Babek Ismayil, the founder of an Azerbaijani startup based in the UK, has been selected as a London regional finalist in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year UK 2026 competition. He was among 90 entrepreneurs selected across the country. London is considered one of the most competitive categories in the program. 10 entrepreneurs will qualify for the final stage across the UK, and the overall winner will be announced in November 2026.
Babek Ismayil is the founder and CEO of UK-based startup OneDome. Founded in 2017, OneDome combines real estate, mortgages, legal documentation, insurance and transaction management on a single digital platform. The company aims to simplify the complex and fragmented process of buying and selling a home in the UK.
The startup has attracted a total of nearly $40 million in investment so far. The company received $25 million in its latest investment round. It previously received a £7.5m investment from UK state-owned Channel 4 in a media-for-equity deal.
The platform currently handles around £1bn of mortgage transactions per month and works with over 500 brokers. OneDome further strengthened its market position by acquiring online mortgage broker Trussle in 2023. The company is also listed among the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies in the Deloitte Fast 50 and Sunday Times Tech 100.
