NEWS4 October 2022
Another win for SETsquared Surrey member company.
Rowdy Kind, a SETsquared Surrey member company, has recently won the Pitch Side Hustle Contest and will be going to the final, pitching to a panel of investors and Venture Capitalists in October. The win means that Rowdy Kind will receive a grant of £5k from The Pitch and Sage UK to support the business in its growth plan.
Founded by Kate Tilbury, Rowdy Kind is the first zero waste skincare brand for kids. Kate and co-founder Anne Marie Wright are on a mission to “to make bath time sustainable” and they’ve already saved 30,000 plastic bottles from landfill.
Kate says, “Kids in the UK use over 16 million plastic bottles at bath time every year. Rowdy Kind knew that there had to be a better solution for the planet and for kids during bath time. Rowdy Kind products have the highest quality ingredients and the unique formulations are made specifically for kids skin. Rowdy Kind is committed to sustainability and the business is 100% plastic free. Each of the Rowdy Kind bars replaces two plastic bottles and all ingredients are ethically sourced, cruelty free and vegan.”
Since 2020, Rowdy Kind has been listed in over 50 stores and has already converted 3,000 families to plastic-free bath time.
The Pitch is a free competition that gives start-ups support to grow and a platform to raise investment. It was launched in Bristol in 2008 and has grown into one of the UK’s biggest start-up events, helping thousands of small businesses succeed. Each spring, businesses are invited to apply to The Pitch online. The sessions are recorded and each company makes a short pitch and answers questions. After each session, the judges’ feedback is shared with the finalists. Judges mark each of the finalists on four categories: idea, proof of traction, team and the pitch itself. The top 60 applications are then chosen to progress to six regional finals. The finalists are asked to give a three-minute pitch at The Pitch Final, where the judges select the champion.
Panellists judging Rowdy Kind included John Stapleton, Founder of Mission Ventures, who has over 30 years’ experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, and who started his career by co-founding The New Covent Garden Soup Company, Andreas Georgiou, VP Product Marketing at Sage, and Simon Squibb, founder of Purposeful Project who is on a mission to solve unemployment and help 10,000,000 people start a business.
Kate of Rowdy Kind faced some challenging questions from the panel but was well prepared to answer. The panel offered the finalists advice and mentoring in taking the step from side hustle to established business.
Kate comments, “We entered the contest as we realised that the chance to pitch the business to a group of advisors with experience both founding and building companies and in our or parallel sectors was too good to give up!”
The last six weeks have seen further exciting developments at Rowdy Kind. In addition to winning the Pitch Side Hustle Contest, Kate has been shortlisted for Sustainable Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur awards.
Kate says, “I feel very honoured to be included in a shortlist with entrepreneurs such as the founder of Little Loop, Charlotte Morley. Kids are often forgotten when it comes to new sustainable brands, focusing instead on young adults, but kids know it’s wrong to use unsustainable items and they are pushing their parents to be more sustainable every day.” Rowdy Kind is currently preparing for a brand relaunch and a wider launch into retail in 2023.