Interview with Beauty Pie’s Marcia Kilgore
Beauty Pie is a buyer’s club for luxury make up, without the markup. To illustrate the concept, founder Marcia Kilgore holds up a lipstick sample she received from a supplier.
How Huel aims to be the world’s leading plant-based brand
The idea behind Huel is simple. The company sells a powder product designed to replace meals, and since launching in 2015 has attracted legions of fans worldwide who refer to themselves as Hueligans and swear by its benefits.
Winner Interview – Au Vodka
The chemistry swots among you may find it fitting that this year’s fastest-growing company is named after the chemical symbol for every winner’s favourite element, gold.
GX winner AU Vodka has dazzled the drinks industry with its signature gold bottles – concealing often startlingly-coloured spirits – and its highly effective social media and influencer marketing.
Bambino Mio: Environmental concerns over single-use disposable nappies means reusable alternatives are becoming mainstream
Bambino Mio aims to make reusable nappies mainstream and cut the thousands of single-use plastic nappies sent to landfill
Activate Group: A hobby that very quickly grew and grew
Mark Wilcox lasted just two weeks in retirement before he got the idea for Activate, a technology-led vehicle insurance and accident management company that now employs 750 and has annual sales of almost £200m.
Cycle Pharma: Developing treatments to suit everyday life
Unlike many other pharma companies that focus their efforts on launching new treatments, Cycle’s aim is to improve drugs that already exist.
Bboxx: Ending energy poverty and creating a fairer and cleaner future for everyone
Recent years have seen a rise in purpose-led businesses, with missions going beyond making a profit. One of these businesses is Bboxx, a solar energy firm dedicated to ending energy poverty.
Storal Learning: Striving for improvement in early years education
Founded in 2016, Storal Learning is a community of day nurseries born from a belief in the power of early years education. The company is growing steadily through acquisition: with five new sites in the last 12 months, it has increased in capacity for children and staff by almost a third.
Paysend: Boosting financial inclusion is a key mission
“I’m always making mistakes. But it’s about what you learn from those mistakes and how you take a business forward that matters,” says Ronnie Miller, a serial tech entrepreneur who is currently on his sixth business, Paysend.
Sosandar: We can be one of the UK’s biggest women’s fashion brands
Ali Hall and Julie Lavington ran a magazine before launching online fashion brand Sosandar. Thanks to their flair for marketing and focus on careful planning in the face of rapid change, the AIM-listed business is now among the UK’s fastest growing. In this article, they explain why they believe it has only scratched the surface.
