Four Welsh companies have secured places in this year's Sunday Times 100, the prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing privately-owned firms in the UK. Leading the Welsh contingent is Ty Nant, a mineral water brand based in Bethania, Ceredigion, which has been named Wales' fastest-growing private company.
Ty Nant Leads Welsh Firms
Ty Nant achieved a compound annual sales growth rate of 91.8% over the last three years, placing it 43rd overall in the national index. The company's sales more than doubled to £18.1 million in the year ending March 2026. This growth has been fueled by an aggressive acquisition strategy. In the past year, Ty Nant acquired Strathmore Water from AG Barr, and in 2024 it purchased Fonthill Water and Decantae Mineral Water from US beverage giant Primo Water Corporation. The business returned to UK ownership in 2020 when it was bought by entrepreneurs Mr. Sidhu and Bobby Nanua from Italian firm Biscaldi Luigi Import Export, which had owned the brand since 1992.
Other Welsh Companies on the List
Three other Welsh firms also made the Sunday Times 100:
- de Novo Solutions (Newport) – Ranked 71st, with an average annual sales growth of 68.82% over three years. The IT services company generated sales of £12.1 million in its latest financial year and plans to create 50 new jobs over the next five years.
- Hair Syrup (Pembrokeshire) – Ranked 80th, with a growth rate of 64.32% and revenues of £6.2 million. The natural hair product venture was founded by Lucie Macleod while she was still a student during the pandemic.
- Litelok (Swansea) – Ranked 82nd, with a growth rate of 63.11% and latest revenues of £7.1 million. The company manufactures bike and motorcycle locks.
National Trends
The Sunday Times 100 research found that the top 100 fastest-growing companies increased their sales by an average of 108% per year over the last three years, reaching a combined £4 billion in sales – up £600 million from the previous year's £3.4 billion. These firms employ 13,700 people, having created 8,900 new jobs in the last three years, with nearly all planning further hires in the next 12 months, equating to around 4,200 additional roles. Of the 100 companies, 45 are based in London.
Goalhanger, Gary Lineker's podcast production and distribution company, topped this year's index with a 321% growth rate and latest sales of £37.9 million.
Jon Yeomans, business editor of The Sunday Times, commented: "Celebrating five years of The Sunday Times 100 shows the amazing variety of British businesses, led this year by the media producer Goalhanger taking the number one spot. The biggest trend over the last five years is the rise of consumer brands, with food, drink, fashion, and beauty companies now making up nearly half the list."
Mohammad Kamal Syed, head of private bank and wealth management UK with Barclays Private Bank, sponsor of the Sunday Times 100, added: "Britain’s fastest-growing private companies are built by founders with ambition, resilience, and a clear vision for the future. As founders scale, achieving the right outcome is about more than value - it’s about securing the long-term success of the business and its people."
To qualify for the list, firms needed sales exceeding £250,000 in the base year, no drop in sales from the penultimate to the latest year, total sales exceeding £5 million in the latest year, and a profit in their latest trading year.
