It has been an epochal year for the British technology industry, provoking searching questions about protecting people’s privacy and safety, and regulating Silicon Valley’s behemoths.

At the centre of it all was Facebook, humbled by the Cambridge Analytica scandal which took place on British soil. But at the same time there have been cutting edge technological developments, blockbuster funding rounds, and exciting new players entering the space.

Every year, Business Insider publishes the UK Tech 100 — a ranking of the 100 coolest people in the UK tech scene. It celebrates the vibrant array of people working to scale companies, develop exciting new research, and shed light on the latest advances (and scandals) in the industry.

We define "cool" as having done influential and interesting things since we last compiled this list in October 2017 — whether that’s getting a new job, raising money, growing a giant audience on YouTube, or just being really, really good at Fortnite.

Scroll on to see the 2018 edition of the UK Tech 100, ranked in ascending order.

Jake Kanter and Sam Shead contributed to reporting.

UK Tech 100 is sponsored by Techspace and Getty Images: