D.Louise was founded in 2021 by Olivia Jenkins, who named the direct-to-consumer jewellery brand after her late mother, Deborah Louise. Olivia co-founded the business with serial entrepreneur Jack Zambakides and former professional cricket player Oliver Smithson. The South London company has gained attention for its high-quality, waterproof jewellery made from stainless steel, designed to withstand daily wear without tarnishing. In 2023, D.Louise received investment from Steve Hewitt, former chief executive of Gymshark, to help facilitate the brand’s international expansion. In March 2024, Olivia completed a 313km charity walk from Cardiff to Wandsworth in memory of her mother.
From £0 to £4 in 3 years: Our secret to success…obsession!
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“How my family’s cash-and-carry inspired me to build a multimillion-pound tech start-up”
“Most six-year-olds went home after school. I went to mum and dad’s South London cash-and-carry,” As a child in his parent’s humble shop, Vishal Marria, learned big lessons that have been fundamental to the success of his company, Quantexa…
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 overcame illness, tragedy and humiliation to build a multimillion-pound global brand
Rob Law has conquered more challenges than most, including family tragedy, personal illness and humiliation on national TV. Here, Rob reveals the tools he uses to dance around seemingly immovable obstacles and we uncover why having these tools in your kitbag is often the difference between success and failure…
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 […]
‘Why getting married was the best first step for our business’
Dr.PawPaw makes more than 30 skincare products sold in 30 countries through the likes of Boots, Superdrug and Sainsbury’s. Johnny and Pauline Paterson set up the company in 2013 when their daughter was diagnosed with eczema. The husband-and-wife duo searched for a natural alternative to steroid prescription creams and realised there was a gap in the market. They invested £20,000 to create a multipurpose balm using papaya extract.
“Plan for a new world. Don’t dwell on the negatives.”
Sixty-five-year-old Mike Clare brims with boyish enthusiasm, even over Zoom. As he chats, it’s not hard to imagine him turning a £20,000 investment into £222m Dreams Beds, which is precisely what he did. And his energy is such that it makes you believe you could do something similar – even during a pandemic…