⚡ How this Start-Up Turns Solopreneurs into Powerhouses

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 is this Start-Up turning solopreneurs into powerhouses?
🍷 How damaging your mail can improve your chances of landing customers
💻 An AI tool that automates your office suite

✨ Last week’s most clicked link, was this link taking you through to The Young Lives Innovation lab who are looking to put up to £50k into Pre-Seed companies making an impact in the areas of Mental Wellbeing, Financial Hardship, Employment and Education, Personalised Care Pathways and Experiences of Diagnosis.

🥳 We’re going LIVE in LONDON on the 24th of July with our Sharks, Snakes and Shareholders - Investor Horror stories show. We’re teaming up with Shipshape.vc, along with Kristoff DuBose to break down all of the biggest investor horror stories he’s experienced and call out bad investor behaviour on the night. We’ll have 100 Start-Up Founders and enthusiasts there on the night, you can grab your ticket HERE!

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Opportunities + Events

🏦 FSB and HSBC have teamed up to give away £10,000 to one business owner, enter yourself here!

📣 Startup Wise Guys have launched applications for the latest cohort of The Founders Club, an accelerator programme that helps you find a Co-Founder and pitch for up to €100,000 - apply here!

🦅 Applications for the Barclays Female Founder accelerator close on the 14th of July - apply 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

🧑‍💻 Founding Engineer, Synkka
📊 VP of Operations, SideKick
📲 Social Media and Community Executive, The Feets

👮 Monzo slapped with £21m fine for ‘failings in financial crime controls’. Sifted

👓 Apple’s liquid glass design is paving the way for AR glasses. TechCrunch

🔐 Jack Dorsey says his ‘secure’ new Bitchat app has not been tested for security. TechCrunch
 
💷 British Business Bank unveils £400m pathways initiative. UKTN

Planning a trip for business or pleasure?

Finalrentals, a pioneering car rental fintech headquartered in Wales, has revolutionised the industry with its innovative approach and product-centric strategy. By addressing key challenges within the car rental sector, Finalrentals has experienced remarkable growth, increasing its size sixfold in the past 12 months. The company's expansion is not limited to growth metrics alone; it has also successfully established a robust global presence, extending its footprint across the EU and the Caribbean.

Book your rental here!

Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated, and Hiscox have just proven how impactful simple marketing campaigns can be.

The business insurance company did a mail out campaign, which is usually thrown straight in the bin when received. However, Hiscox cleverly stained the envelope with what looks like red wine, leading the recipient to be curious. What is it? Is the letter underneath ruined? Only way to find out is to open it!

The next twist, when the reader opened it, the letter was covered in red wine too! Now the reader is double curious, so they’re trying to read through the red wine to see what the letter is about. The whole time this is happening, Hiscox are showing their potential customers just how important business insurance is, as a splash of red wine can ruin everything!

How can you show prospective customers how important your product or service is without being pushy?

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.

Context is the first AI Office Suite that automates your workflow by creating documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more using your data, tools, and style.

Nexook: The Business Platform for Solopreneurs Who Do It All

Coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs are in the middle of a quiet revolution. But despite their ambition, they’re still bogged down by clunky tools, scattered workflows, and one big challenge: turning expertise into income.

Nexook is building a better way.

Founded by Alan Wagner, Nexook is a platform designed specifically for solo experts, helping them start, manage, and grow their businesses - all in one place. From scheduling and payments to messaging and cancellation policies, it gives solopreneurs a clean and professional way to manage operations.

But along the journey, something became clear: experts don’t just need software. They need support.

So Nexook is going further by building a full-stack AI assistant that acts like a 24/7 team. It helps users define their niche, set their prices, create standout brands, and craft go-to-market strategies. It’s like having a strategist, copywriter, marketer, and virtual assistant - without the overhead.

Building from the Ground Up: A Dream Team Forms

Alan began Nexook alone, with a strong sense of purpose and a clear belief: Co-Founders should happen naturally, not be forced.

Over time, two people joined the mission. The first was Adrián Valera, a seasoned technologist Alan met at an entrepreneur event in Dublin. Adrián was leading AI innovation at HP at the time, and after the two stayed in touch, and even ran a marathon together, he joined as CTO.

The second was Laura Cardini, someone Alan had worked with previously at a SaaS company in Barcelona. When she saw Nexook’s mission, it immediately resonated. She’d watched friends leave corporate life to start solo careers, and struggle with the same problems Nexook solves. She came on board as CMO, completing the founding team.

First Customers: From Waitlist to Early Learnings

Nexook’s first big move was a waitlist campaign to test interest, and it delivered. Over 1,000 people signed up, validating the idea early.

After launch, the team activated some of those early users and quickly uncovered a key insight: many solopreneurs didn’t just need a platform. They needed help crafting their brand, creating the right offer, and presenting it to the world.

The early marketing strategy focused on LinkedIn and email outreach, with paid search and social marketing coming next. They’ve also begun laying the groundwork for a long-term content strategy, sharing actionable advice tailored to coaches and consultants.

Still Early, Still Experimenting

Scaling isn’t the focus yet. Instead, the team is laser-focused on experimentation, learning which personas convert best, and how to activate them meaningfully.

By staying nimble, Nexook is ensuring it doesn’t just grow - it grows in the right direction.

What They’d Do Differently

One of the biggest lessons from the early days? Talk to more users - and ask better questions.

Nexook’s waitlist validated demand, but the team later realised that deeper conversations could’ve revealed more. Many experts said they’d use the platform, but what they actually needed was guidance, not just tools.

If Alan were to start again, he’d speak with hundreds of solopreneurs up front, focusing more on understanding their challenges with positioning, pricing, and growth.

Funding the Journey

Nexook started with personal funds to build the MVP and launch initial campaigns. That early traction helped them secure a grant from Enterprise Ireland, along with small angel investments from people who believed in the mission from day one.

The team is now actively raising their first equity round, aiming to solidify product–market fit and kick off the growth phase.

The Hard Stuff: Switching Behaviour and Selling Confidence

For all its promise, Nexook has faced real challenges. The biggest? Changing user habits.

Even though Nexook simplifies workflows and reduces admin, convincing solopreneurs to migrate from their existing stack is tough. Familiarity is sticky, even when it’s broken.

Then there’s the deeper issue: many solo experts struggle to position and sell their services confidently. They have the skills, the motivation, and the time, but not the strategy.

That’s exactly where Nexook AI comes in. It helps users define their value, craft their message, and go to market like a pro.

Looking Ahead

Nexook is still early in its journey - but it’s building for a fast-growing, under-supported audience. Coaches, consultants, and experts deserve more than just another scheduling tool. They need a co-pilot for their business.

That’s what Alan and his team are building: a platform that doesn’t just help solopreneurs work - it helps them win.

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…