WELSH BUSINESS NAMED BUSINESS TO BUSINESS WINNER AT THE 2025 WALES STARTUP AWARDS

South Wales based start-up Pilates Class has been named as the Business to business winner at the 2025 Wales StartUp Awards. 

Pilates Class a boutique agency that works with Yoga, Pilates, and wellness studios to improve how they operate, supporting wellness businesses to succeed.

We help with practical things like creating the right class schedule, finding and managing instructors, setting up business systems, and analyse what's working through data.

We turn your wellness passion into a business that makes money and can grow. Whether you're just starting or looking to improve, we help build successful wellness businesses from scratch.

Bethan Dando, founder of Pilates Class, said: 

Pilates Class started as a business that wanted to reach clients to move and live well, with a simple vision to be the silent partner behind wellness spaces - why because we want everyone to feel the benefits movement brings mentally and physically, how by supporting the recruitment, operations and profitability of wellness spaces so they have longevity and profits to reach clients further than we could reach on our own. 

Supported by a wide range of partners, including Airwallex, Big Ideas Wales, Bodlondeb, Business Wales, Cardiff Life, Coffi Lab, Join Talent, M-Sparc, Mentera, Town Square, and V-Rum, the UK StartUp Awards were established to highlight the success of start-ups across ten UK nations and regions and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy. 

Entrepreneurship in Wales is gaining momentum, driven by a new generation of founders who are combining innovation, resilience, and a strong sense of community. From tech start-ups in Cardiff and creative ventures in Swansea to purpose-led businesses in rural towns and the Valleys, Welsh entrepreneurs are building companies that not only generate economic value but also reflect the country’s culture, values, and ambition. With a growing support network, access to top talent from Welsh universities and an increasing focus on sustainability and social impact, Wales is establishing itself as a dynamic and distinctive hub for start-up success. 

According to Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, creator of the UK StartUp Awards, this surge in start-up ambition reflects a new generation of entrepreneurs who are not only identifying opportunities but are also building innovative, resilient businesses that are shaping the future of the regional economy. 

“Entrepreneurs across Wales are reshaping the economic landscape, turning bold ideas into thriving ventures and ambition into meaningful impact. That’s why we created the StartUp Awards, to celebrate the individuals who are building something from nothing and making a real difference in their communities. Across the country, from coastal towns to city centres, Welsh entrepreneurs are developing everything from cutting-edge digital solutions to sustainable food brands and green energy businesses that are all grounded in a deep sense of place, purpose, and national pride.”

“I’m delighted that PILATES CLASS UK has won their category at the awards and I’m looking forward to having them join the ‘best of the best’ from Wales competing at the UK final later this year.” 

All regional winners in their category will now progress to the UK StartUp Awards final, taking place at Ideas Fest on September 11th (dubbed the “Glastonbury for Entrepreneurs.”) along with the winners from nine other nations and regions. 

EDITOR NOTES 

UK StartUp Awards 

The UK StartUp Awards is run by the founders of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards (an established programme nationally receiving thousands of applications annually and the UK Fast Growth Index (which recognises the fastest growing firms across the nations and regions of the UK). 

The UK StartUp Awards recognises the achievements of those amazing individuals who have had a great idea, spotted the opportunity and taken the risks to launch a new product or service. There are over 30 categories that can be entered ranging from consumer products to mobile technologies to social enterprises, demonstrating the depth and variety of entrepreneurial talent in the UK 

After extending across the whole of the United Kingdom last year, all of the category winners from each ten nations and regions at the UK national final on September 11th, 2025 at Ideas Fest (www.ideasfest.uk) 

Full details of all of the category winners can be found at www.startupawards.uk