The United Kingdom is Europe’s largest tech hub, drawing investments and talented employees from neighboring countries and beyond. Over the years, the sector has grown its market value to over $1 trillion and has seen the expansion of many tech companies. Below are some of the largest ones to know.
Largest Companies in the UK to Know
- BP
- AstraZeneca
- Unilever
- HSBC
- Shell
- Smartly
- Samsara
UK’s Largest Companies
The Kraft Heinz Company is known globally for iconic products like Heinz Ketchup and Kraft Mac & Cheese. As one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, Kraft Heinz’s offerings include popular U.K. food items, such as HP Sauce, Heinz Curry Sauce and Heinz Salad Cream. Its U.K. headquarters is based in London. The company relies heavily on technology to support its global operations, from manufacturing to marketing.
British Petroleum, or BP, is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world. It employs over 87,000 workers across multiple countries and is involved in all aspects of oil production from collection to refining. BP is also invested in renewable energy, operates offshore wind farms and has installed tens of thousands of electric vehicle, or EV, chargers.
AstraZeneca is a British and Swedish pharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge. The company was one of the first to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. It also develops treatments for rare diseases and other respiratory illnesses.
Unilever manufactures food and consumer goods for its popular brands, such as Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Persil. Although it has global operations, Unilever is headquartered in London and employs people in various fields, including software engineering and marketing.
HSBC is a financial institution covering over 60 countries and territories. It is primarily known for providing banking services, loans, insurance and investment products. It also supports corporate customers with specialized services.
Shell is a British oil company employing over 90,000 workers in various tech and non-tech fields. The company produces oil from the North Sea and supplies a major percentage of all gas in the U.K. Shell also adheres to strict environmental guidelines and operates carbon capture facilities, EV chargers and wind farms.
Smartly is an AI social media advertising platform that works with brands like Uber and Spotify. Its platform automates idea and content generation and then leverages data to optimize advertising spend on social media channels like Meta, TikTok and Snapchat. By having a unified automation platform, the company aims to optimize marketing campaigns and provide real-time visibility on its efforts.
With its Connected Operations Cloud and other IoT products, Samsara aims to modernize transportation and warehousing to make it safer. Its products collect data from sensors, vehicles and heavy machinery, and use it to help clients create strategic workflows and optimize their operations. Samsara is a United States-based company that operates an office in London and other global cities.
Aveva develops software for the industrial sectors and works with over 20,000 clients. Between its digital products and industrial cloud platform, Aveva can streamline operations and improve collaboration between suppliers and customers. Aveva has several decades of experience working with oil, energy and manufacturing companies and employs over 6,400 employees.
Auto Trader is an online vehicle marketplace and advertising platform. Founded in the 1970s, it shifted to digital operation in the early 2000s and now maintains two offices in the United Kingdom. Through Auto Trader’s digital platform, customers can shop for new and used vehicles, sell their automobiles and read reviews. Meanwhile, dealerships can use Auto Trader to advertise their inventory to potential buyers.
Vodafone is a telecommunications company headquartered in London. Vodafone provides 5G and broadband services to phones and IoT devices through fiber optics and network towers. The company has a storied history in the U.K. and claims to be the first regional company to send an SMS message in Britain. Today the company employs over 100,000 workers and contractors.
