Member Article

Meet the children's backpack entrepreneurs who are crowdfunding after Dragon's Den backing

The entrepreneurial duo behind YUU, the children’s backpack startup that has been backed by Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones, are now turning to crowdfunding to bring their GPS and WIFI-enabled backpack to market.

Gill Hayward and Kellie Forbes, the two mums behind the business, are looking to raise $50,000 on Indiegogo to fund their new line of YUUgo backpacks following on from their initial YUUbag range with a new high-tech product line.

The new bags include integrated GPS allowing children to log their journeys and distances, as well as giving parents the ability to set up geofencing alerts, and a WiFi tracker alongside the original line’s features including a fold-down desk, whistle and pack of stationery and games.

Gill Hayward, Co-Founder of YUU, said the new features which help to both encourage ‘active play’ and provide added peace of mind for parents.

She commented: “We believe it’s important for children to understand tech in the 21st century but we also believe it’s important that tech play is balanced with active play.

“With YUUgo we set out to put the ‘fun’ into ‘functional’ and inspire children to want to get out and about and have fun tracking and learning about their adventures with the technology interface.”

YUU was founded back in 2010 by Hayward and Forbes, who met when working together as junior marketing executives at London ad agency J Walter Thompson, after both mums had hatched the idea of a child’s backpack that doubles up as an entertainment centre.

An appearance on BBC TV series Dragon’s Den in 2012 catapulted the brand into the public consciousness, while investment sealed on the show helped to turbocharge the startup’s growth.

According to Co-Founder Forbes, YUU sold a backpack every 12 minutes last Christmas and is now hoping to do better this year with a targetted Christmas 2017 launch for the YUUgo.

Forbes added: “We have received overwhelming public support for our YUUbag since we launched six years ago, so it feels completely natural that we are now turning to the public to help support our launch of YUUgo through Crowdfunding.

“Research to date has been incredibly positive with many parents ringfencing this as the perfect Christmas present guaranteed to keep their child entertained for many years to come.”