29 - 30 April 2026 | Excel London
MEET THE GAME-CHANGERS & RISING STARS OF HR & RECRUITMENT TECH
The Innovation Hub is the ideal place to find both the best new tech solutions and the brightest new businesses at our show. These platforms and tools are fresh off the press, packed full of innovative and creative solutions to your most pressing problems.
Right at the heart of the Innovation Hub is the Start-Up Zone, where budding businesses show off their shiny new solutions. And every year, each one has the opportunity to enter our Start-Up Showdown! This competition allows our Start-Ups to take the spotlight and show us what they're made of.
In 2025, the Start-Ups pitched to our judges in the Innovation Hub in a series of heats. The winner of each heat then went on to compete in the final in Keynote Theatre 2.
It was a tough decision between the finalists – Cruit, Hoogly and WorkFlex, but in the end only one could come out on top...
Hoogly!
If you're a start-up in HR & recruitment technology, launching your new tech in the UK market, we'd love to hear from you!
There's always room in our Start-Up Zone for fresh tech and fresher ideas. If that sounds like you, why not get in touch with our team today?
A place in the Start-Up Zone comes with the opportunity to compete in the Start-Up Showdown, where you can demonstrate what your business offers to our panel of judges.
Win the compeition and you'll receive a free stand at HR Technologies UK 2026!
The Start-Up Showdown isn't the only place you can see our exhibitors go head to head!
Introduced in 2025 and returning in 2026, the Innovation & AI competition is a chance for exhibitors of all sizes to present how they're making use of AI technology to our panel of our judges.
Last year, it was a dead heat between our three finalists: HiBob, Teamtailor and Zellis. But, thanks to their impressive "Analyse My Report with AI" tool, our winner was...
HiBob!
Come and join us for the competition in 2026 and discover the exciting new ways AI is transforming the world of work.
Of course, if you happen to be one of those innovators, why not chat to us today about how you can enter the competition?