UK companies in Bristol
The South West's largest business hub is Bristol. Tech is strong here, much of it tied to aerospace or creative work. Professional services are strong too. The city also holds an unusual cluster of B-Corps and ethical SMEs. BS covers Bristol itself. BA covers Bath and the North East Somerset area.
Key facts
- Bristol (BS postcode) has about 50,000 active UK ltds
- The South West (BS, BA, EX, TQ, PL) holds ~6% of UK active companies in total
- BS1, BS2 and BS8 are the central commercial postcodes. BS5 and BS6 hold the creative quarter and most of the startups
New companies in Bristol
6,670 new companies were set up with a Bristol registered office in the last twelve full months, about 556 a month. 480 of them were set up in August 2026. That sits on top of 54,163 active companies already registered here.
What the new ones do: Retail sale via mail order houses or via the internet leads, with 335 new companies in the year.
Selling to new Bristol companies
A company in its first months is still choosing who it works with. Reaching it then, with a short email that names what it has just started, is often the easiest time to win them as a client.
- Marketing agenciesA new company needs a website, a logo and its first customers, usually before it has picked anyone to help.
- AccountantsEvery new company owes a first set of accounts and a confirmation statement, and many have no accountant yet.
- IT and software firmsEmail, devices and security get set up in the first months, and the choices made then tend to stick.
- Insurance brokersEmployers' liability, professional indemnity and van cover are bought early, often in a hurry.
- RecruitersThe first hires come quickly once a new company wins work.
Leadistry reads the new Bristol registrations every morning, keeps the ones with a working website and a real email, and writes the first email for you to approve. Your first 25 leads are free, as a one-off trial.
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The most registered SIC codes in Bristol
Counting active companies whose registered office is a Bristol post town, these are the codes that come up most often on the August 2026 Companies House snapshot. Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate leads with 5,137 companies. It is worth reading against the sectors below: the authored view is what Bristol is known for, this is what its companies actually filed.
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate5,137
- 98000Residents property management3,114
- 70229Other management consultancy activities (not financial)2,505
- 99999Dormant Company1,525
- 68320Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis1,450
- 96090Other service activities n.e.c.1,273
- 41100Development of building projects1,254
- 62012Business and domestic software development1,224
Pick a code, then narrow by postcode and date. Every company you pull carries a working website and a real email, and we never charge for the ones we cannot complete.
Why do these counts add up to more than the total?
A company may register up to four SIC codes and these counts include every position, so a business filed under two of them appears twice.
Dominant sectors in Bristol
Postcode filter
To target Bristol on Leadistry, set the postcode prefix filter to:
BS, BAThe search returns companies with a registered office in any of these postcode areas. Add a SIC code filter from the table above to narrow by sector.
About Bristol on Companies House
Are Bristol startups more visible on Companies House?
Yes. The Bristol startup scene (Engine Shed, Runway East and others) puts a steady stream of new ltds on the public record. Filter SIC 62012, the BS postcode and age 0–3 years to see them.
Can I tell Bristol and Bath apart in postcode filtering?
Yes. BS is Bristol and BA is Bath. The two catchments overlap, but the sector mix differs. BA leans tourism and professional services. BS leans tech and industry.
Does Bristol have an aerospace cluster I can target?
Yes. Filton (BS34) hosts Airbus and a wide supplier network. Filter SIC 30300 or 30400 with the BS prefix to get the local aerospace supply chain.
Nearby and related cities: Exeter · Plymouth · Gloucester · Bath · Glasgow · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Newcastle upon Tyne · Every UK city
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