London-based Wild manufactures and sells natural, refillable deodorant and soap on a subscription basis. Launched in 2019 by co-founders, chief executive Freddy Ward and chief marketing officer Charlie Bowes- Lyon, it aims to reduce plastic waste while creating products using natural ingredients. The company has secured a total of £7.6m in equity funding, including a £5m deal in February 2022 to support its growth into international markets. Social media marketing campaigns and influencer relationships, have helped to generate a turnover of £26m in 2022.
Having a family has shown me there’s more to life than business
Freddy Ward
Founder - Wild
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The twins set to shake up the cosmetics industry
Beijing-born twins Jake Xu and Shane Carnell-Xu launched this men’s cosmetics brand in 2019 after raising funds from angel investors Sally Preston and Neil Mather of Kiddylicious, the children’s snack business. Bestsellers in Shakeup’s skincare and makeup range include moisturiser, under eye concealer and face masks. The brand is stocked by national and overseas retailers, such as Harvey Nichols, Superdrug and Australia’s Myer, and it recently launched its new Face 4ward range in China. The Xu brothers previously set up READY, a creative agency based in Bath.
Jake Xu & Shane Xin Carnell-Xu
Shakeup Cosmetics
‘What creates good entrepreneurship? Obsession!’
This year, Meatless Farm launched a vegan steak made from pea protein, adding to its range of plant-based food that includes meat free mince, burgers and chicken. Danish entrepreneur Morten Toft Bech founded the Leeds-based business in 2016. It opened production hubs in the Netherlands and Canada last year and now exports to more than […]
MORTEN TOFT BECH
FOUNDER - MEATLESS FARM
HIGH FIVES, CHAMPAGNE AND A KILLER SERIES-A
James Jackson and Jack Allman co-founded Bumper in 2013. Today, backed by Porsche Ventures, Jaguar Land Rover and Silicon Valley’s finest, they are building something special… In 2021, Bumper co-founders James Jackson and Jack Allman closed their Series-A funding round. High fives and Champagne followed – and plenty of it. The duo and their team […]
James Jackson & Jack Allman
Co-founders, Bumper
How we grew by 400% and hit 7th in the Fast Track 100
400 and 25,000. In the Ooni story, these two numbers stand out like haggis on a Hawaiian pizza. The first is the company’s percentage growth over the past 12 months. The second is the minimum starting salary for new Ooni employees in the UK. Few companies exhibit such steep growth or raw recruitment power, so how has this Edinburgh-based hardware company done it?
DARINA GARLAND
CO-FOUNDER - OONI PIZZA OVENS
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!
Juliet Barratt
Co-founder - Grenade
‘As an entrepreneur my job is to be a hype-man and recruiter’
Founded in 2016 by then 23-year-old George Melhuish, this West Bromwich based company supports over 30,000 customers. Safe Fence is a manufacturer, hirer, distributor and installer of non-mechanical construction site plant. Expansion into areas such as groundworks, scaffolding and material handling equipment has seen sales more than double in two years, reaching £13.8m in 2021.
George Melhuish
Founder - Safe Fence