Day One Strategy, the London-based pharma intelligence company, has secured finalist positions in two leading UK business awards: 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 recognition comes after a standout year for the business, during which revenue increased by 68% year on year and the team expanded from 47 to 62 employees. Much of this momentum has been fuelled by the success of InsightBrain®, the company’s proprietary AI platform. Since launching in 2019, founders Hannah Mann and Abigail Stuart have grown the business without external investment, and it continues to be entirely female-owned.
LONDON, UK. July 14, 2026. Day One Strategy has been named a finalist in two major UK business awards after delivering another year of significant expansion. The pharma intelligence specialist recorded a 68% increase in turnover while growing its workforce from 47 to 62 people, reflecting continued demand for its AI-powered intelligence services and strategic expertise.
The company has been shortlisted in the Scale Up Entrepreneur of the Year category for the London region at the 2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards. It has also been recognised as a finalist in the Scale Up of the Year category at the 2026 Private Business Awards, sponsored by BDO.
The winners of the Private Business Awards will be revealed during a gala dinner at The Savoy Hotel in London on Thursday, 10 September 2026. The Great British Entrepreneur Awards winners will be announced on Monday, 16 November 2026, at Grosvenor House in London.
Founded in 2019 by Hannah Mann and Abigail Stuart, Day One Strategy supports many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies in making faster and more informed commercial decisions. Growth has been driven largely by demand for InsightBrain®, the company’s proprietary AI platform developed specifically for the pharmaceutical sector. Combined with expert human intelligence, the platform transforms complex market data into practical commercial insight. Today, the business works with eight of the world’s top ten pharmaceutical companies and is helping shape a new era of always-on precision intelligence for global healthcare brands.
According to Day One Strategy, InsightBrain® enables organisations to move from insight to decision around 60% faster while reducing the time and cost involved by approximately 30%. By combining AI with specialist expertise, clients benefit from clearer recommendations and more time to put them into action.
Hannah Mann and Abigail Stuart launched Day One Strategy using their own savings after leaving senior positions at a market research agency. Without taking on external investment, they have grown the company into a fully founder-owned business, with both continuing to lead the organisation today.
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.”
Alongside its commercial growth, Day One Strategy has continued to receive external recognition for its achievements. The business won the EphMRA Innovation Award in 2026, is Great Place to Work Certified, and earned an EcoVadis Bronze medal for sustainability in February 2025.
Both founders are recognised individually within the industry. Abigail Stuart is a regular contributor to Forbes and a Forbes Agency Council member, a featured Greenbook author, ESOMAR’s Insight250 Global Innovator (2025) and Campaign’s 40 Over 40 winner (2023). Hannah Mann is a regular speaker at EphMRA and BHBIA events, a published Greenbook author, an Insights Top 250 winner, was selected to participate in the Ffinc Accelerator Programme for high growth female founders in 2025 and winner of the Leadership award at the Business Awards UK Women in Business Awards (2024).
