Cardiff-based property information technology firm DigiProp has been named the overall Wales StartUp of the Year at the 2026 Wales StartUp Awards, held at Tramshed in Cardiff. The company, founded by entrepreneur Matthew Lindsey, also won the digital start-up category. All Welsh winners will now advance to the UK StartUp Awards, scheduled for September at the Ideas Fest entrepreneurs festival, where they will compete against regional winners from England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
DigiProp's Innovative Solution
DigiProp is transforming property inspections by replacing static photos and lengthy manual reports with immersive 360° digital records. These combine visual data, structured property information, and AI-assisted defect detection into a single intelligent asset. The judges were impressed by the scale of the problem DigiProp addresses, the technology behind its solution, and its potential to build the digital infrastructure for property inspection across the UK.
Founder's Perspective
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, founder of the StartUp Awards, praised the winners: "These amazing Welsh businesses are not just coming up with clever ideas, but are building businesses with real purpose, commercial credibility and the potential to scale. What impressed the judges was the evidence behind their ambition from customers and partnerships to investment, innovation, impact and growth." He added, "Across every region, we are seeing founders creating jobs, opening up new markets and challenging established industries. Many are also tackling some of the biggest issues facing society, from health and sustainability to clean energy, digital inclusion and productivity."
Full List of Category Winners
The Wales StartUp Awards recognized excellence across multiple sectors. The complete list of winners includes:
- Overall Wales StartUp of the Year & Digital StartUp of the Year: DigiProp.co.uk
- Beauty, Health & Wellbeing StartUp of the Year: Hikitalo
- Business to Business StartUp of the Year: MPW Making Places Work
- Construction & Building Services StartUp of the Year: Ateb Groundworks
- Consumer Products StartUp of the Year: Joe's Plant Place
- Consumer Services StartUp of the Year: IV Wetroom
- Creative StartUp of the Year: Hope Design Solutions
- Education & Training StartUp of the Year: Redpen AI
- Food & Drink StartUp of the Year: Tumptonics
- Global StartUp of the Year: Camlin
- Graduate StartUp of the Year: Young Potters
- Green StartUp of the Year: Ecodetect
- Hospitality, Tourism & Events StartUp of the Year: Booking Hub
- Innovative StartUp of the Year: LanoTech
- Marketing & Advertising StartUp of the Year: Copperhouse Films
- Professional Services StartUp of the Year: Littlechild & Haley
- Retail & E-Commerce StartUp of the Year: Spines
- Rising Star Award: Blackline Academy
- StartUp For Good Award: Emwill Care
- Technology StartUp of the Year: Vedri Studio
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Tiger Bay Cleaning
- Judges' Choice: AilArian
Next Steps for Winners
All category winners will compete in the UK StartUp Awards in September, facing off against winners from England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The event is part of the Ideas Fest entrepreneurs festival, which aims to celebrate and support innovative businesses across the United Kingdom.
