Success Stories - Start Up Loans Company

Vinkind

Formerly a police officer of six and a half years, Alex Habachi founded his e-commerce business Vinkind in 2016 with a £6,000 Start Up Loan via...

Scoopy Doo’s Ice Cream Parlour

Helen Langton, a secondary-school teacher for 12 years, and her partner Matthew Altham, an emergency care assistant for South Western Ambulance...

Maldon Books

Olivia Rosenthal, 28, from Maldon in Essex took out a loan of £25,000 in December 2019 to launch Maldon Books – an independent bookshop for adults...

Trapped Animal Records

Joel Clayton from Cambridge received a loan through delivery partner Transmit Start-Ups in 2019, which he used to establish a record label, Trapped...

Real Life Role Models

Michael Hughes secured £7,000 from Start Up Loans – through The Hub – to launch a new service providing respite and mentoring sessions for...

Shahjees

Three female entrepreneurs used funding from Start Up Loans to launch an Indian restaurant and takeaway in Nottingham. Farzana Ali Choudhry, Kiran...

Love & Love

Love & Love is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme. Founded by Manuela Montenegro Moreira Baraad and based in Leeds, it received a loan...

Vie’s Jamaican Rum Cakes

Vie’s Jamaican Rum Cakes is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme. Founded by Elaine Remy and based in Kendal, it received a loan of £5,000 in...

Seaweed & Co

Whitley Bay-based supplier of organic seaweed products Seaweed & Co, is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme. Having started the...

House of Curls

Start Up Loans recipient Clare Pledger, from Cardiff-based firm, House of Curls, an e-tailer specialising in curly and natural hair products, who...

My Language Connection

Glasgow-based Victoria Nicol was 28 when she received a Start Up Loan to help grow her language translation business, My Language Connection. With...

Woodwork by Will

The recipient of the 600 millionth pound from the Start Up Loans programme was Will Smith, from County Down, who took out loans of £6,000. The...

London Sock Company

Ryan Palmer took out a loan of £25,000 in 2014 to launch the London Sock Company, a premium sock brand founded with the mission “to inspire everyone...

Ocushield

Dhruvin Patel took out a Start Up Loan of £500 through delivery partner Virgin StartUp in 2015 to start his business Ocushield, an innovative line...

Hipster Hamper

Sian Thomas took out a loan of £11,000 in December 2020 to set up Hipster Hamper, a company providing bespoke, curated hampers that are big on...

21st Century Repair

East Midlands

Lamar Griffiths and Reece Walker took out a Start Up Loan of £4,000 in November 2018 to launch 21st Century Repairs, a van-based phone repair...

Essence of Hartland

South West

Joe Brady took out a £10,000 Start Up Loan in two parts in October 2020 and January 2021 to launch Essence of Hartland, an eco-friendly home...

Mistral

Scotland

Julie Di Toro and her partner, Sam Barker, took out a Start Up Loan in two parts in August and September 2020 to launch Mistral, an independent wine...

Floris

Wales

Aoife Doherty set up her business in November 2020 after graduating from the University of Reading with a BA Hons in Graphic Design. After noticing...

Celebrating Curves

Yorkshire and The Humber

Jane Palmer, 53, took out a £25,000 Start Up Loan in 2015 to launch Celebrating Curves, a bridal wear business for plus-size brides based in...

Cod of Duty

West Midlands

Matthew Martin and his wife, Corina Martin, launched Cod of Duty, a mobile Fish and Chips food truck, in December 2020 using two £17,000 Start Up...