Channel 4 featured Hivehaus founder receives funding

An entrepreneur whose innovative modular living space idea was featured on Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Places has secured funding to take his business forward.

51-year-old Barry Jackson from Lancashire created his prototype Hivehaus in 2013 his subsequent appearence on the Channel 4 show brought him thousands of enquiries.

Barry will launch his idea, which comprises a series of flat panel hexagons that interlock, at the Grand Designs Live show in May.

He has now been supported by Gateshead-based Transmit Start-Ups, giving him the time to develop Hivehaus away from his day jobs as self-employed builder.

He said: “The Transmit Start-Ups funding has been really invaluable as it enabled me to really concentrate on my prototype and not worry about how I was going to pay my bills.

“I was able to hit the ground running with my idea which has been fantastic. Their support has helped me get Hivehaus from an initial concept to launch in just 18 months.”

Damian Baetens, director, Transmit Start-Ups said: “Barry’s business will be a great success as the interest in his product is already so substantial, even before its formal launch.

“Grand Designs Live is the perfect showcase for the Hivehaus and it is sure to be a massive hit at the event. We are delighted to have played our part in him taking the product to market.”

Barry Jackson has always been self-employed working in various part of the building industry from joinery to roofing and these skills have proved invaluable to the creation of the Hivehaus.

As well as these practical abilities he is a keen designer and photographer whose work has featured in publications such as Digital Camera magazine. He sees his living space concept as a great combination of both areas of his life.

His idea for Hivehaus was born out of necessity when he needed to somewhere to live while he rebuilt his cottage home. He thought flat panel construction kits like a child’s building set based around hexagons would work as temporary house and as the idea progressed the flexibility of the units became apparent and he patented the concept.

The potential for his product is massive as it can be used in so many locations and for a range of uses as a permanent or temporary home. Since George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces followed his first ever Hivehaus being built Barry’s website has had over 100,000 hits.

The enquiries have been as varied as a hotel in the Maldives, a Canadian who wants to build a pod on top of his penthouse roof and authorities interested in providing low cost housing as the cost of a standard ‘cell’ is little as £10k.

Barry is currently finalising deals with the manufacturers who will produce and assemble the Hivehaus models along similar lines to a car production plant. In time he plans to have approved installers who are accredited by him to build the Hivehaus for clients but in the meantime his business will manufacture and fit them.

He is already thinking about his next innovation which is going to be aimed at helping homeless people get shelter.

Barry is supported in his business by his wife Ed and has an 8 year old daughter Cyd.

Further information is available on www.hivehaus.co.uk and on Transmit Start-Ups, www.transmitstartups.co.uk. Transmit Start-Ups is part of the Government’s national start up initiative, backed by the entrepreneur James Caan.