- Day One Strategy, the London-headquartered pharma intelligence business, has been shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2026, London Region, Scale Up Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Private Business Awards 2026, Scale up of the year, sponsored by BDO
- The double shortlisting follows a year of rapid growth, with headcount rising from 47 to 62 and turnover up 68% year on year, driven in part by the firm’s proprietary AI platform, InsightBrain®
- Founders Hannah Mann and Abigail Stuart have built the business without external investment since 2019, and it remains fully female-owned
LONDON, UK. July 14th, 2026 – Day One Strategy has been shortlisted for two national business awards within a matter of weeks, following a year in which turnover grew 68% and headcount rose from 47 to 62.
The pharma intelligence business is a finalist for the 2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in the Scale Up Entrepreneur of the Year category (London region), and the Private Business Awards 2026, in the Scale up of the year category, sponsored by BDO.
The Private Business Awards winners will be announced at a gala dinner at The Savoy Hotel in London on Thursday 10 September 2026, and the Great British Entrepreneur Awards winners will be announced on Monday 16 November 2026 at Grosvenor House, London.
Hannah Mann and Abigail Stuart founded Day One Strategy from personal savings, with no external investment, after leaving senior roles at a market research agency to build something of their own. Seven years on, the business remains fully founder-owned, and Hannah and Abigail continue to run it together.
Hannah Mann, co-founder of Day One Strategy, said: “This recognition means a lot to us, particularly in a year when we’ve grown so quickly. We started this business because we believed pharma deserved smarter, faster thinking, and it’s brilliant to see that ambition recognised alongside some of the country’s best entrepreneurs.”
Abigail Stuart, co-founder of Day One Strategy, said: “Building a business without outside investment means every decision has had to earn its place, so it means a great deal to be recognised for that growth. We’re proud to have built something genuinely different and we’re just getting started.”
Mark Sykes, Head of Consulting at BDO, said: “At BDO, we partner with and champion the ambitious private companies that are the heart of the UK economy. It is these companies and the people behind them that continue to drive our economic growth across every region and sector in the UK. These awards shine a light on the innovation, ambition and success that should be commended and will inspire other businesses across the UK.”
Frankie James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “When we launched the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2012, we set out to back the businesses that get on and build, the ones that don’t always get the recognition they deserve. More than a decade on, over 5,000 applications tell me we were onto something. This year’s cohort represents billions in turnover and tens of thousands of jobs, but what I’m proudest of is the determination behind those numbers. These are founders who have stuck with it through every kind of year and championing them is exactly why we do this.”
Day One Strategy has built a strong track record of external recognition alongside its growth. The business won the EphMRA Innovation Award in 2026, is Great Place to Work Certified and achieved an EcoVadis Bronze medal for sustainability in February 2025.
