Plug In Stations Wins 3rd Place £50k at the Stelios Young Entrepreneur Awards
We’ve got some BIG news.
Plug In Stations just secured third place in the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Young Entrepreneur Awards UK 2025 - and we’re absolutely buzzing about it!
Organised by the legendary Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the man behind easyJet and the wider easyGroup, this award celebrates young entrepreneurs building businesses that make a real impact. We’re proud to be part of that club - and even prouder to walk away with a £50,000 prize that’s going straight into building our dream: a brand-new Plug In Stations HQ.
From a Shed in 2020 to a National EV Team in 2025
Let’s rewind for a sec.
Plug In Stations started back in 2020 - in Natalya’s shed. No funding. No big-name contracts. Just three founders - Natalya Tsaparelli, Andrea Theodosi, and Andy Evangelou - and a shared vision for making EV charger installations easier, smarter, and more accessible.
It wasn’t glamorous. Those early days were all grit: chasing leads, doing everything in-house, riding the waves of uncertainty. But we stuck at it, grew our client base, and little by little, built a team of nearly 50 brilliant people who make this business what it is today.
That’s why this award means so much - not just for the recognition, but because we get to invest straight back into our team and our future. The plan? Use the prize money to put a deposit down on our first commercial space. A proper home for Plug In Stations. A space for our people, our vision, and our mission to thrive.
A Night to Remember
The awards ceremony itself was a moment.
Held in a hybrid format with over 100 people joining online and finalists pitching live, it was part celebration, part storytelling masterclass. Every entrepreneur had a unique story to tell - and being in the room reminded us just how much storytelling and purpose drive great businesses.
Huge shoutout to the other incredible winners:
🏆 1st Place: Ayaan Mohamed Ali - Digitech Oasis
Blending robotics and construction to build a smarter world. Trailblazer status.
🏡 2nd Place: Dorian Payne - Castell Group
Shaking up social housing with integrity and innovation.
Being in the company of these founders was humbling - and inspiring. The energy in the room was electric (pun very much intended), and the lessons were endless. If you ever get the chance to be part of something like this - get in the room. Even if you don’t win, you’ll leave better than you came.
Big Love to the Stelios Foundation
A huge thank you to Sir Stelios, and to Tracy Ghori and Maya Turnbull, for championing entrepreneurs and making this platform possible.
The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is about more than business. It’s about giving back, creating opportunity, and using success to fuel something greater. From education and environmental initiatives to entrepreneurial grants, the Foundation is proof that philanthropy and business can go hand-in-hand.
To be recognised by such a prestigious foundation is a true honour - and it’s added rocket fuel to our journey.
What’s Next for Plug In Stations?
More growth. More innovation. More impact.
We’re on a mission to power up the UK with quality EV charger installations, and we’re only just getting started. From domestic driveways to commercial spaces, we’re helping people make the switch to electric - and doing it with a smile, a plan, and a whole lot of plug-in power.
Thanks to everyone who’s supported us along the way - from customers and suppliers to our families, team, and the wider EV community.
The future is electric - and we’re charging ahead.
