunately, this year – which has been something of a start-up journey in its own right – has allowed me to look at the world of entrepreneurship through a new and exciting lens. 

Whether you’re a fintech scale-up of five years, an energy tech start-up of nine months, or a sustainable toothbrush brand now taking on the industry giants – ambition is what matters most. 

And it is ambition that’s going to get us all through the toughest of times, regardless of any political or economic challenges dragging at our feet. 

The force for change 

Everything – from the phone you’re reading this on to the metal water bottle you’re drinking out of – is an invention made by someone who once thought outside the box. 

Twelve months ago, I set out on a mission to immerse myself into the world of entrepreneurship, listening closely to what some of the brightest start-ups and veteran founders have to say. 

The challenge, of course, is remaining neutral – asking the tough questions to unleash the real story behind building a business – but also uncovering those who deserve to have a voice in the first place. 

Too many to count. This year has shown me that start-ups are, and will forever be, the driving force of change. 

The perks? Too many to count. This year has shown me that start-ups are, and will forever be, the driving force of change. 

These entrepreneurs will be the ones who will figure out how to spring us towards a better, more innovative future. 

Below is a look at three who have managed to capture and retain my attention this year (and no, it wasn’t easy to pick just three!).

When the passion shines through 

When I met Jayne Sibley of Sibstar, the mobile app and debit card for people with dementia, I knew it was a journey destined for greatness. 

It’s a start-up I often mention to my friends, family and colleagues – one that is changing the game for a number of families suffering from the financial stresses of dementia. 

It allows family members to safely manage everyday spending by appointing a ‘supporter’ on the app who can upload, pause and ultimately control the pre-loaded balance on the account holder’s behalf (that is, of course, upon a security check approval).

Sibley founded the fintech app in 2020 while caring for her parents who were both diagnosed with the disease. In 2023, she launched a partnership with Mastercard. 

Needless to say, her heart is in the right place and her ambitions are headed exactly where they should be. It’s a journey I’ve found myself watching closely ever since. 

Just last month, the chief executive and co-founder of  kids’ money-management business Gohenry was appointed as non-executive director of Sibstar, and it’s just one of the latest milestones Sibley believes will spring her towards success. 

Start-ups helping start-ups

Joe McDonald, co-founder of renewable energy platform tem., is an entrepreneur who proved to me that the world of entrepreneurship is not always about competition. 

I must admit, I went into our conversation knowing very little about the renewable energy industry, let alone what trends might be shaping the future of it. 

Small businesses have struggled for quite some time with the wrath of high energy costs, yet have very little opportunity to do anything about it. 

McDonald, who questioned the future of technology in the clean energy space, is one of the start-ups on a mission to change that. 

The platform, founded in 2021, eliminates the “middlemen and intermediary fees” that are so costly to the shoestring budgets of small businesses. It allows them to directly purchase, sell and track their energy from renewable sources. 

To date, tem. has saved a total of £4.5m in transaction costs and removed 3,141 tonnes of carbon emissions. 

It starts at home

Entrepreneur Max Parmentier is on a mission to fix the NHS… from home.

The entrepreneur has had an incredibly impressive history of fighting for global and societal change, and his latest efforts are now seen here in the UK with his homecare tech start-up, Birdie. 

For Parmentier, it all begins with reshaping the future of the home healthcare sector. 

His platform works by providing a range of homecare providers with digital services that transform their outdated operating systems – whether that be to help streamline medication reports, scheduling or invoicing – which in turn ensures a “full system” of efficiency across a business. 

With the rate of occupancy for NHS hospital beds being well over the recommended guidance this year, Parmantier believes making home care a priority will be the stepping stone needed for wider industry change. 

Since January of this year, the B-Corp certified software partner has supported over 23m home care visits – a 40 per cent increase from the year prior – averaging more than 131,000 visits per day. 

Unboxing the future

So one by one, start-ups like Birdie, Sibstar and tem. are indeed paving the way for a better future, challenging the status quo and setting the path for bigger business to follow.

But there are thousands of start-ups across the country with equally inspiring stories just waiting to be told.

In the end, entrepreneurs are the ones who pursue the risk and reward of thinking outside the box – and they take the plunge without thinking twice.