Success stories

Gaëlle Chatelard took out a £25,000 loan in August 2021 through delivery partner Virgin StartUp to help get her brand ETHOSA off the ground. ETHOSA is an innovative sustainable waterless personal care brand.

Learn more about Coffeesmiths, a locally sourced coffee shop in Norfolk, Norwich.

Katy Lassen borrowed £25,500 to grow into Harbour and Tide. Harbour & Tide is a modern local beach store in Margate, offering functional, joyful, and sustainable products for seaside life. The store was launched as a pop-up in 2022 and opened its first permanent location in Margate in Spring 2023.

Juliet Chibasa borrowed £3,000 in June 2023 to grow Lassad Care Services. Lassad Care Services, based in Chelmsford, is a domiciliary care business that offers a range of services for the elderly, children, and young adults, including personal care, light cleaning, attending appointments and day centres, walks, holidays, meals, and family support.

The Singing Spice Company took out their loan of £6,000 in February 2023. The company aims to take the stress out of cooking by creating packs of spice blends that are hand blended to family recipes going back three generations.

Lifted Drinks took out their loan of £25,000 in May 2023. Lifted Drinks, based in Staffordshire, creates an alcohol-free beer that offers the taste of the beverage while incorporating the post-workout benefits of a protein shake.

JPC Specialty Motorsports took out their loan of £5,000 in July 2023. JPC Specialist Motorsports, part of the charity JPC Community Farm, is a place of respite for special needs children and adults.

Matt Everett borrowed £10,000 in July 2023 to grow into Dragonfly films. Dragonfly films is a London-based video production company using state-of-the-art equipment and modern techniques to deliver high-end video content for businesses nationwide.

Robin Valley, co-founded by husband and wife entrepreneurs Wanchong Chen and Liang Zhang, is a wooden jewellery brand that combines innovation, sustainability, and unique design.

Pets and Picasso received a £25,000 loan in June this year. The community interest company (CIC), set up by Anna Corwood and her partner Luke Gash, aims to provide animal and art assisted therapy to local people living with a wide range of health conditions.

Vocus Vit offers premium activewear for ladies with a focus on sustainability. The range is made from recycled plastic bottles without compromising on comfort, fit and style. It’s founded by Omagh entrepreneur Sarah-Jane Murray. Sarah-Jane took out a loan of £10,000 to help fulfil her dream of launching sustainable activewear business.

Panther M*lk – an oat milk alcoholic cocktail brand based in Glasgow. The drinks business recently secured its first major retail listing, with bottles of the cocktail now stocked in 40 of Asda’s supermarkets across Scotland. Following an appearance on Dragon’s Den in 2022, Paul Crawford received a £17,500 loan through the Start Up Loans scheme to support his ambitious growth plans.

Feral Pigs Wine is a wine shop in Newport, Pembrokeshire and established by trained sommelier and former restaurant manager at Llys Meddyg, Dave Cushley.

An artist from Llandudno Junction is opening a contemporary gallery in Colwyn Bay aimed at breaking down barriers in the art world and reinvigorating North Wales’s cultural scene by incorporating the world of NFTs and the Metaverse.

Learn more about Rose & Mary Cosmetics a vegan, sustainable and holistic line of products, which are all handmade.

Learn more about Bar Buoy a cocktail manufacturer in Exmouth that received £50k from Start Up Loan funding to scale up their business.

Learn more about how James Fraser, owner and chef of Ramen Electra turn his newfound skill into a business opportunity.

Learn more about Kindhaus Family Club, a “home away from home” for modern families that combines indoor play for the kids with coworking space for busy parents.