⚡ How this Start-Up Used Global Superfoods to Transform Sparkling Water

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 has this Start-Up used global superfoods to transform sparkling water?
💤 How 3am texts can get you more sales
🎥 A tool that streamlines your content production process

✨ Last weeks most clicked link was this link taking you through to apply to Entrepreneur First, with successful applicants getting the chance to pitch for £250,000

📣 Before we get into this week’s Innovators Uncensored issue, we’ve launched episodes 2 and 3 of our new show, Sharks, Snakes and Shareholders, a show where we get Angels, VCs and Dealmakers to roast Investor Horror stories that Founders have experienced - take a look here!

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Opportunities + Events

🎙 The Onstage summer 2025 demo day is now open for applications, pitch to 300+ of the biggest VCs in the world, including Sequoia, Balderton and more - you can apply here!

🚜 Dig have raised a new $100m fund to invest in Pre-Seed - Seed stage B2B Start-Ups in Europe, you can get in touch with the team here!

🌍 Revent VC have raised a new $109m fund to invest in climate, health and empowerment Start-Ups at the Pre-Seed - Seed stage, you can get in touch with 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

💳 Product Owner, Zero
🧑‍💻 Chief Marketing Officer, Patchstack
👷 Full Stack Engineer, CarbonOS

🤺 Revolut to take on American Express with move into reward credit cards. Sifted

✋ Access to future AI models in OpenAI’s API may require a verified ID. TechCrunch

🥽 Apple reportedly working on a Vision Pro that plugs into your Mac. TechCrunch

🩺 UK health tech shines in major quarter for investment. UKTN

Carta is a platform that helps people manage equity, build businesses and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Our mission is to unlock the power of equity ownership for more people in more places. Carta is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 8,000 investment funds and a million employees for cap table management, venture capital solutions and more. In the UK, we support founders who are raising money through SEIS/EIS, helping with Advance Assurance, round modelling and more. To find out more, take a look at their website, or get in touch with [email protected].

There is a new trend in the world of marketing, and that is being as intrusive as you can be! IKEA showed that they’re best in class at this with their recent stunt.

In the dead of night, IKEA sent out a DM to all of their customers and followers that simply said ‘u up?’. This message normally has links to something else, but if the recipients replied before 5am, they were sent a discount on a brand new IKEA mattress.

The thinking is, if you’re struggling to sleep at 3am, there’s a chance you’re not comfy on your current mattress. So, IKEA sweep in at the perfect time to be your here - elite targeting!

How could you reach your customers with a personal approach in their time of need?

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

Pippit AI is your smart creative agent, designed to streamline and enhance your content production process.

Revibed Drinks: A Sparkling New Take on Wellness

Revibed Drinks is the UK’s first superfood-infused, pre-mixed sparkling water brand. With blends of globally sourced ingredients like hibiscus, acai, and ashwagandha, each can delivers a refreshing, lightly sparkling experience, 100% natural, zero sugar, and under 10 calories. Created for busy, health-conscious individuals aged 25–50, Revibed combines function, flavour, and convenience without compromise.

A Family Recipe with Global Roots

Eugene’s Co-Founder is also his biggest inspiration, his father. The seed of the idea came from a homemade hibiscus tea recipe passed down through his Jamaican heritage. While travelling through Southeast Asia, Eugene discovered a range of global superfoods and began experimenting with blends. Together, father and son combined tradition with innovation, creating a brand rooted in authenticity and cultural connection.

Hustling for the First Sales

Revibed’s early growth was fuelled by sheer determination. Eugene personally hand-delivered samples, reached out to wellness influencers on Instagram, and hit the road to attend vegan and health-focused events across the UK. He even drove across the country to sell just a case or two. Social media became a cornerstone of the brand’s launch, with Eugene using TikTok and Instagram to build a loyal community and document every step of the journey.

From Start-Up to Stocked Shelves

The turning point came when Revibed was selected for the Sainsbury’s Thrive programme, a key opportunity that helped refine the product, sharpen the brand, and make it retail-ready. From there, Eugene and his father secured national listings with Co-op, Holland & Barrett, and Ocado. They continued to scale by building strong relationships with retail buyers, using Amazon and social media for D2C sales, and investing in field marketing and sampling to build awareness.

Key Learnings Along the Way

One of Eugene’s biggest lessons has been the value of patience and consistency. Early on, he was eager to perfect every detail, but he’s since learned that focused, steady progress is more impactful. If he could go back, he’d spend more time testing formats and pricing before launch - and put systems in place earlier to stay organised during rapid growth.

Built on Grit: Bootstrapping the Brand

Revibed has been bootstrapped from day one. Eugene and his father invested over £40,000 of personal savings, supplemented by £60,000 worth of support through the Sainsbury’s Thrive programme. They also took out small business loans and borrowed from family to fund production and launches. The journey has required grit and resourcefulness - but it’s instilled a deep resilience in the brand.

Setbacks That Sparked Stronger Growth

One of the toughest moments came after lockdown, when many independent retailers closed and Revibed lost several key stockists. Another blow came when Sainsbury’s chose not to stock the brand after the Thrive programme. Rather than deter them, these setbacks redirected their efforts, leading to strong partnerships with Co-op, Holland & Barrett, and Ocado. Each obstacle became a catalyst for redirection and growth.

Foundations First: Advice for Future Founders

If Eugene could start again, he’d focus on laying a stronger foundation before scaling. That means thoroughly validating the product, building a core community, and putting key infrastructure in place early, from CRMs and forecasting tools to content planning systems. His biggest takeaway? Sustainable growth comes from structure, clarity, and a laser focus on the numbers.

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…