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Great culture is about hiring great people. Nothing else.

Dock & Bay was created in 2015 to reinvent the beach towel. The company’s lightweight towels are made from recycled plastic bottles and are quick drying, compact and sand repellent. In 2017, co-founders Andy Jefferies and Ben Muller appeared on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing a £75,000 investment from Deborah Meaden in exchange for a 10% stake. The London-based business has warehouses on three continents and has expanded its eco-friendly product range to include hair wraps, make-up removers, ponchos and more, all using materials made from recycled plastic bottles building on its mission to become a sustainable lifestyle brand. Sales have doubled in two years, reaching £8.4m in 2021.

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

‘The reality of being a founder…you make it up as you go along!’

Passenger Clothing sells durable outdoor clothing and accessories directly to the consumer. Based in the New Forest, it prides itself on being a responsible brand rooted in nature, connection and wellbeing. The company promises to plant a tree for every order and uses lower footprint materials like recycled cotton, hemp, recycled plastic and organics. In addition, its headquarters is powered by UK-generated renewable electricity.

“How I created and lost the Spice Girls, and what it taught me as an entrepreneur”

Not only did Chris Herbert create The Spice Girls but he also managed Five with Simon Cowell amongst many others. More recently, he re-engaged with his 90’s pop roots for the Big Reunion tours, where acts dust off their ‘90’s leather trousers to perform around the world…

“HOW TO HANDLE FAST GROWTH? ASK FOR HELP”

Connie Nam felt her confidence draining away. The founder of London-based lifestyle jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu had built a fast-growing, multi-million-pound company, but that didn’t matter. As unbelievable as it sounds, imposter syndrome was creeping in. The Seoul-born, US-raised Londoner explains why: “I’d hired someone who’d started to challenge how I ran the business. They were an expert in that field; I wasn’t. I saw myself as a founder, not a CEO, so the criticism hit home.”

I crave experiences and being a founder is the ultimate adventure

UpSkill Digital is a digital skills training agency catering for both businesses and individuals. Founded by Gori Yahaya in 2015, the company provides a wide range of training modules, such as digital marketing, Google Analytics, and social strategy. UpSkill Digital is also an alumnus of the Mayor’s International Business Programme, which aims to help businesses […]

HOW WE SCALED THE MOUNTAIN

Seven fast-growth lessons from Jeremy Harris, C0-founder and Managing Director of the Tile Mountain Group. Jeremy Harris is managing director of Tile Mountain Group, and the company he co-founded in 2013 now turns over more than £50m and is expanding fast enough to enter the FEBE Growth 100. The story starts in 2009, when Jeremy […]

‘WE’RE FOUR YEARS IN AND WE’VE JUST TURNED DOWN AN £85M BID’

Until last year, Wayne Starkey still filed his own VAT returns. Many co-founders of four-year-old companies do – old habits die hard and it saves a few quid in accountancy fees. What VAT-DIYers don’t do, however, is turn down £85m buy-out bids. Ever. Yet that’s the jaw-dropping offer Wayne and co-founder James Whiting rejected just a few months ago. Those facts indicate how far and how fast The Skinny Food Co has come since its 2018 launch. They also reveal how down-to-earth yet ambitious these two entrepreneurs are.