⚡ How this Start-Up Helps eCommerce SMEs Become Cross-Border Machines

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 does this Start-Up help eCommerce SMEs go Global?
🤺 How you can use your competitor to run a winning marketing campaign
👋 An AI tool that helps you turn website visits into sales with human connection

✨ Last week’s most clicked link, was this link taking you through to Sarah Smith’s fund with which she is looking to write $250k cheques into irrationally intense early stage Founders.

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Opportunities + Events

💳 Cambrian are looking to write $300k - $1m+ tickets into early-stage FinTech companies - contact the team here!

👨‍👩‍👧 Velveteen Ventures are looking to write cheques between $500k and $4m into Seed to Series A stage companies in the healthcare, climate, consumer and community sectors - find the team here!

🐛 Mantis Capital have just raised a new $100m fund to back Seed to Series A stage companies primarily in the B2B space - contact the team 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

🤝 Sales Development Representative, Doc2
🩺 Sales Development Representative, Kitt Medical
🧑‍💻 PHP Developer, Doc2

📉 UK Start-Up funding drops almost a quarter in H1 2025. Sifted

👁 Amazon backs programmable optics Start-Up, Lumotive. TechCrunch

📱 UK targets Apple’s and Google’s mobile platforms for regulation. TechCrunch
 
🤔 Wise US listing in doubt as advisory firms scrutinise terms UKTN

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What’s a little competition between 2 arch rivals? Burger King have really turned up the heat on their fast food nemesis, McDonalds, with their recent marketing campaign.

Everyone knows the rivalry between these two, so when McDonald’s launched their ‘Big Arch’ campaign advertising their burgers, Burger King took a chance to have a swipe. They went around to the billboards McDonald’s were using to run their campaign, and placed a digital board on the back of a van in front of them with an advert for their own burgers and a clever play on words to mock the McDonalds Ad.

A bit of playful competition never fails to hit, but is this too much? How can you use your competitor’s marketing campaigns to boost your own profile?

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.

Knock Knock enables you to transform web visits into sales with a blend of AI and human connection. Engage visitors through real-time behaviour tracking, live navigation insights, and instant video calls. Deliver personalised experiences, boost conversions, and build trust.

Yonda: Indirect Tax Without Borders

If you’re scaling a business across borders, indirect tax isn’t optional, it’s a maze. From sales tax in the US to VAT across Europe, one misstep can land companies in hot water.

Yonda, Co-Founded by Gareth and Ben, is helping businesses navigate that complexity with ease. Whether you’re an eCommerce brand shipping globally or a SaaS startup serving international clients, Yonda ensures you're registered, compliant, and never blindsided by obscure local tax rules.

The platform handles registrations, automates filings, and simplifies the regulatory minefield - so ambitious teams can grow without borders.

Built for the Underdog

Yonda is particularly focused on SME eCommerce sellers - the kinds of businesses often overlooked by traditional tax advisors. These founders are ambitious, nimble, and global from day one - but rarely have an in-house finance team to protect them.

Yonda gives them that capability, without the bloat or the jargon.

From Hire to Co-Founder

Gareth and Ben were introduced through mutual contacts - several of whom described Ben, without flinching, as “the cleverest person in the world.”

Gareth took the hint and hired him straight away at a previous company. The chemistry clicked. When a shared opportunity emerged to tackle the problem of international tax compliance at scale, they didn’t hesitate. Yonda was born.

First Customers, First Traction

Their early traction came from deep roots in the eCommerce space. Gareth and Ben already understood the market and its pain points, which gave them an edge.

They kept it simple: word of mouth, some targeted social media ads, and a message that resonated. Most importantly, they weren’t selling a luxury - they were solving a compliance requirement. When customers realised they needed it, they converted quickly.

Scaling Through Trust

The real inflection point came through customer service. Early users were impressed and they told their communities. In eCommerce, where peer recommendations matter more than any ad campaign, that was everything.

Yonda invested in digital marketing early using the funds they’d raised, but growth was largely driven by reputation.

The Hard Lesson: Focus

The team learned fast that trying to serve everyone meant serving no one well.

By narrowing their focus to SME eCommerce businesses, everything got sharper: messaging, product, support. Looking back, Gareth says he would have applied that focus sooner - and been even more selective in hiring.

Bootstrapped, Then Backed

Yonda was bootstrapped for the first six months - no salaries, just full commitment.

The first funding round came through their private network, using the UK’s EIS scheme. That gave early backers helpful tax relief, while Gareth and Ben de-risked the bet by showing they were all-in - time, money, and belief.

Hiring: The Toughest Calls

Like many founders, Gareth admits they waited too long to act when hires didn’t work out.

They brought in talented, brilliant people, but when the fit wasn’t right, either in timing or skill set, they hesitated. It wasn’t fair to the business or the individuals.

Now? They hire slowly, and when it’s not working, they act decisively. Tough conversations are a form of kindness.

Founder Lessons

If Gareth were to do it all again?

• Focus like your life depends on it.

• Culture beats strategy - honest, mission-aligned, fun teams go further.

• Customers come first. Always.

• And when it comes to team: be fussy on the way in, clinical when it’s not right.

The Road Ahead

Yonda isn’t just making tax easier - it’s giving modern, global businesses a way to scale confidently across borders, with compliance sorted from day one.

Because growth shouldn't be paused for paperwork.

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…