Bionic
Bionic is a UK tech-enabled comparison platform that helps small and medium enterprises compare, switch, and renew contracts across business energy, insurance, connectivity, and finance, earning supplier commissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bionic does
Bionic is a UK business-to-business comparison and switching platform serving small and medium enterprises across four core verticals: business energy (electricity and gas), business insurance, business connectivity (broadband, phone, VoIP), and business finance (loans, commercial mortgages, asset finance). Founded in 2007 under the name Make It Cheaper and rebranded to Bionic in 2017, the company has cumulatively served more than 200,000 British businesses. It is headquartered in London at 9 Appold Street (EC2A 2AP) with a secondary office in Chester inherited from the 2021 BusinessComparison acquisition, and operates under the legal entity Bionic Services Group Limited with DBAs including Bionic Financial Services, Think Business Finance, and Business Save.
The platform combines automated data retrieval — postcode-driven lookup that auto-populates business information — with screen-share consultations from expert advisors and a Digital Renewal service (publicly launched January 2025, formerly DIFY) that proactively manages contract end-dates for opted-in customers. Reported KPIs include 85% Digital Renewal opt-in among energy customers and 3,678 renewals processed in the January 2025 cycle, with average customer savings of £500/year (up to £1,600/year on energy). Proprietary platform features include the Letter of Authority (LOA) system that authorises Bionic to transact with suppliers on behalf of customers, a supplier-panel management layer for negotiating exclusive rates, and (per company claims) full-service switch handling including paperwork, billing queries, and meter readings.
Revenue is generated entirely through commissions paid by energy, insurance, connectivity, and finance suppliers on switched contracts; no customer-facing fees are charged. Distribution is hybrid: direct inside sales via multiple UK phone numbers, self-serve online quotes through energy.bionic.co.uk, and a white-label/referral channel through partnerships with major consumer and fintech platforms including Uswitch, Just Eat, Confused.com, Starling Bank, Money Supermarket, UK Power, and the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. Bionic has been backed by growth-equity firm ECI Partners since 2017, which has underwritten an active M&A strategy spanning at least four disclosed bolt-on acquisitions (Business Save International 2018, Smart Utility Management 2019, BusinessComparison 2021, Utility Bidder 2026). Geographic scope is UK-only.
Bionic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bionic
- Legal name
- Business Essential Services Limited
- Website
- https://bionic.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Bionic is a UK tech-enabled comparison platform that helps small and medium enterprises compare, switch, and renew contracts across business energy, insurance, connectivity, and finance, earning supplier commissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Bionic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bionic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Commission from Suppliers: Bionic earns commission from energy, insurance, connectivity, and finance suppliers on their panel. The commission is included in the price the customer pays and covers the cost of comparison, switch management, customer service, and renewals. Bionic transparently discloses the exact commission earned on each contract.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Business energy quotes (gas and electricity) |
| Subscription | Annual | Business insurance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business connectivity (broadband, phone, VoIP) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Business finance (loans, mortgages, asset finance) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bionic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bionic is a tech-enabled comparison and switching platform for UK small and medium enterprises, helping businesses compare, switch, and renew essential services across four categories: business energy (electricity and gas), business insurance, business connectivity (broadband, phone, VoIP, mobile), and business finance (loans, mortgages, asset finance). The platform combines smart data integration with human expert consultations and offers an automated Digital Renewal service that proactively manages contract renewals to prevent customers from rolling onto expensive out-of-contract rates.
Product overview
Bionic is a comparison platform for small business essentials, offering a unified service that helps SMEs compare, switch, and renew four core product categories: Business Energy (electricity and gas), Business Insurance (liability, property, and specialist coverages), Business Connectivity (broadband, phone, VoIP, and mobile), and Business Finance (loans, mortgages, and asset finance). The platform uses smart data technology combined with human expert assistance to streamline the comparison and switching process. The core offering consists of comparison and switching services across these four verticals, supported by a Digital Renewal Service that automates contract management, and The Backbone newsletter for ongoing customer engagement. Bionic formerly operated under the Make It Cheaper brand before rebranding in 2007, and has since expanded through acquisitions including BusinessComparison (2021) and Utility Bidder (2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Business Energy Comparison and switching service for commercial electricity and gas contracts, helping UK small and medium enterprises find and switch to better energy deals from a panel of trusted UK suppliers. Includes electricity, gas, and the automated Digital Renewal service.
- Business Insurance Comparison service helping UK SMEs find insurance policies including public liability, employers liability, product liability, professional indemnity, commercial combined, business equipment, business interruption, stock and contents, cyber, legal expenses, and property maintenance coverage from trusted providers. Offers industry-specific coverage for over 30 business types including barbers, salons, shops, takeaways, cafes, contractors, restaurants, pubs, and trades.
- Business Connectivity Comparison service for business broadband, landline telephone, business VoIP, and SIM-only mobile connectivity solutions from trusted UK providers, tailored to the needs of small and medium enterprises.
- Business Finance Comparison service for business loans, commercial mortgages, secured loans, asset finance, and recovery loans from a panel of lenders including high street banks, challenger banks, and alternative lenders serving UK SMEs.
- Digital Renewal Service Automated service that proactively searches for better energy rates and arranges contract renewals before current contracts expire, sending quotes via email with a 3-day decision window for opted-in customers. Claims to save customers up to £1,600 per year, with over 60% of customers saving an average of £500 per year.
- Utility Bidder Business energy comparison and switching service operating as an acquired brand under Bionic Group, specializing in business energy contracts for UK SMEs.
- BusinessComparison
Quantifiable outcome
- More than £10 million in savings expected for Digital Renewal customers in 2025
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Bionic
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bionic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Bionic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Utility BiddercoreBionic Group acquired Utility Bidder, expanding the group's capabilities and market position in the business energy comparison sector.
- Waste ManagedminorBionic partnered with Waste Managed, the UK's leading waste management company, to help SME owners save time and money when sorting their essential services including waste management.
- BusinessComparisoncoreBionic Group acquired BusinessComparison, cements Bionic's position as leading platform for SME business essentials. BusinessComparison specializes in helping UK SMEs compare energy, finance, banking, insurance, telecoms, and payment solutions. Based in Chester, founded 2015 by Philip Brennan under Digitonomy Ltd.
- UswitchcoreLong-standing strategic partnership where Uswitch offers Bionic's business comparison services to their SME customers. Uswitch is one of the UK's leading comparison platforms.
- Just EatcoreLong-standing strategic partnership where Just Eat offers Bionic's business comparison services to their restaurant and food business SME customers.
- Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)coreLong-standing partnership with ICB, an organization representing certified bookkeepers, to provide business essentials services to their SME members.
- Confused.comminorPartnership providing business insurance comparison services through Confused.com's platform.
- Starling BankminorPartnership with Starling Bank to provide business essentials services to their SME banking customers.
- Money SupermarketminorPartnership providing business finance comparison services through Money Supermarket's platform.
- UK PowerminorPartnership providing business energy comparison services through UK Power's platform.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Bionic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Econnect Energy: UK business energy comparison and brokerage focused on SMEs and mid-market. Comparable to Bionic in target segment (UK businesses), core product (energy switching) and intermediary revenue model.
- Switch Gas and Electric: UK commercial energy broker specializing in business gas and electricity comparison and switching for SMEs. Direct overlap with Bionic's core energy vertical on target customer, supplier panel and revenue model.
- Crown Gas & Power: UK independent business utilities supplier and broker offering gas, electricity and water to SMEs. Comparable to Bionic on target SME customer base and intermediary role in the UK business energy market, though operating partly as supplier rather than pure broker.
- Love Energy Savings: UK business energy price comparison and switching broker serving SMEs with multi-supplier panel access. Directly comparable to Bionic's core energy vertical in target customer (UK SME), product (commercial gas/electricity switching), and revenue model (supplier commission).
- Uswitch for Business: Business energy and connectivity comparison arm of Uswitch (RVU / Red Ventures). Direct competitor in UK SME energy and broadband comparison and simultaneously a Bionic channel partner — making it a hybrid competitor/distributor comparable on product, customer and revenue model.
- Selectra: UK and pan-European utility and energy comparison platform serving both consumers and businesses. Direct overlap with Bionic's energy comparison offering and broader utility switching proposition, with a similar tech + advisor hybrid service model.
Broad incumbents
- Compare the Market (Business): Major UK comparison platform extending into business insurance and energy switching. Broader consumer-rooted brand with overlapping SME insurance and energy comparison offerings, comparable in target segment and supplier panel structure.
- MoneySupermarket Business: UK's largest comparison group with a dedicated business finance and energy comparison proposition. Operates an established multi-vertical comparison platform comparable in supplier-panel economics and SME target customer, though broader in scope and larger scale.
- GoCompare Business: UK comparison platform with a business insurance proposition targeting SMEs. Overlaps with Bionic's insurance comparison offering in customer, supplier-panel structure and commission revenue model, with broader consumer comparison presence.
- Confused.com Business: UK insurance-led comparison platform with a business insurance vertical. Directly comparable to Bionic's insurance comparison offering in customer (UK SMEs) and revenue model (insurer commission), with broader consumer brand reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bionic social profiles
Digital presenceBionic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bionic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Bionic subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Bionic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bionic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bionic
What does Bionic do?
Bionic is a tech-enabled comparison and switching platform for UK small and medium enterprises, helping businesses compare, switch, and renew essential services across four categories: business energy (electricity and gas), business insurance, business connectivity (broadband, phone, VoIP, mobile), and business finance (loans, mortgages, asset finance). The platform combines smart data integration with human expert consultations and offers an automated Digital Renewal service that proactively manages contract renewals to prevent customers from rolling onto expensive out-of-contract rates.
Is Bionic a public or private company?
Bionic is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Bionic founded?
Bionic was founded in 2007. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Bionic based?
Bionic is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bionic make money?
One revenue line is on record: commission from Suppliers.
Who are Bionic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Econnect Energy, Switch Gas and Electric, Crown Gas & Power, Love Energy Savings, Uswitch for Business and Selectra. Broad incumbents are Compare the Market (Business), MoneySupermarket Business, GoCompare Business and Confused.com Business.
Does Bionic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bionic.