Success Stories
There have been many examples of students that have achieved success and benefitted from the support of Warwick Enterprise. Below you can find examples of the different projects which students have worked on or been involved with whilst receiving support from the Warwick Enterprise team.
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Graduate Successes
Scrubbee is a sustainable skincare business focusing on upcycling by-products from the food industry into circular cosmetics. They launched with their first product line in January 2021, 4 coffee face scrubs which repurpose what would have once been considered 'waste' coffee from cafes into effective, affordable skincare.
We joined the GAP programme in 2021. We are currently in the research and development stage of producing our products partnering with vineyard waste, since being on the programme we have released 6 products working with the coffee industry. We expect our new products to be ready for November 2022. In releasing these products we are going to be working to get them protected and to start our commercialisation journey of getting into retail by January 2023.
Our plan is to go through a raising round towards the end of October, or alternately take a loan out to help us in this next journey. During our time on the programme we have saved over 3000 cups of coffee grounds from going to waste so far since launching just over a year ago.
With just under 10k funding since launch, we have been able to get stocked in 12 stores all across the UK and selling on 8 online platforms and have been recognised on a national scale by TED talks on our circular business model.
Kavida.ai is a supply chain digital twin platform helping enterprises make intelligent resiliency decisions. We build supply chain digital twins and use artificial intelligence to help enterprises prevent and mitigate supply chain disruptions in real-time or before they occur. We believe integrated supply chain data unlocks superior resilience, and our vision is to use machine intelligence to predict & manage supply chain disruption risks. We create business value for our customers by tagging real-time risk intelligence to suppliers, supply chains and purchase orders to predict new lead times.
We joined the GAP/Start-up Scheme in July 2012. To date we have raised equity investment of up to $900,000k. Our current product which a SaaS platform that integrates with ERP systems of manufacturers to provide supply chain procurement automation and risk visibility to procurement manufactures is deployed with two manufacturers in Sri Lanka. Within the next six months we aim to achieve an ARR upto $150K and hence a $2 million seed round.
Investment
We have currently closed one round of $600k at $3.5 million valuation from corporate and angel investors. We have signed a convertible note of $300k at a $5 million valuation cap conditioned on us achieving $75k ARR from a VC firm named Motion Ventures.
Sales
We have broken down our sales strategy based on regions including (1) Sri Lanka, (2) India and (3) Europe. For each region we have developed a sales strategy and tweaked the product offering to suit the needs of each region.
For the tech mature market (Europe) we are using a marketing and self-serve product version as the GTM strategy. For markets such as India we are using a network-based sales approach coupled with a lite version of the product.
Product
We have built a self-serve version of the product to enable users to use the platform without integration.
Research Collaborations
We are submitted a proposal in collaboration with WMG, University of Warwick to the supply chain hub launched by the Digital Catapult. The proposal provides a $100,000 funding amount for addressing the current supply demand imbalance program in collaboration with an industrial problem.
JarSquad is a Plymouth-based social enterprise that puts joy and connection in jars. We bring people together to practice sharing (ingredients, know-how, work+time), co-learning, and co-making communal jams and preserves as a ‘squad’. JarSquad joins the dots between climate emergency action, curbing food-waste, and growing social connectedness and well-being.
Through monthly gatherings in Stonehouse (offered on a sliding scale), we practice sharing recipes, ingredients, and know-how by making jams and preserves as a ‘squad’ or community. JarSquad also offers demos, bespoke sessions, and are interested in developing an Open Franchising Model for others to establish their own JarSquad in their localities.
Current Progress
JarSquad joined the Start-Up programme in 2021, and incorporated in September 2021 after a year of gentle experimenting with our monthly 'assemblies' where we make preserves with our local community in Stonehouse. We have been learning a great deal about our practices of sharing and creating communal experiences following a £6K commission from the Social Art Network in 2021. For this project, we offered special sessions for those who may feel excluded from our activities, explored successful inclusion policies, and reflected on the practices and ethos behind how good community spirit grows. We also accepted a £1.8K commission to hold a full-day assembly in Bristol as part of an artist-led dialogue on alternative economies.
This year, we are focussed on developing these ideas more deeply with others, as we begin involving others whilst also considering succession plans. In addition to a pitch deck that co-directors are currently collaborating on to strategically grow our main offer of assembly sessions, we are also developing relationships with local organizational partners such as the Climate Hub and The Village Hub, who have agreed to support our 2022 autumn funding bids (with National Lottery as well as POP collectives, a local scheme). We have also been asked to advise (and potentially collaborate with) a budding Bristol-based JarSquad, which will be helpful as we begin to put materials together for an Open Franchise Model. This will add business consultancy to our main focus of providing educational services and activities.
Level Up upskills individuals through cohort-based fellowships led by industry experts. Traditional e-learning platforms for certain skills often rely on pre-recorded videos which are often ineffective as they lack accountability and live interaction with teachers and other learners (as evidenced by their 96% dropout rate!). At Level Up, we upskill our fellows through combining live workshops and mentoring sessions with recorded videos and projects. This approach is built around a vibrant community of individuals who learn with each other to create an incredible learning environment.
We joined GAP in September 2021. So far we have 40+ creators we are helping in our private beta with our advice resulting in courses achieving NPS score of 90+ and 90% completion rates. Over 25% of new creators have come from referrals and 80% of our creators have tried to build their courses and community with a competitor or by themselves and failed.
We have a platform which we have built which handles all the admin and logistics for running a learning community and course. We have raised £44,000 in investment from APX.VC and are currently raising our pre-seed round up to £750k to accelerate product development, creator support and scaling our impact.
Web: www.letslevelup.io
We make innovative fresh desserts using the Japanese mochi (mochi cups, mochi brownies, butter mochi).
We trade weekly with Urban Food Fest at Stratford East Village, and are looking forward to expand our product offering into event catering/supplies.
Current Progress
We joined the 2020 cohort of the Start-up Scheme. At the start. the business initially created, produced and sold rice seasoning (Risona) before pivoting to innovative rice cake desserts (Muchi). Muchi has been actively trading at markets since December 2022 and is looking to establish the brand presence at a permanent location (currently Stratford, East London).
In the near future, our plan is to have at least two revenue streams - one from weekly market trading and one from on-demand orders. Once this has been established, operations will move from domestic to commercial kitchen, with a dedicated team preparing the products.
At The Zola Collective we popularize natural African products in international markets. We source products from rural farmers or micro-businesses, brand, package and export them to the UAE and retail through our online marketplace and distribution network.
By aggregating small businesses on the Zola platform, our aim is to organize an unorganized sector while promoting responsible production, consumption and exports out of Africa. By commercializing underutilized species & promoting them through educational & marketing initiatives we create a global demand for African products, generating a stable source of income for small business owners.
Current Progress
After building and testing our supply chain to the UAE and selling our products in both the B2B and B2C market, we are on track to enter the UK market in Q3 2022. We joined the Warwick Start Up Scheme in April 2022 and since then have been working on export logistics, company set up and distribution channels in the UK. Based on the UK Ethical Consumerism Report 2021, Page 2-3 the market size for healthy foods, natural beauty, home and jewelry (2022e)* in the UK is valued at $122 Billion. We will begin our market entry by targeting the B2B market and hope to partner with 7 large retailers in the UK. These include Wholefoods (7), Harrods (1), Selfridges (4), Liberty (1), Waitrose (332), Marks & Spencers (1037), Holland and Barrett (715).
GAIA is an AI driven enterprise solution for net neutrality and efficient project management
I joined GAP in the summer of 2022. I am currently working with a team of consultants towards business modelling and building my first prototype. We expect these prototypes to be completed by early 2023 after which we aim to go for institutional funding to scale up production and make the product more efficient.
Current Progress
We have recently joined the Graduate Accelerator Programme and are currently developing our beta enterprise solution.
Mudroom Films is a London-based video production company focused on branded content for small to mid-sized businesses, and is developing original content.
Current Progress
I joined the GAP program in October 2021. I run the production company myself: finding clients, making sales, developing and working through pre-production, shooting content, editing and publishing it. Video marketing is king of messaging, attention spans and efficacy. Since joining, I’ve added over 10 new UK-based clients to the roster. I’ve had success pitching to small to mid-sized independent businesses who have strong ethics. Some of my clients have a monthly retained for branded content geared towards social media, others have bigger budget projects.
Due to my connections to the film industry in London, I can produce and hire UK crew, rent equipment, and develop the business. Since joining, I’ve directed and shot music videos for independent UK artists, produced and shot a mini-documentary about emerging volumetric technology in Bristol, and developed branded content for clients based in the EU.
Mudroom subcontracts British and international talent as Directors of Photography, Editors, Producers and Graphic Designers.
We are looking at a busy fall slate producing our first narrative feature film (currently in post-production) and several short films.
We develop next gen battery packs to automotive and aerospace companies
Current Progress
We completed 3 accelerator programs. We built the first prototype and got the first customer, the World’s largest eVTOL company. We are currently fundraising for 18 months runway and deliver the following:
- Build prototypes
- Start licensing to our partners
- Showcase it in Geneva Motorshow in Feb 2023.
You Diner is a Sustainable online African food outlet, providing premium cuisine and catering services in Coventry and its environs, with the care of the environment and community at the top of our mind.
Our mission is to deliver highly sought after African dishes, in its authentic taste, with zero hassle, exceptional customer service and zero detriment on the environment and society we operate in. The uniqueness of our brand is the guarantee of a trip to Africa without reaching the airport, as well as our commitment to sustainability, making us the first African restaurant in the UK with such mandate.
Our exciting and dynamic menu is bound to keep you coming back to try new things, because there is always something for everyone.
Current Progress
You Diner finally opened its first public doors in the historical Coventry market. Although a really small unit, we’ve been able to efficiently establish ourselves in the market and amongst its many dynamic visitors. Over 2 short weeks of trading, we’ve fulfilled well over 50 orders, served at least 6 nationalities and accumulated an overall 5-star rating on Google.
The future looks really bright for this new and growing brand and we’re really excited. We’re still in the process of finding a complementary location that’ll better accentuate this pace-setting brand. We’re also looking for highly emphatic and similarly minded investors, particularly with focus on helping sustainable businesses.
Sakshi Mehta - The Metalmann
Alex and Laura - Language Mate
Paul and CY - Ziraf
Our Entrepreneurs
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