From physics to profit – Serge Santos shortlisted for prestigious National Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Renowned entrepreneur and investor, Serge Santos, has been shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year at the prestigious Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, in recognition of his unique, scientific approach to building high-performing, resilient businesses.
The Lloyds Awards - widely considered the UK’s most prestigious awards programme - celebrates the very best of British Business and highlights the unwavering resilience, innovation, sustainability, diversity and all-round excellence that businesses embody through 17 different awards categories.
Serge stood out to judges for his journey from academic rigour to entrepreneurial success, holding degrees in finance and physics before applying those principles to transform and grow multiple business ventures.
Known as the ‘Business Physicist’, Serge exited his first financial services business in 2016 for a multi-million-pound sum before acquiring an industrial business, Compressed Air Centre, in 2017. Since then, he has modernised the company, doubling annual turnover and maintaining strong profit margins despite significant industry challenges following COVID-19.
In 2021, Serge launched Funding Alternative Group, a fintech lending platform designed to support underserved UK SMEs. Driven by his passion for innovation and sustainable growth, he scaled the business rapidly delivering over £24 million in lending to help small businesses navigate challenging economic conditions.
Being shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year comes at an exciting time for Serge with both businesses on track to grow by 20% over the next 12 months alone.
“Being shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year is an incredible honour”, Serge said. “It’s a powerful reminder that applying scientific principles—discipline, data, and curiosity—can lead to meaningful and sustainable growth. I’m proud of what we’ve built, and deeply grateful to both my teams at Compressed Air Centre and Funding Alternative Group, whose passion and commitment made it possible.
We now look forward to celebrating at the awards ceremony this November alongside many other impressive business leaders!”
As board member of the British Compressed Air Society and Gold Standard Phantom, a medical technology spin-off of UCL, Serge continues to invest in innovation, people, and purpose-led business models. He prides himself on proactively seeking new business development and investment opportunities while also offering entrepreneurs a distinct perspective on risk management, strategic foresight, and long-term planning.