UB Healthcare founders named ‘ones to watch’ in ambitious business leaders list

The founders of a healthcare company have been named ones to watch in the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2026.

Uko Umotong and Harry Bourton, directors and co-founders of UB Healthcare, were recognised for their achievements, ambitions and potential to take their business even further in the years ahead.

The programme was created by private equity investor LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times.

Since 2018, it has celebrated the ambition and achievements of hundreds of exceptional entrepreneurs.

This year, the LDC Top 50 attracted more than 620 nominations from across the UK, highlighting the depth of ambition among leaders building successful businesses in every region and sector.

The leaders featured are driven by an appetite for growth that is helping to build stronger, more sustainable businesses and a more competitive UK economy.

Together, their businesses generate £1.4bn in annual revenue and employ almost 8,500 people across the UK.

Uko Umotong and Harry Bourton founded UB Healthcare with a clear ambition: to support health and care systems in achieving improved outcomes with limited resources.

The business works with commissioners, NHS organisations and care providers to help ensure people receive the right care, in the right place, with appropriate funding and a clear focus on value.

Its work combines specialist expertise, practical delivery support and a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing health and care systems.

UB Healthcare has grown rapidly, with the business more than doubling in size over the past year.

This growth reflects increasing demand for its services and the strength of its relationships across the health and care sector.

The business continues to expand its services across the health and care sector. Its new Care Elevate service is designed to help care providers strengthen performance, improve quality and build more sustainable operations, enabling them to deliver better outcomes for the people they serve.

At the same time, UBH FindCare is expanding rapidly, supporting individuals and families in navigating complex care decisions and identifying appropriate care options when they need support.

The service reflects UB Healthcare’s wider ambition to make access to care clearer, more responsive and better aligned with people’s individual needs.

Through its work with NHS and care partners, UB Healthcare helps improve care pathways, identify efficiencies and support the better use of available resources.

Uko Umotong, director and co-founder of UB Healthcare, said: “We founded UB Healthcare because we saw a clear need to help health and care systems achieve better outcomes with the resources available to them.

“Our focus has always been on making sure people receive the right care, in the right place, while delivering value for commissioners and the wider system.

“Care Elevate and the rapid expansion of UBH FindCare reflect the breadth of what we are building at UB Healthcare. We want to support the whole care ecosystem – from commissioners and NHS organisations to providers, individuals and families – with practical services that improve quality, access and outcomes.

“To be recognised as ones to watch alongside some of the UK’s most ambitious business leaders is a huge honour. It reflects our team’s commitment and the trust our partners place in us.

“Our ambition is to build UB Healthcare into a leading complex care consultancy and managed service provider, first in the UK and ultimately internationally.”

Harry Bourton, director and co-founder of UB Healthcare, added: “Our next phase is about continuing to grow responsibly, investing in our people and expanding the support we provide to commissioners, NHS organisations, care providers, individuals and families.

“We are ambitious about the difference we can make and the role UB Healthcare can play in creating more effective, sustainable care systems.”

John Garner, managing partner at LDC, added: “This year’s ones to watch have already achieved a great deal, but it is their ambition for what comes next that sets them apart.

“They are building exciting businesses and have demonstrated the ambition needed to thrive. I would like to congratulate them all on their success so far. We look forward to following their progress and seeing where their ambition takes them next.”

Pictured: From left - Uko Umotong and Harry Bourton