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From Dragons’ Den to a £12m business
Startup Logistics provides services including shipping, bulk storage, and website support to e-commerce brands. The company was founded by Udhi Silva and Nick Coleman, who previously founded online healthcare supplier Medical Supermarket in 2011 and snack company Snaffling Pig in 2013. As a result of their experience building Snaffling Pig, they understood what consumer brands needed from logistics support, so launched Startup Logistics in 2020. The Oxfordshire-based company specialises in serving businesses in the food and drink, makeup, and clothing sectors. The company reported sales of £1.7m in the year to April 2024, driven by the growth in early-stage e-commerce brands.
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From £0 to £4 in 3 years: Our secret to success…obsession!
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.
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FEBE CRIBS – Huel
Huel makes nutritionally complete food: drinks, bars, instant meals and protein products. Serial entrepreneur Julian Hearn and James Collier founded the brand in 2015, and chief executive James McMaster joined two years later. In 2018, the Hertfordshire firm raised £20m from investor Highland Europe to launch new products and drive international growth. Huel has sold more than 200m meals to over 100 countries, and sales passed the £100m mark last year, when it generated adjusted EBITDA profits of £2m.
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How we built the UK’s fastest growing sports and energy drink brand
PerfectTed is a London-based company behind Europe’s first matcha-powered energy drinks. It was co-founded by Marisa Poster and brothers Teddie and Levi Levenfiche in April 2021. Its drinks are currently stocked at over 3,000 locations in retailers such as Tesco, Holland & Barrett, and Planet Organic. The company are also the exclusive matcha partner to cafe chains including Joe & The Juice and Blank Street. Having received offers from all 5 Dragons during their appearance on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, the three founders accepted a £50k offer from Dragons, Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones. They hit £200k sales in their first year, with £5m projected for the second year of trading.
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Having a family has shown me there’s more to life than business
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.
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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.