New London tech hub for fast-growing supplements business
Lancashire supplements business YourZooki is set to launch a London tech hub as it gears up for further growth including a new probiotic products.
The Preston-headquartered company has established a new team within WeWork’s 2 Eastbourne Terrace, Paddington where it is looking to create 20 new roles.
The London team, which will include data analysts, digital marketing specialists, web developers and customer success officers, will strengthen its inhouse tech capabilities and direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform.
YourZooki, founded by Marcus Mollinga and Jack Morrison in 2017, specialises in vitamins, oils and capsules, which are stocked in national retailers including Holland and Barrett, Planet Organic, Wholefoods, Selfridges and Harrods and are already sold in 49 countries worldwide.
Sophie Williams-Mollinga will also be joining the family business as Chief Creative Officer, from her role as Customer Experience Lead at software services provider CSG.
The expansion comes after online sales rocketed by over 430% since April 2020, with more than 315% growth in YourZooki’s monthly subscription model, helping to treble revenues in 2020, it said.
Major new contracts also supported this growth, with agreements with retailers Boots and General Nutrition Centre (GNC), a leading global specialist supplements retailer.
To support YourZooki’s rapid growth, the founders have secured investment totalling £2.85m over the last 14 months.
Investors include Metro Bank (£1.6m), Investec (£950,000) and Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Fund, managed by GC Business Finance (£300,000). This funding was used in part to open a new Blackpool facility in March 2020, after sales soared.
YourZooki’s operational, manufacturing and product development teams will remain within Blackpool and Preston, allowing the family business to maintain its regional roots as it looks ahead to launching a probiotic product and incorporating new flavours to its Vitamin C Zooki range.
Jack Morrison said: “We’ve undergone exceptional growth over the last eighteen months, which has been driven in large part by online sales.
“Customers are increasingly coming to us directly through our ecommerce model, or via our stockist’s online retail channels, so it’s been important to build our digital and tech capabilities inhouse to support this.
“The new Paddington spot is the first office Marcus and I have set up outside of Lancashire since we founded the business, and our London hub which will be working closely alongside our Preston and Blackpool teams, as we grow the YourZooki family.
“Alongside our international growth, into North America and across Europe, this is a really exciting time for YourZooki, with new products, listings and contracts on the horizon.”
