Crysp founder named as ‘One to Watch’ in LDC/The Times Top 50
The founder of a Bradford success story has been recognised as ‘One to Watch’ in LDC and The Times’ prestigious Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders.
Pete Mills, chief executive of Crysp Ltd, was awarded the accolade in the eighth annual listing of Britain’s best and brightest business leaders and entrepreneurs – marking the culmination of an incredible year of growth for the company.
Established in 2020, Crysp provides industry leading safety and compliance management software, alongside health and safety auditing services to both private and public sector organisations.
The Top 50 was created by LDC, a private equity investor that is part of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times.
The Ones to Watch are individuals making significant progress and scaling their businesses. They are recognised for excelling in their fields, creating a positive impact on their customers and employees and standing out for their potential to reach even greater success in the years ahead.
Pete, who attended an awards ceremony at BAFTA in London, said: “Building Crysp has been an incredible journey so far.
“To be named among the LDC/Times Top 50 Ambitious Business Leaders and named as One to Watch is a huge honour.
“This recognition is really a testament to the amazing team we have at Crysp, partners and customers who believe in our mission to make safety and compliance management simpler, smarter and more effective.
“However, key to this success is surrounding yourself with the right advisors in terms of mentorship, financial growth and legal frameworks.
“Two of those advisors are Victoria Wainwright and Simon Roberts of Azets Bradford whom I am grateful to have met early on in the journey. They have looked after our needs and pushed us to really think about proper financial processes alongside taxation implications as we scale the business.
“As a wider team, Azets are genuinely passionate about supporting owner managers and care about the small details that can have a big impact on a business — or indeed personally.
“They are also going to help us with our plans for the US and really help us put a solid capital growth plan in place.”
ONE TO WATCH. Pete Mills, centre, with Azets tax partner Simon Roberts, left, and Victoria Wainwright, office managing partner at Azets in Bradford, right.
Crysp is based in Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley, where it employs a team of professional auditors, safety and operations specialists as well as its own in-house technology team.
Revenue has increased year on year by more than 50%.
A deliberate and strategic partnership with international business advisory group Azets, with offices in Yorkshire in Leeds, Bradford and York, has also been central to Crysp’s growth strategy.
Victoria Wainwright, office managing partner at Azets in Bradford, said: “Warmest congratulations go to Pete and all of the team at Crysp for this prestigious and richly deserved recognition.
“It is a powerful, independent endorsement of the vision, ambition and commitment which has led to the company’s successful growth in Yorkshire, the UK and worldwide.
“We consider it a privilege to have been able to join Pete and Crysp on their inspirational journey and look forward to the next exciting phase of the company’s development.”
Crysp’s innovative platform is trusted by major companies such as EDF Energy, hospitality and entertainment businesses including Showcase Cinemas, as well as by hundreds of schools, aesthetics and healthcare providers across the UK.
Its success has been fuelled by strategic partnerships and a strong referral network.
A milestone came in 2023, when Crysp secured investment from Twinkl Hive, an accelerator hub founded by Jon and Susie Seaton. This backing has further accelerated Crysp’s growth trajectory.
Crysp’s international ambitions have also begun to take shape, with the business recently winning a significant contract with the Catawba Nation, a Native American tribe in the US, supporting large-scale real estate data projects.
Looking ahead, Crysp will continue to focus on steady and sustainable growth, working closely with trusted partners like Azets to ensure the right financial and compliance frameworks are in place.
This collaborative approach is helping the business scale responsibly, while staying true to its mission of making safety and compliance management simpler and more effective for both public and private organisations across the UK and internationally.
LDC received nearly 700 nominations for The LDC Top 50 for 2025 this year. They operate from 67 towns and cities across the UK and span every sector of the economy, whilst collectively they employ almost 10,000 people and generate combined revenues of £1.2bn.
John Garner, managing partner at LDC, said: “It’s been eight years since we launched The LDC Top 50 and in that time, we’ve had the honour of meeting some exceptional people.
“This year has been no different. I’d like to congratulate this year’s Ones to Watch on their success so far – we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them.”
Azets has three offices in Yorkshire, in Leeds, Bradford and York where it employs 335 people. Its Bradford office is in Grammar School Street.
For more details visit https://www.crysp.co.uk, https://www.azets.com/en-uk and https://www.ldc.co.uk/top-50.