Meet the 26 tech startups that

An AI-driven cybersecurity company, a fashion industry analytics business and a tech-based language teaching company are among the 26 UK startups that have been identified as potential future tech stars.

Darktrace, Featurespace and Firefly are among the companies joining companies such as SpitfireAudio, Thread and Superawesome on Tech City’s Future Fifty programme.

Future Fifty alumni have gone on to five IPOs on the London Stock Exchange and 23 company sales, which include MatchesFashion.com which was acquired for an estimated $1bn (£720m), JustGiving which was acquired for $120m and Shazam which was acquired for $400m.

The new companies will receive access to an expert peer network and workshops and classes aimed at boosting their businesses to the next level.

Companies join the programme for two years, so the 2018 group, which have already raised $730m between them, will join 24 existing members.

Parveen Dhanda, programme lead for Future Fifty, said: "This year's cohort includes some of the UK's fastest growing tech companies and we can't wait to begin working with them."

Future Fifty – who made the cut?

Four of the new intake are cybersecurity companies, 15 per cent are in FinTech while 14 percent are in eCommerce. Fifteen of the cohort have a female founder or co-founder and the average age of the new companies is eight years.

Company	What it does?
BigChange Apps	Paperless planning and management for a mobile workforce
Biosite Systems	Manages, monitors and maximises construction safety and security
Captify	Consumer search analysis for media and brands
Checkout	Online payment services
Click Travel	Business travel management
CloudSense	Digital first customer experiences
Darktrace	Machine learning and AI cybersecurity
EDITED	Analytics for fashion retailers
Egress Software Technologies	Collaboration service for secure sharing
Featurespace	Fraud and risk management
Firefly	Online EdTech tool
Infectious Media	Media campaigns for brands
Ixaris	Enables businesses to profit from payments they make
LendInvest	Mortgage technology
Masabi	Mobile ticketing and fare collection
Memrise	Language teaching tech
MPB Group	Helps sell unwanted photographic equipment
Oaknorth	UK debt finance bank
OpenSignal	Mobile analytics for the wireless industry
Paddle	Sales platform for software companies
Semafone	Allows data to be securely taken over the telephone
Simba	Direct-to-customer mattresses
SportsPursuit	Sport and outdoor brand sales
Trouva	Homeware and accessories sales
UKCloud	Cloud platforms for public sector and healthcare companies
ZappiStore	Research platform