Lord Mayor honours UK trailblazers driving growth, innovation and social impact

The Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King, has recognised four standout British businesses for their role in powering growth, innovation and social purpose across the UK economy.

Aspect Capital, Tide, Neighbourly and Guavapay were each awarded the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Award, reflecting the breadth of the UK’s fast-growing business ecosystem — from fintech and quantitative investment to social impact platforms and global payments infrastructure.

The awards are part of the Lord Mayor’s Growth Unleashed programme, which is designed to revive the UK’s appetite for responsible risk-taking, channel institutional investment into high-growth sectors and ensure scale-up companies remain rooted in Britain. The programme includes flagship initiatives such as the Scale Up Showcase, connecting tech firms with investors, and the Mansion House Accord, under which 17 of the UK’s largest pension providers have pledged to invest at least 10 per cent of their default funds into private markets by 2030.

Speaking at the awards, King said: “These companies represent the very best of British innovation — forward-thinking, impactful and globally ambitious. From fintech to social tech, their work aligns with my mayoral programme Growth Unleashed. I am proud to celebrate their achievements and the role they play in strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in financial and technological excellence.”

Aspect Capital was recognised for growth optimisation, with chief executive Anthony Todd highlighting its recent expansion into the Chinese market. “This marks a significant milestone for Aspect Capital and reflects our long-term commitment to delivering innovative quantitative investment solutions in one of the world’s most dynamic financial markets,” he said.

Tide, the digital business banking platform, was honoured for empowering SMEs with innovative financial tools. Chief executive Oliver Prill said the award acknowledged Tide’s mission to save small businesses time and money: “With over 13 per cent market share in the UK and 1.5 million members worldwide, our commitment to helping SMEs thrive is stronger than ever. We look forward to working with the Lord Mayor and the City of London to ensure the UK remains a global innovation leader.”

Neighbourly, which helps businesses channel resources to local charities and communities, was praised for its pioneering role in social impact technology. Chief executive Steve Butterworth (pictured) said: “Our platform was built to make it easy for companies to give back with purpose, scale and integrity. This recognition is not just for our team, but for every local charity, volunteer, store manager and business leader who’s helped us build something genuinely impactful.”

Guavapay, a payments company operating across international markets, was recognised for its contribution to financial inclusion and digital connectivity. Group managing director Elkhan Nasibov said: “At Guavapay, we embrace the white heat of technology to drive payment digitisation, expand global financial connectivity and ensure everyone can access the financial tools they need to grow. We are inspired to continue contributing to the City’s bold vision for growth.”

With the City of London keen to maintain its reputation as a hub for fintech, AI and high-growth enterprise, the awards underscore the role of innovative businesses in driving long-term competitiveness — and highlight how closely technology, finance and social purpose are now intertwined.

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Lord Mayor honours UK trailblazers driving growth, innovation and social impact