⚡ How this Start-Up went from Hand-Delivering Orders to Growing to Over 10,000 Customers

Morning Innovators ⚡ In less than 5 minutes, we’ll cover…

🍛 How this start-up is redefining the ready-meal industry
🏋️ How some clever packaging made this gym brand go viral
📸 A great tool to help supercharge your socials
🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the start-up world
📰 The biggest news stories in the start-up world

✨ Last weeks most clicked link was this link to win £25,000 equity free in the Santander X UK Awards.

Happy hustling,
Rich & Gary

🎤 Events/Opportunities

🌩️ Founder + Lightning are running a free session on how to understand and plan your MVP using customer and market insights. Register for the webinar here.

🦅 Applications are now open for the Barclays Eagle Labs Scaleup Programme. The 6-month programme supports scaling companies as they navigate their rapid growth trajectory.

🐣 Hatch supports underrepresented entrepreneurs to imagine, launch and grow sustainable and impactful businesses through tailored support, community and partnerships. They offer a range of support programmes tailored to different business stages from idea-stage, through to scale-ups.

💼 Job opportunities

🗝️ Founders Associate, Ploy
💸 Growth Marketer, Shamaazi
🥳 Operations Manager, Poptop UK

🏢 Work has begun on a £4.5m plan to redevelop a 210,000 sq ft site in Birmingham’s city centre into a start-up hub. UKTN

🧑‍💼 Gendo, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform used by architects to turn text prompts and sketches into realistic visualisations, has raised £855,000 in a pre-seed funding round. UKTN

🏦 UK fintech Revolut posted record profits in 2023 with the neobank benefiting from higher interest rates and a customer acquisition spree that saw it add millions of new accounts last year. Sifted

🌡️ Figma disables its AI design feature that appeared to be ripping off Apple’s Weather app. TechCrunch

🍛 Stocked: Revolutionising Ready Meals with Flexibility and Flavour

Stocked is redefining the ready meal industry by offering unparalleled flexibility with its innovative Block-based meals. Designed for the busy foodie, Stocked's chef-made meals are frozen into customizable Blocks, allowing consumers to mix and match their meals based on appetite and occasion. Whether it's a using 2 blocks for a quick beef chili wrap for lunch, using 3 blocks with rice for a hearty dinner, or 8 blocks to create a festive nachos platter, Stocked caters to diverse culinary needs with simplicity and style.

From Concept to First Customers: Grassroots Growth

Stocked's journey began with grassroots efforts, as the founders personally delivered their first Blocks around London, utilising their personal networks and direct outreach. Weekends were spent distributing flyers throughout South London, a hands-on approach that helped secure their initial customer base. This personalised strategy not only fostered initial sales but also built a foundation of loyal customers who appreciated the brand's innovative approach to meal preparation.

Scaling Up: Digital Marketing and Referral Programs

After securing early funding, Stocked shifted gears by leveraging digital marketing to expand its reach and introduce the brand to a wider audience. The implementation of a referral program proved to be a game-changer, significantly enhancing customer acquisition and retention. These strategic moves were crucial in scaling the business, enabling Stocked to serve over 10,000 customers.

Financial Fuel: Navigating Early Funding

Stocked’s financial journey began in the supportive environment of the Gate One Incubator, where co-founder connections facilitated initial pitches and opened doors to funding opportunities. The first funding round was a blend of personal and professional networks, including friends, family, and former colleagues. This early financial support was instrumental in transitioning from a concept to a market-ready product.

Lessons and Reflections: Continuous Learning and Improvement

The Stocked team quickly learned the importance of maximising customer lifetime value, prompting the launch of a subscription model just seven months after the company's inception. This pivot was vital in ensuring sustainable revenue and fostering customer loyalty.

Scaling a manufacturing business intertwined with a food brand presented unique challenges, from staffing issues to equipment failures. These experiences underscored the importance of building a robust support network of advisors and investors early in the business lifecycle.

Future Forward: Building on a Strong Foundation

As Stocked continues to evolve, the focus remains on learning from past experiences and enhancing operational efficiencies. The founders emphasise the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, from investors to team members, to navigate the complexities of the food industry successfully.

I honestly feel as though I’m writing about Gymshark every week at this point, but they’re just SMASHING their marketing at the moment.

We’ve said it before, but your product’s packaging really can make an impression, and Gymshark have really made the most of that here. At a quick glance, it looks as though someone is just carrying around a kettlebell when they’re holding this bag. This is enough to spark the interest of passers by and make them wonder as to why this person is carrying a kettlebell around the City Centre. This spark is enough to encourage a second look, at which point they’ll see the words ‘Gymshark WE DO GYM’ printed underneath. BOOM, they know to head to Gymshark for their gym gear.

This packaging will have caught the eye of hundreds of passers-by, who will now think to go to Gymshark next time they go shopping for gym clothes.

How can you make your packaging eye catching and enticing?

Each week we highlight our favourite tools - either something we’ve been using in our businesses, or tools that our innovator community have recommended.

Pygma is an AI-powered social media manager designed to enhance Instagram presence. It fine-tunes content based on your writing style and audience engagement, generating personalised posts, stories, and reels. Features include AI avatar creation, smart content planning, automated caption and hashtag generation, and direct scheduling to Instagram. Pygma also offers targeted audience insights and a professional image upgrade for other platforms.

Next week we’ll be highlighting another awesome start-up (if you want us to feature you, drop us a message), as well as sharing all the usuals including funding opportunities, Start-Up news, plus plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with us on LinkedIn…