⚡ How Cutting Hair Led to a Billion Dollar Tech Enterprise

Morning Innovators ⚡ In less than 5 minutes, we’ll cover…

🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the start-up world
📰 The biggest news stories in the start-up world
💈 How cutting hair led to a billion dollar tech enterprise
👓 How bad parking made this company go viral
👀 Our favourite start-up to keep an eye on this week
❓ A tool helping to change the way you do user interviews

✨ Last weeks most clicked link was this link about micro-dosing growing in popularity amongst UK start-up founders.

Happy hustling,
Rich & Gary

🎤 Events/Opportunities

📢 Applications for Focal’s S24 Demo Day are now open, giving you the chance to pitch to 250+ world-class VCs, such as Atomico, Cavalry Ventures, Kindred Capital VC, Episode 1 Ventures, dmg ventures and Balderton Capital.

💸 Calling all Black founders! Apply now for a chance to showcase your business and pitch to a panel of "Lyan's" at Lyan’s Den Manchester, for the chance to win £10,000 equity-free funding.

🫎 Applications for Antler in Australia’s 12th cohort, starting August 5th, are now open. This is a unique opportunity for founders to bring their visions to life and get backed by Australia’s only truly global VC from day zero.

🦅 Applications for the Barclays Black Founder Accelerator are now live. Join their fifth accelerator program designed specifically for ambitious Black founder-led businesses, giving you access to expert-led masterclasses, personalised mentoring, and professional coaching from seasoned business growth experts - all delivered virtually!

🌍 World Fund, Europe’s leading climate VC, has closed a record-breaking €300M fund – the largest ever first fund from a European climate venture firm. This will enable it to make 25-30 investments into European start-ups building technologies with the potential to decarbonise entire industries, offering support for early and growth stage disruptors.

💼 Job opportunities

👶 Software Engineer, Tiney
🌳 Product Designer, Bonsai
🏍️ Head of Marketing, The Adventurists

💧 A Bill Gates-Backed start-up that makes fuel from water and carbon dioxide and sells to companies including Amazon and American Airlines is now scaling up. Bloomberg

🌲 Cambium is building a supply chain to keep wood from being wasted by connecting those with already-been-used wood to the businesses and folks that need it. TechCrunch

🗺️ Waymap, a London-based app providing accessible navigation tools to disabled users, has raised £7m in a funding round led by a North American telecoms firm. UKTN

💈 From Clippers to Clicks: The Journey of Transforming Barbershops into a Billion-Dollar Tech Enterprise

In the hustle and bustle of New York City, amidst the symphony of honking taxis and the bustling crowd, two visionary entrepreneurs, Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant, were struck by the timeless charm and community spirit of local barbershops. Witnessing first-hand the camaraderie and the lively discussions that animated these traditional havens, they saw beyond the haircuts and shaves—a potential to revolutionise an industry that had remained largely unchanged for decades. Armed with a bold vision, they embarked on a journey to intertwine technology with tradition, giving birth to Squire - an innovative platform for barbershops.

The inception of Squire wasn't merely a business idea; it was a solution born out of genuine experiences and a deep understanding of the barbershop's cultural significance. LaRon, an astute attorney, and Salvant, a savvy private banker, decided to step away from their corporate confines to dive headfirst into the barbershop world. In 2016, with a leap of faith and a $20,000 investment, they acquired a barbershop license in Manhattan, immersing themselves fully into the daily grind of barbershop operations. Their hands-on approach was unconventional yet enlightening—they did everything but cut hair.

Navigating the day-to-day of their Manhattan barbershop, LaRon and Salvant encountered first-hand the operational hurdles that stifled efficiency and dampened the customer experience. They grappled with scheduling snafus, where overlapping appointments led to frustrated clients and overworked barbers. They saw the inefficiency of cash-based transactions and the lack of a structured loyalty program, which limited repeat business. The cluttered communication between barbers and clients over calls and texts was chaotic and unreliable. These pain points, once abstract challenges discussed in strategy meetings, became tangible obstacles they faced daily.

With these insights, LaRon and Salvant meticulously crafted Squire's features to address each specific problem they encountered. They developed a sophisticated scheduling system that eliminated double-booking and streamlined the appointment process, ensuring a smooth operation that barbers could rely on. Recognising the limitations of cash transactions, they integrated digital payment solutions, making transactions seamless and expanding the financial capabilities of barbershops. They also introduced a loyalty program within Squire, encouraging repeat visits and building a stronger bond between barbers and their clientele. Communication features were designed to keep both barbers and customers in sync, transforming chaotic interactions into structured, reliable touchpoints.

These targeted solutions, born from their real-world experiences running a barbershop, were the cornerstone upon which Squire was built. LaRon and Salvant's hands-on approach not only provided them with invaluable insights but also instilled a deep sense of credibility and trust within the barbershop community. They weren't just tech entrepreneurs; they were industry insiders who had lived the barbershop life and emerged with a solution that spoke directly to its needs. This profound understanding and their tailored, effective solutions propelled Squire from a fledgling start-up to a billion-dollar beacon of innovation in the barbershop industry.

Expanding into new markets? Axiom simplifies cross-border payments and foreign exchange for fast-growing SMEs. Our fintech solutions offer a single innovative platform for both local and international business accounts, with access to 30+ currencies. Streamline treasury operations with our comprehensive tools, including dedicated support and capabilities usually only offered to tier-one banks' largest clients.

With over a decade of expertise, Axiom delivers cost-effective solutions, eliminating the barriers of modern banking and foreign exchange.
Partner with us to accelerate your global expansion effortlessly.

At Axiom, we’re a partner, not a provider.

We all know someone who can’t park a car to save their lives, but this takes it to a completely different level!

Specsavers are a household name, and everyone knows they sell spectacles. With this stunt, they’ve cleverly played on the fact that their customers have eyesight challenges and have created a viral masterpiece by putting together this over-exaggerated example of someone who needs glasses. The stunt has gathered millions of views across the different social media platforms!

We’re not saying you can go and park your company van on a bollard, but can you create an over-exaggerated example of your customer’s struggles that makes your customers laugh whilst massively increasing your exposure?

Each week we’re featuring one start-up we love. We’d love this to come from community recommendations, so if you know a start-up doing something awesome who deserves a shout-out, please reply to this email. 

Seat Unique revolutionises the ticketing industry by providing a seamless platform for securing VIP and official hospitality tickets to a wide array of events, including sports, music, and culture. Emphasising extraordinary memories and making premium experiences accessible to all, Seat Unique caters to fans seeking incredible event experiences, while also offering valuable revenue opportunities for rights holders. With technology at its core, the platform addresses common challenges in ticket access.

Each week we highlight our favourite tools - either something we’ve been using in our businesses, or tools that our innovator community have recommended.

Heardeer is an innovative platform leveraging AI for user interviews, transforming how businesses gather user feedback. It automates in-depth, personalised discussions, crafting custom questionnaires from a vast database to extract valuable insights. Heardeer offers a global reach without the need for translators, engaging users in their native languages. The service streamlines the feedback process, providing transcriptions and insightful analyses quickly, allowing teams to focus on core tasks and strategic decisions, all while enjoying a more efficient workflow.

Next week we’ll be looking at the payments behemoth that almost never was after two early cofounder departures, a terrible accident that paralysed the third, a robbery, regulatory hurdles and — by all accounts — uninspiring growth for years. As usual we’ll also be highlighting our favourite start-up of the week, funding opportunities, and plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with us on LinkedIn…