Starting a business is hard enough, but making it successful is an entirely different challenge. There are so many moving parts to a business that it can be difficult to know where to start.
This is where PR agencies come into play!
PR agencies help startups succeed by getting them exposure in the right places.
Why need a PR agency?
As a startup, it is essential to have a PR strategy in place to succeed. Here are a few reasons why:
- A PR strategy will help get media coverage for the startup. It can raise brand awareness and help attract customers and investors.
- A good PR strategy can help position a startup in the market, differentiating it from competitors.
- A PR campaign can generate buzz around the launch, helping gain traction and success.
- Good media coverage can also lead to valuable press relationships that can benefit startups in the long-term.
- Overall, a well-executed PR strategy can be highly beneficial for startups, helping them to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
Working with a PR agency is a great place to start if you’re looking for help to make your startup a success.
If you’re in the UK and thinking of working with one, choose an experienced agency that understands startups’ unique challenges.
To make your life easy, we at Silicon Canals have compiled a list of the top 11 PR agencies in the UK. Do take a look.
Deliberate PR
Founder(s)/managing director: Benjamin Webb
Founded: 2007
Deliberate PR is a leading communication agency based out of London that ensures Nordic, American, and European startups and scaleups make the news in the UK, US, and the English-speaking world.
Deliberate supports consumer-facing concepts alongside greentech, fintech, deeptech, cybersecurity and hardware clients.
What do they offer?
With a 25-strong team operating in the UK and US, and securing high-impact exposure across English-language business, technology, trade, and consumer titles and broadcast outlets, Deliberate PR offers news-driven editorial media support for B2C and B2B startups with worthwhile stories.
This company has one of the UK’s most impressive records of responding to emerging news themes: turning them to a client’s advantage through providing spokespersons, corroborating data, or case studies.
The London-based PR agency also has a division dedicated to devising creative angles – often in partnership with academic institutions or charities – that put a company’s functionality, founders, or users at the heart of news agenda-setting stories. An extension of its key team member profile-building and thought leadership work, Deliberate arranges for clients to participate in major US and European conferences.
Deliberate also brings international journalists to meet with clients in their home countries and cities to understand how their cultures and societies have contributed to their innovation.
Some noteworthy clients include Babbel, Fishbrain, Otovo, SumUp, HappyOrNot, GetYourGuide, Oslo Business Region, and Summa Equity.
SoContent
Founder(s)/managing director: Doug Hunter
Founded: 2021
SoContent is a tech PR agency with purpose. The remote agency-come-network of senior PR professionals in the UK, Europe, and beyond covers B2B, B2B2C, and B2C communications. It helps position news and thoughts right where they need to be to grow a sustainable business for the future.
The agency helps startups grow with targeted communications placement the world over.
What do they offer?
- Projects and funding announcements
- PR and communications campaigns
- Messaging and communications strategy
- Branding and digital
- Media Relations
- Content creation
SoContent has helped various clients, including LetsBuild, The Council for Inclusive Capitalism, and Hypervine.
Ecology Media
Founder(s)/managing director: Georgia Hanias
Founded: 2017
Ecology Media is another leading brand and communications consultancy based out of London.
Ecology Media specialises in coming up with creative and innovative ideas that help to establish a strong presence and reputation for the world’s most popular companies, NGOs, and entrepreneurs. The agency works independently and with strategic global partners to ensure that the ideas are executed flawlessly.
Currently, the agency focuses on emerging technologies such as fintech and Web3.
What do they offer?
- Media Relations
- Crisis communications
- Content writing
- Branding
Some noteworthy clients include BPC Banking Technologies, Banked, and NEAR Foundation.
Drofa Comms
Founder(s)/managing director: Valentina Drofa, Mary Poliakova
Founded: 2011
Drofa Comms is an international fintech PR consultancy. The London-based agency aims to help top financial and fintech companies grow with care and respect through well-tuned communications with their clients, partners, and employees.
Drofa Comms has a multinational team of professionals: bankers, financiers, financial journalists, and blockchain and trading experts. As an international team, Drofa work in the global market with a special focus on the UK, Europe, CIS, and LATAM.
This agency is a member of PRCA, IPRA, and Women in PR. The consultancy ranked 13th globally and 5th in the UK as the fastest-growing PR agency of 2022, according to PRovoke.
What do they offer?
- Launching new companies
- Executive communications
- Research data management
- Content marketing
- Public Relations
- Consulting services
Some of Drofa’s clients are Mercuryo, CEX.IO, and CoinsPaid.
Goldsmith Communications
Founder(s)/managing director: Ben Goldsmith
Founded: 2017
Goldsmith Communications is a strategic communications consulting firm for technology companies, venture capital funds, and corporate innovators. The company is on a mission to work with the best companies and investors to help them build a differentiated and strategic position in the market to cut through the din.
What do they offer?
- Develop news-agenda
- Plan and draft thought leadership work
- Help clients build their stature
Some of Goldsmith’s clients include ComplyAdvantage, Norrsken VC, and Payhawk.
Nara Communications
Founder(s)/managing director: Nick Baines, Andrew Skinner-Shah
Founded: 2021
Nara Communications is on a mission to tell meaningful stories for meaningful companies. This London-based agency aims to raise the profile of technology startups and scaleups in the international media.
This bootstrapped agency employs 15 people who know how to correctly tell a brand’s story. This PR agency believes that press exposure within relevant, high-impact publications is one of the most valuable marketing channels available to any startup.
Nara works with clients worldwide – from London to Stockholm, New York to Cape Town – and across various technology verticals such as sustainability, VC, D&I, fintech, gaming, and more.
What do they offer?
- Secure speaking slots at the world’s most prestigious conferences (including Slush, TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit, and The Next Web Conference)
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Social media services
- Crisis communications
Some of Nara’s clients include TrainingHub, Outward VC, Konvoy Ventures, Alva Labs, Bower, Warpin, Wehype, Role, and Zencargo.
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FieldHouse Associates
Founder(s)/managing director: Cordelia Meacher
Founded: 2012
FieldHouse Associates is a communications agency focused on working with high-growth tech businesses and entrepreneurs, their investors, and the ecosystem around them. The London-based agency uses consultancy, integrated communications, and connections to help businesses from all corners of that community achieve their strategic and commercial goals.
FieldHouse works with several startups and scaleups (at every stage of their funding journey and business lifecycle) as well as with several of the UK’s top VC firms and possesses expertise in a wide range of sectors – from healthtech to fintech, edtech to adtech, AI/ML to AR/VR, mobility, space, the future of work, and more.
What do they offer?
- Media Relations
- Media training
- Positioning and messaging workshops
- Investor deck analysis
- Crisis communications
- Insights and thought leadership,
- Events, awards, and speaker programme
- Social media management
Some of the FieldHouse Associates’ clients include Mandiant, Target Global, and Speechmatics.
Old Street Communications
Founder(s)/managing director: Robert Bownes
Founded: 2017
Old Street Communications is a PR and marketing consultancy for fast-growing B2B tech startups across various verticals in Europe and the US.
The London-based PR agency specialises in securing top-tier media coverage, and running thought leadership campaigns to fulfil your business aims, be it raising new capital, winning customers, driving expansion, or all of the above.
What do they offer?
- PR Strategy
- Media Relations Campaign
- Thought Leadership
- Speaker programmes
- Copywriting
Some of the clients include Capchase, Storyblok, and App Radar.
Milk & Honey
Founder(s)/managing director: Kirsty Leighton
Founded: 2017
Milk & Honey is a team-owned, values-led, and highest-scoring Certified B Corp PR agency. The agency aims to connect purpose-led businesses with increasingly purpose-driven audiences.
What do they offer?
- Corporate reputation and brand management
- Digital Marketing
- Strategic positioning
- Copywriting
- Lead generation
- Web design
- SEO
- Creative idea generation
Some of the agency’s clients include Cogo, Giffgaff, and Zetta Genomics.
Black Unicorn PR
Founder(s)/managing director: Julija (JJ) Jegorova, Mauro Battellini
Founded: 2018
Black Unicorn PR is a new breed of Public Relations and Communications agency that goes beyond traditional services, working closely with its clients and acting as an in-house extension. The London-based company aims to help European companies gain exposure in the international media.
What do they offer?
- PR strategy
- Media Relations
- Press office
- Thought-leadership
- Speaking management
- Media training
- Crisis communications
Some of their clients include Startup Wise Guys, WeRoad, and eAgronom.
CEW Communications
Founder(s)/managing director: Cathy White
Founded: 2016
CEW Communications is a European strategic communications agency for scaling tech businesses and the companies that support them, including VCs.
The PR agency works with startups challenging traditional industries using technology, specialising in B2B, PropTech, FinTech, InsurTech, SaaS, VC, and startup initiatives. To date, the agency has worked with and advised over 350+ companies.
What do they offer?
- Public Relations Strategy
- Messaging
- Press Office
- Funding & Fund Announcements
- Speaking Opportunities
- Awards & Events
- Consultation & Training
- Influencer Engagement
- Social Media & Content
- Thought Leadership
- Crisis Comms
- Media Training
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