1 : Markit Group
Sales 2007: £53m
Sales 2004: £1.4m
Annual growth: 234%
Markit Group is fast becoming a giant in the world of financial information. Starting as a joint venture between Lance Uggla and his former employer Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) in 2001, the original business focused on the creation of an independent source of data for prices in the growing credit derivatives market.
TD stipulated that more investment banks were needed to support the idea and invest in order to spin out the new venture. Uggla’s proposition to 12 blue-chip banks: provide the fledgling Markit with the requisite data and technology, and each bank would receive an option that could be exercised by investing after 12 months.
The 12 banks took up their options. Uggla and his team “worked [their] butts off for 12 months”. When the decision came for the banks to invest in 2003, they all funded. This raised £25m, paid off TD’s debt and gave Uggla a whole new set of shareholders, with 67 per cent of the equity. It also provided Markit with the platform for its electrifying growth.
Based on accounts filed at Companies House (and on which we based this year’s Hot 100), Markit Group has logged an average growth rate of 234 per cent over the past four years, with latest turnover at £53m. Uggla is anticipating similar growth for 2008. “When you reach the right scale in this industry,” he says, “margins can be about 40 to 50 per cent. But you have to reach that scale – that is the challenge.”
HOT 100 PROFILES
Sales 2007: £53m
Sales 2004: £1.4m
Annual growth: 234%
Sales 2007: £53m
Sales 2004: £700k
Annual growth: 206 %
Sales 2007: £6.3m
Sales 2004: £151k
Annual growth: 201 %
Sales 2007: £7.4m
Sales 2004: £386k
Annual growth: 169%
Sales 2007: £7.8m
Sales 2004: £445k
Annual growth: 160%
Sales 2007: £20.6m
Sales 2004: £1.19m
Annual growth: 159%
Sales 2007: £6.89m
Sales 2004: £402k
Annual growth: 158%
Sales 2007: £9.3m
Sales 2004: £278k
Annual growth: 156%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £327k
Annual growth: 151%
Sales 2007: £10.4m
Sales 2004: £687k
Annual growth: 148%
Sales 2007: £5m
Sales 2004: £343k
Annual growth: 145%
Sales 2007: £6.7m
Sales 2004: £488k
Annual growth: 140%
Sales 2007: £169.8m
Sales 2004: £12.7m
Annual growth: 137%
Sales 2007: £68m
Sales 2004: £5.1m
Annual growth: 137%
Sales 2007: £143m
Sales 2004: £15.7m
Annual growth: 135%
Sales 2007: £7.1m
Sales 2004: £585k
Annual growth: 130%
Sales 2007: £9.8m
Sales 2004: £809k
Annual growth: 130%
Sales 2007: £6.7m
Sales 2004: £561k
Annual growth: 129%
Sales 2007: £13.6m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 127%
Sales 2007: £5.5m
Sales 2004: £510k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £6.9m
Sales 2004: £640k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £8.4m
Sales 2004: £780k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £492k
Annual growth: 119%
Sales 2007: £13m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 119%
Sales 2007: £35.2m
Sales 2004: £3.4m
Annual growth: 118%
Sales 2007: £44m
Sales 2004: £4.2m
Annual growth: 118%
Sales 2007: £5.9m
Sales 2004: £580k
Annual growth: 117%
Sales 2007: £92m
Sales 2004: £9.4m
Annual growth: 114%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £564m
Annual growth: 109%
Sales 2007: £6.9m
Sales 2004: £775k
Annual growth: 108%
Sales 2007: £23.7m
Sales 2004: £1.8m
Annual growth: 106%
Sales 2007: £46.6m
Sales 2004: £5.9m
Annual growth: 105%
Sales 2007: £11.7m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 101%
Sales 2007: £42.2m
Sales 2004: £5.2m
Annual growth: 100%
Sales 2007: £12.8m
Sales 2004: £1.6m
Annual growth: 100%
Sales 2007: £55.2m
Sales 2004: £6.9m
Annual growth: 99%
Sales 2007: £7.7m
Sales 2004: £998k
Annual growth: 98%
Sales 2007: £10.2m
Sales 2004: £1.3m
Annual growth: 96%
Sales 2007: £17.3m
Sales 2004: £2.3m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £27m
Sales 2004: £3.6m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £87.8m
Sales 2004: £11.8m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £71.9m
Sales 2004: £10m
Annual growth: 93%
Sales 2007: £18.2m
Sales 2004: £2.5m
Annual growth: 92%
Sales 2007: £8.7m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 91%
Sales 2007: £13.5m
Sales 2004: £1.9m
Annual growth: 90%
Sales 2007: £7.1m
Sales 2004: £1.5m
Annual growth: 91%
Sales 2007: £20.6m
Sales 2004: £3m
Annual growth: 89%
Sales 2007: £36.3m
Sales 2004: £5.4m
Annual growth: 89%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £808k
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £18.8m
Sales 2004: £2.8m
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £73.7m
Sales 2004: £11.1m
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £67.6m
Sales 2004: £10.5m
Annual growth: 86%
Sales 2007: £7.3m
Sales 2004: £1.1m
Annual growth: 86%
Sales 2007: £6.5m
Sales 2004: £1m
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £6.5m
Sales 2004: £1m
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £849k
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £849k
Annual growth: 81%
Sales 2007: £37.1m
Sales 2004: £6.3m
Annual growth: 81%
Sales 2007: £109m
Sales 2004: £23.8m
Annual growth: 79%
Sales 2007: £11.2m
Sales 2004: £2m
Annual growth: 77%
Sales 2007: £29.5m
Sales 2004: £5.3m
Annual growth: 76%
Sales 2007: £17.6m
Sales 2004: £3.2m
Annual growth: 76%
Sales 2007: £7.6m
Sales 2004: £1.4m
Annual growth: 73%
Sales 2007: £109.4m
Sales 2004: £21.2m
Annual growth: 73%
Sales 2007: £11.2m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 72%
Sales 2007: £7m
Sales 2004: £1.3m
Annual growth: 72%
Sales 2007: £1.19bn
Sales 2004: £239.5m
Annual growth: 71%
Sales 2007: £5.7m
Sales 2004: £580k
Annual growth: 71%
Sales 2007: £45.1m
Sales 2004: £9.1k
Annual growth: 70%
Sales 2007: £12.7m
Sales 2004: £2.6k
Annual growth: 70%
Sales 2007: £19.5m
Sales 2004: £4m
Annual growth: 69%
Sales 2007: £76.6m
Sales 2004: £14.4m
Annual growth: 67%
Sales 2007: £18.2m
Sales 2004: £3.9m
Annual growth: 67%
Sales 2007: £29.7m
Sales 2004: £6.7m
Annual growth: 64%
Sales 2007: £121.5m
Sales 2004: £28m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £25.1m
Sales 2004: £5.8m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £76.7m
Sales 2004: £17.8m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £24.6m
Sales 2004: £5.8m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £16.4m
Sales 2004: £3.8m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £7.4m
Sales 2004: £1.9m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £9.5m
Sales 2004: £2.3m
Annual growth: 60%
Sales 2007: £11.3m
Sales 2004: £2.8m
Annual growth: 60%
Sales 2007: £8.1m
Sales 2004: £1.7m
Annual growth: 59%
Sales 2007: £24.5m
Sales 2004: £6.1m
Annual growth: 59%
Sales 2007: £35m
Sales 2004: £9m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £22.3m
Sales 2004: £5.7m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £5.9m
Sales 2004: £1.5m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £29.8m
Sales 2004: £7.7m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £8.3m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £15m
Sales 2004: £3.9m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £51.3m
Sales 2004: £13.5m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £20.1m
Sales 2004: £5.3m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £8.5m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £15.7m
Sales 2004: £4.2m
Annual growth: 55%
Sales 2007: £43.6m
Sales 2004: £11.8m
Annual growth: 55%
Sales 2007: £24.8m
Sales 2004: £6.8m
Annual growth: 54%
Sales 2007: £59.2m
Sales 2004: £16.7m
Annual growth: 54%
Sales 2007: £42.1m
Sales 2004: £11.9m
Annual growth: 52%
Sales 2007: £10.5m
Sales 2004: £3m
Annual growth: 51%
Sales 2007: £16m
Sales 2004: £4.7m
Annual growth: 51%


