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Being an entrepreneur is probably the worst way to make money…you have to be in it for the adventure!

This ‘insurtech’ start-up uses technology to deliver online insurance and detect fraud. It offers insurance policies to renters and people in house shares, as well as homeowners, and has amassed more than 100,000 customers since it was founded in 2016 by Jimmy Williams and Greg Smyth. This May, the London-based company secured £16.5m in a funding round led by North American investor Intact Ventures and the Ingka Group (the world’s largest IKEA franchise), bringing total funds raised to £32m.

Disclaimer: The statements made by our interviewees are an expression of their own views and opinions and in no way reflect FEBE Ventures’ views or opinions, nor are such views or opinions endorsed or supported by us.

More Unemployables

My life after my £200m exit

You heard it here first – “Behind every successful entrepreneurial awards are incredible ambassadors”. Which is why we’re super proud to have the brilliant Juliet Barratt as FEBE’s Growth 100 founding ambassador. We couldn’t be luckier to have her onboard. From working in education, to co-founding Grenade in her spare bedroom which was sold in 2021 for £200m – Juliet Barratt stands for everything FEBE is about: Determination. Hustle. Authenticity. Welcome to the FEBE family Juliet!

The quiet tech entrepreneur who’s modestly building a half-billion-pound empire

It’s not about having gleaming offices, hiring tons of staff and shouting about how successful you are. These can be the trappings of ego-trippers. Effective entrepreneurship is more often about coming up with an idea, proving the concept as cheaply as possible, and scaling it as quickly as possible.

Faves: How to Build a Community, Not Just a Brand

Founded by fashion entrepreneur, best selling author and broadcaster, Frankie Bridge, Faves The Edit is a community powered platform, with a mission to “transform traditional influencer led marketing”. Being an “industry insider”, since the age of 12 thanks to her music career, Frankie felt unwelcome in the world of fashion so she’s made it her […]

Insights from one of the UK’s best known tech entrepreneurs

First, he futureproofed the BBC by rolling out its iPlayer. Next, he founded and exited two pioneering media tech companies. Now, his new business – SeedLegals, backed to the tune of £4m so far by Index Ventures and other top VC firms – is fundamentally transforming the way start-ups launch and grow. Meanwhile, another Anthony […]

How I kept my business alive when demand evaporated

WeFlex provides car finance and rental to ride-hailing drivers, focusing on electric vehicles. Founder Nicko Williamson is a serial entrepreneur, who launched his first eco-friendly venture, ClimateCars, in 2007 aged 23 and sold it to Addison Lee in 2015 for an undisclosed sum. WeFlex has raised £2m of investment and £27.5m in debt to date. London-based WeFlex plans to have an all-electric fleet of 5,000 vehicles by 2025.

How I started my multi-million-pound technology business from a pig shed

Charlie Jardine is probably the only Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur who launched his business in a pig shed. In 2015, he converted a barn on his grandfather’s Suffolk farm and began to develop his first product – an electric-vehicle (EV) charger. From there, things accelerated quickly…