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Start-ups pitch to John Lewis buyers

18/10/2012

By Daniel Hunter

Twelve British start-up businesses have been hand-picked to pitch their products to John Lewis buyers.

Each of the businesses are at different stages, some have prototypes while some are about to launch their product to market — but all of them offer something that so far doesn’t exist in the British retail landscape.

The twelve were chosen from hundreds of entries in PitchUp - a pilot project between enterprise campaign StartUp Britain and retail giant John Lewis - with the aim of giving more emerging British businesses the chance to get noticed. The pitch day is next Tuesday October 23.

“We were astonished at the number of exciting and innovative new businesses that entered this initiative — and it’s refreshing and reassuring that big companies like John Lewis are prepared to take the time to check out what’s on offer in the British start-up sector," StartUp Britain co-founder Emma Jones said.

“It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to get their products onto John Lewis shelves and we wish them all the best!”

The finalists are: Innovative hair-care products Concoction, which offers a mixology-style cocktail of bespoke shampoos and conditioners; designer clothing brand Sir Plus made from unwanted factory off-cuts; GiftTin — a quirky tin filled with British-made, hand-picked gifts; high-tech pushchair manufacturer Ruk-bug; rain-hardy soft furnishings that can be left our all summer-long by Oily Rag; Beecycle’s Wiggo recycling kit to teach children the principles of composting; Cuisine Machine, inventor of an electrical appliance that can follow recipe instructions; LovemeSew, handpicked fabrics for crafty people; KareCot — a re-think of the traditional cot, designed with safety in mind; Haloheels — innovative shoes; OraGuard Ltd’s Nano-b-Toothbrush and finally Hunted&Stuffed — hand-made cushions made from lovely old tea-towels, scarves and the like.

Christine Kasoulis, director of own-brand development at John Lewis said: “We were really... continued on page two >

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