The mood among Britain’s scale-up founders as 2026 begins is pragmatic rather than pessimistic. Capital is tighter, technology is moving at breakneck speed and competition for senior talent shows little sign of easing. Yet across the UK’s fastest-growing mid-sized businesses, a clear pattern is emerging: the leaders pulling ahead are doing less, but doing it better.
According to Andreas Adamides, CEO of Helm, the UK’s largest private network of scale-up founders and CEOs, this year will reward clarity, discipline and focus over expansion for expansion’s sake. Helm’s 400-plus members collectively generate more than £8 billion in annual revenues, offering a revealing snapshot of where ambition is being redirected.
Based on recent conversations across the network, six strategies are coming to define how scale-up leaders are approaching 2026.
1. Simplicity over sprawl
After several years of economic uncertainty, founders are ruthlessly cutting complexity. Products, processes and meetings that fail to drive value are being stripped out. “2026 is about clarity,” Adamides says. “The founders winning right now are the ones who can say no – quickly.”
2. Capital efficiency replaces cost-cutting
The blunt austerity of recent years is giving way to a more considered approach. Rather than slashing budgets, scale-ups are investing in data, automation and partnerships that allow them to grow without burning more cash. “The smartest founders aren’t just cutting costs,” Adamides explains. “They’re engineering efficiency into how they scale.”
3. AI moves from hype to hard return
The experimentation phase is over. Artificial intelligence is now being deployed where it delivers clear commercial value – automating repetitive tasks, accelerating workflows and eliminating waste. “AI is now about return, not rhetoric,” says Adamides, as flashy pilot projects quietly fall away.
4. Retention becomes the founder’s priority
With senior talent still difficult to replace, attention has shifted from recruitment to retention. Founders are focusing on keeping their top performers engaged through autonomy, recognition and purpose. “Retention is the new recruitment,” Adamides notes. “Pay matters, but culture keeps people.”
5. Customer obsession makes a comeback
As technology levels the competitive playing field, differentiation is increasingly human. Scale-ups that know their customers better – and act faster on insight – are gaining ground. “AI makes everything efficient,” Adamides says, “but only human insight makes it exceptional.”
6. Resilience as a competitive advantage
Volatility is no longer an occasional shock; it is a permanent feature. The most successful leaders are building businesses designed to adapt, embedding resilience into culture and decision-making. “It’s not about bracing for impact,” Adamides adds. “It’s about designing a business that thrives through change.”
The takeaway is stark. Growth in 2026 is not about doing more, but about doing the right things – with intent. As Adamides puts it: “The founders thriving this year are the ones who simplify, focus and invest where the return is real.”
