Brighton Startup

In this episode,  Hazel tells us the story of how she went from the corporate world to starting a successful games company that's all about working fewer hours, having more fun, and doing good for the world. Last year they gave away 2.5k games to children through the 'games for good' programme. 

In this episode, John shares the story of how Pala Eyewear was born, his quest to create positive change, and building a company that is impact-first through and through.

Melanie tells us the story of her journey from advertisement, to being a full-time mum raising three children, to founding and growing Bare Biology. We talk about the trials of hiring and firing, not getting bogged down with the details, and keeping things focused in the business.

Alex shares the interesting beginnings of the History Heroes game, how she has developed the company to date, and the challenges that come with a product business and managing stockists.

Serial entrepreneur and founder of deep tech startup, Emteq, Graeme shares his story with us of how he got to be involved in the world of AI and mental health. He details his journey of bringing a complex proposition to life, removing the restriction of geographical location, and how for him, being an entrepreneur is a way of life.

Connor and Daisy came up with the idea for Worldee whilst on holiday in Rome. Today, their app sees incredible engagement from their users! But it wasn't all smooth sailing! They have big plans for the app and have started a podcast too. Tune in to hear their story and how their different approaches to business have come together to make a winning combo.

Refsix is the app for football/soccer referees which replaces their notebook and tracks their performance. Hassan shares his startup story and recounts the time that their app stopped working during an important match while him and his co-founder were on holiday and explains how he learnt from mistakes like these. Today, their focus is shifting to building a community for football referees of all levels.

Mark and Ed share their story of returning to an old idea: open a co-working space with childcare to fill a gap that many Brightonians have been yearning for. WRAP is a new co-working space opening near Brighton railway station, but progress has been stalled by the pandemic.

Charlie, Matt, and Ryan have big ambitions to change shopping habits in Brighton. They believe we should be buying more locally and sustainably. We hear about how they built traction and a story that resonates with customers even before they had a product, and how far they've come since incorporation just two months earlier. The website is now live at ethicul.co.uk

After a rocky start in the construction industry, Percept Imagery are now focused on disrupting e-commence with augmented reality. With their background in games, their award-winning tech is making waves in online shopping. We talk about visa issues for founders, raising investment, and bouncing back when they finally made it back to Brighton.

Alexandra tells us about the science that backs up the Fitta Mamma products, why getting feedback from pregnant women is hard, (it's not their fault!) and normalising fitness during pregnancy.

From premium furniture to affordable electronics, Gomi are turning would-be plastic waste into products that people love, all made in the heart of Brighton. Working with brands like Heineken, they have been turning plastic waste into material that can be used again.

Sarah has spent her career working across the interdisciplinary arts as a producer, curator and researcher. She is the founder of Hatsumi, a research and design studio that works at the intersection of arts, health and immersive technology to develop experiences that challenge how we think and feel about the world and imagine the future of health and wellbeing. Hatsumi VR is a virtual reality platform enabling people to communicate lived experience of chronic pain and mental health conditions using 3D painting tools. Tune in to hear how Fabrica Gallery and the Fusebox have been pivotal in her journey.

Bodyrocket replaces wind tunnels with sensors for performance cycling. Founder, Eric DeGolier, is an ex Paralympic cyclist and saw a need for more competitive cyclists to measure and reduce their aerodynamic drag.

Find out what's coming next on the Brighton Startup podcast!

In this episode, I speak with COO Georgina Richardson about her journey in one of Brighton's most exciting startups, how her 'YES' attitude got her to where she is today, and how TrustedHousesitters has grown into a global brand. TrustedHousesitters is the world's largest house and pet sitting platform connecting pet owners with sitters globally - currently with a community of 80,000 members across over 100 countries and annual revenues of 6 million.

'Getting up each morning to do good'. In this episode, I am speaking with Alex Vaidya about his journey, dealing with uncertainty, finding that balance between unshakable belief and knowing when it’s time to pivot, and how the Brighton startup scene has shaped the culture of his business. Story stream is a marketing technology company currently focusing on the automotive sector, helping brands such as porch and Volvo to manage content more efficiently using AI. They have raised over than 3.6 million since 2016 and currently have a team of 32 people based in Brighton and London.

'A burning fire that what we're doing is right'Hannah shares her story of growing Futrli into a successful fintech, raising VC funding, and the importance of ‘owning it’ when it comes to the challenges in business

'From one-man-band to a fully fledged orchestra'. David and I talk about how he got started, the importance of a 5-year plan, and focusing on what you can control.

'Embrace the things you don't know'. Victoria and I talk about growing a product business in the changing state of retail, finding opportunities in the toughest moments, and challenging the traditional business model.

‘Growth is not just about revenue’. Darren and I talk about his journey, waking up at 4am to scribble down ideas, transcendental meditation, and how to not fall apart whilst growing your startup.

‘Keep smiling and don’t be scared to think big’. After being made redundant, Claire decided to set up on her own to help solve a problem that has huge consequences for small businesses. Starting from her bedroom back in 2014, today she has 42 employees and clients in 52 countries. Get an insight into Claire's story as we talk about building a customer-focused culture, not being afraid to think big, and the spooky power of articulating your vision.

‘As an entrepreneur, you need to make the impossible possible’. Ed and I talk about managing your time, the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, and what it takes to get through it all.

‘As your company grows, you need to grow with it’. Giles and I talk about the benefits and drawbacks of running the most successful startup in Brighton, the gender pay-gap, and the importance of having a mentor as you scale.

We’re kickstarting the Brighton Startup podcast series with a very inspirational founder who has been through one heck of a journey. Krisi and I talk intellectual property, getting creative with funding your business, and disrupting the commodity market.