Upad founder named letting agent 'start-up entrepreneur of the year'

Woah!

James Davis, Founder and CEO of Upad.co.uk, the UK’s largest online letting agent, has been named “Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year” for the London region at the prestigious Barclays Entrepreneur Awards.

Recognised for being the driving force behind Upad’s phenomenal growth over the last two years, James was commended for the way in which he had identified, and capitalised upon, a market opportunity.

The judges, drawn from The Entrepreneur’s Network, Cambridge Judge Business School, The Sunday Times, MMC Ventures (a leading early-stage VC investor) and Barclays themselves, also judged entrepreneurs on how they had developed innovative solutions to improve an existing situation.

Speaking after the awards, James said: “From day one, Upad was intended as a disruptor within the residential lettings market.  As a landlord myself I had witnessed how fragmented the market had become and felt sure that there was scope for significant improvement. 

“Upad was, therefore, born out of a belief that innovative and bespoke technology could more effectively deliver the services and products which had previously only been available via traditional high-street letting agents – and importantly, at a fraction of the cost. 

“It is, therefore, fantastic to be recognised in this way, alongside other entrepreneurs shaking up the sectors in which they operate.”

James’ success at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards adds to Upad’s collection of recent successes and he concludes:

“Our success in addressing a market need speaks for itself: Upad now counts over 12,000 landlords amongst its client base many of whom have invested financially in our future growth, and earlier this year we were named the Best Online Agent at the ESTAS Awards.   

“However, when our vision and mission is recognised outside of the property sector, as it has been with this latest award, it ratifies that we’re doing something truly special that people really benefit from.”

Ahmed Ahmed, Relationship Manager, High Growth and Entrepreneurs Team at Barclays, added: “I’m thrilled that this exciting business has been selected as the Start-Up Business of the Year for the London Region. 

“Selecting only a small number of regional winners from hundreds of entries is a huge undertaking and each of them play a vital role in adding value to the economy by creating employment and generating wealth. Barclays is proud to support businesses such as this and to be the banking partner to some of the most innovative businesses in the UK.”