Archive

  • Vanilla Underground

    Posted on Friday June 9th, 2023

    Founded in 2010 by husband-and-wife team Jason and Deniz Yarnell, Vanilla Underground sells officially licensed clothes and accessories to fans of popular TV shows, films and games. Its wide range of merchandise includes Harry Potter pyjamas, Game of Thrones T-shirts and Minecraft hoodies. The Tamworth-based company has customers in more than 190 countries and sells via its own website, eBay and Amazon. Sales rose to £16.2m in 2022.

  • urbanbubble

    Posted on Thursday June 8th, 2023

    Founded by Michael Howard in 2008, urbanbubble has grown from providing block and estate management to operating large rental communities for institutional investors including Legal & General. Since its launch, the Manchester based company has expanded its national presence, providing build to rent schemes across London, Bath, Birmingham and Leeds. Supported by the efforts of over 300 employees, sales turnover hit £11.6m in 2022.

  • Tile Mountain

    Posted on Wednesday June 7th, 2023

    Tile Mountain was founded in 2013 by Mo Iqbal along with fellow former Topps Tiles directors Jeremy Harris and Nick Ounstead. The group, which compromises Tile Mountain, Bathroom Mountain and Walls & Floors, sells a range of tiles, flooring and bathrooms. The company, which employs more than 300 people, opened four additional showrooms in 2022 taking their total to three warehouses and nine showrooms. Tile Mountain’s expansion can be attributed to a mix of organic growth and the acquisition of online bathroom retailer Eurorad Limited.

  • KBF Enterprises

    Posted on Tuesday June 6th, 2023

    KBF Enterprises, founded by Kieran Fisher, develops sports nutrition products such as protein bars and flapjacks. The company owns several brands including Warrior and Bodybuilding Warehouse, and sells products at retailers including ASDA, B&M and Amazon. KBF’s brands are now available in 6 continents and in over 25 countries such as Singapore, Canada and Taiwan. Having recently secured a £750,000 investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, the company’s recent growth can be attributed to diversifying their product range and international expansion. Future plans for the company include launching in new countries, acquiring new retailer partners in the UK and expanding their factory space in Manchester to support increasing demand.

  • Dear Frances

    Posted on Monday June 5th, 2023

    Dear Frances is a London-based company that designs women’s footwear. Founded in 2016 by Scott O’Connor and Jane Frances, Dear Frances focuses on creating modern designs with a commitment to sustainability and social consciousness. The brand collaborates with artisan shoemakers in Italy, using sustainable materials and processes to deliver luxury designs to its customers. Dear Frances has been featured in high-fashion publications such as Vogue and the company’s designs have been worn by celebrities including Margot Robbie and Zoe Kravitz. Since its establishment, the company has raised £2.5m across three equity deals.

  • Ascensos

    Posted on Sunday June 4th, 2023

    Ascensos provides outsourced customer support services for a range of consumer-focused brands, including KFC and Aldi. The North Lanarkshire-based company was co-founded by Dermot Jenkinson and John Devlin in 2013. To date, Ascensos has raised £12.3m in equity finance and expanded its operations to Romania, Turkey, and South Africa. The company has also taken a significant equity stake in Cape Town-based Digital Tribe to further enhance its digital and artificial intelligence customer experience propositions. Sales hit £64.9m in 2021 – a 62.7% increase from the previous year.