A TECH start-up has been given the nod by Sir Richard Branson as one of the most innovative companies in the UK.

Brighton-based TrustedHousesitters gives free pet care to home owners and free accommodation to house sitters.

The company beat more than 2,500 entries to win the VOOM Exporting is Great award, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Media Business competition, which was conceived to shine a spotlight on the UK’s most innovative, aspiring exporter.

Members of TrustedHousesitters pay an annual subscription of £79 to the site - less than two nights of kennels or live-in pet care.

The site has revolutionised travel for thousands of people around the world every month, saving more than £150 million in accommodation and pet care costs for members over the past five years.

In particular, it has opened up the sharing economy to retired people, who can now enjoy travel without worrying pet care costs - as well as people traveling alone who would appreciate the company of animals.

Andy Peck, founder and chief executive at TrustedHousesitters, said: “We're absolutely over the moon to win the award.

“More than ever, in light of the falling value of the pound and concerns about the rising cost of travel post-Brexit, we’re proud to be helping more people than ever to find a cost effective travel solution to help them get away this summer.

“Even more importantly, we’re giving pet owners peace of mind while they’re away and providing house sitters with unique and authentic travel experiences.

“We have helped facilitate over a million nights of pet sitting, with members in over 140 countries, saving them over £150m in accommodation and pet care costs. We look forward to help more people travel affordably as Voom helps spread the word about us and what we do.”

TrustedHousesitters now operates in 140 countries and has tens of thousands of house sitting opportunities, as well as thousands of house sitters joining each month.

Each house sitter builds a trust profile as they are rated by existing members, and home owners choose the sitter or sitters who best match their needs.

For pet and home owners, the service allows them to travel with peace of mind, knowing they have chosen someone like them to care for their pets out of a genuine love of animals, rather than a hired sitter who will see the time they share together as a job.