⚡ How is this Start-Up Creating the Ben and Jerry's of Beef?

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

🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the Start-Up world this week
📰 This week’s biggest news stories in the Start-Up world
🐄 How this Start-Up is creating the Ben and Jerry’s of Beef
📃 How creating a will for your customers can get you global attention
🤖 An AI tool that helps you build and deploy automated workflows

✨ Last week’s most clicked link, was this link taking you through to connect with the Alt Capital team after they’ve announced their new $250m early stage fund.

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Opportunities + Events

✨ TechStars have 8 accelerators across the world open for applications, witch successful applicants getting up to $220,000 in Funding - apply here!

💨 Y Combinator are accepting applications for their W2026 batch, with successful applicants getting $500,000 - apply here!

🎥 HubSpot have partnered with Waking Dreams Media to give one business a fully produced explainer video worth €5,000 - apply here!

🎤 HubSpot are also hosting their AI Summit with speakers from Synthesia, Gamma, Beamery + more. Only 200 Founders will be accepted, apply here!

P.s. Female Founders Rise are running their Rise Report. If you’re a Female Founder and want to have your say, take a look here!

We now have a community of thousands of Start-Ups and Founders, here are the hottest Start-Up job opportunities from the Innovators Uncensored community on our very own Start-Ups Job Board!

💼 Start-Up Jobs

🎬 Creative Strategist, STOCKED
🧪 Operations Assistant, PharmaFootpath
🎨 Product Designer, Allica Bank

🎓 Polytechnique Ventures raises €21m fund to back university Founders Sifted

🤔 Netflix goes ‘all in’ on generative AI as entertainment industry remains divided. TechCrunch

🗣 Anthropic CEO claps back after Trump officials accuse firm of AI fear-mongering. TechCrunch
 
🚀 UK Government launches fund to back speedy approval of new technologies. UKTN

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Clothing labels are boring, and almost always get ignored; Columbia have figured out how to make them a vital marketing tool.

Columbia has a durability promise, promising that the garment will outlive the buyer. So, instead of using the same old care instructions label, they saw an opportunity.

The label in this jacket is titled ‘Last Will & Outerwear Testament’, and is laid out in the form of a written will. As the owner, you can sign the will before you pass it on to the next owner after your death.

Whilst it’s a slightly morbid angle, it’s a genius way to create a marketing stir whilst driving home the unique selling point of your product!

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

Director AI gets stuff done for you on the web using its own browser. With just a prompt, you can build and deploy workflows that automate any online task.

Punk Jerky: The Ben & Jerry’s of Beef

Meet Punk Jerky, the bold, flavour-fuelled meat snack brand giving jerky a serious attitude upgrade. Founded by Matthew Richmond, Punk Jerky was born out of frustration with over-processed meat snacks - and a love for great flavour, craft, and chaos.

This isn’t your dad’s beef jerky. Punk Jerky experiments with wild meats, new flavours, and a quality-first mindset, all wrapped in the brand’s unapologetic personality. Built for people who post steak shots on Instagram, know their butcher by name, and actually care about where their food comes from - Punk Jerky is for the flavour-obsessed and the quality-driven.

A Solo Founder With a Tribe Behind Him

Matt’s flying solo, but he’s far from alone. “I’ve got a ton of experience around me - from bakery owners to eCommerce builders and just good people who keep me going,” he says. His secret? Seeking out mentors “a rung or two above” him, asking questions, and learning through trial and error.

That mix of humility and hustle has defined his journey. No Co-Founder, no safety net - just community, persistence, and a taste for figuring it out as he goes.

The First Bite

Matt’s first customer? Himself.

After five failed ventures, Punk Jerky was the first business where he decided to solve his own problem. The first sale came just two weeks after his first batch, at a local rugby festival. His first subscriber? His sister’s ex-boyfriend, thanks to a single Instagram post. The first store to stock Punk Jerky came from Matt walking into a local farm shop and pitching them directly.

His growth strategy from there was simple: “Sell the second bite.” He gave away jerky, then watched closely to see who came back for more. “That’s how you find your true fans,” he says.

He even tested a vegan mushroom jerky for his plant-based friends - but when second purchases dried up, he knew exactly what to do: “I pivoted straight back to meat. The people who love it are desperate for a second bite.”

Scaling Through Word of Mouth

Every jerky evangelist is a marketer in disguise. Matt realised early on that fans who loved the product would share it, so he doubled down on that. Anyone who raved about Punk Jerky walked away with a few extra packs for friends.

He’s also mastered the art of turning one-time event sales into long-term relationships. Every sale is followed by a discount code, an Instagram follow, or an email signup - building a loyal community of snack-loving regulars.

Bootstrapped and Grit-Fuelled

Matt’s first foray into entrepreneurship came with a £5,000 grant and a living wage - which, he admits, insulated him from the reality of sales. This time, he wanted to earn every penny.

Punk Jerky started small and scrappy, with low overheads and smart spending. The past few months have brought serious growth, prompting a move into a commercial space and new hires. Funding is on the horizon for early 2026, but for now, it’s pure bootstrap energy.

From Doubt to Drive

Matt’s biggest battle wasn’t with the product, it was with belief. “I love what I make, but in the beginning, I didn’t think people would buy it,” he admits. Orders were so infrequent that he’d buy ingredients from the supermarket per order, cooking each batch to go.

That changed when he surrounded himself with other founders building things that seemed improbable. “If they can do it, why can’t I?”

Lessons From the Edge

For Matt, business has been “a brute-force form of personal development.” Every weakness becomes a pain point until it’s fixed. “I’ve had to work on my hatred of process, I can’t build a business that relies on me holding its hand.”

His advice? Ride the wave. “If I wanted consistency, I’d get a real job,” he laughs. And if he could do it again? “I’d spend less time on LinkedIn. If you want to feel bad about your progress, spend half an hour scrolling.”

Next week I’ll be highlighting another awesome Start-Up, as well as sharing all the usuals including funding opportunities, Start-Up news, plus plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn…