Diversity-led book company and zero-waste supermarket among UK’s six new startup champions

The Start Up Loans Company has selected six small businesses to serve as ambassadors for the UK’s thriving startup community.

The Government-backed funding provider, in its annual Ambassador Programme, has chosen successful companies from London to Cumbria as its next roster of startup champions.

Each of the ambassadors got their company off the ground with the help of funding from the Start Up Loans Company.

The theme for this year’s programme is family, with siblings and couples representing half of the cohort.

It will launch today (November 26) during a reception at the Houses of Parliament, where guests will include Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury Jonathan Reynolds MP and British Business Bank chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin.

Over the course of 2019, the ambassadors will participate in a series of local and national events, and advise other aspiring entrepreneurs about setting up a business.

This year’s ambassador companies include Miles & Mia, a London-based children’s books business working to promote diversity in early development literature, and Quilliam Brothers’ Teahouse, a Newcastle-based venue offering teas sourced from around the world while showcasing the work of local artists.

Also chosen were Bakedin, a home-baking kits company based in Basingstoke; Cumbria firm Cut the Wrap!, a package-free supermarket committed to operating as a zero-waste venture; Manchester-based Naturelly, which makes healthy and organic snacks for school children; and BTS Concept Store, a home and lifestyle store in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said: “With more than 1,000 starting up every day, the UK’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy.

“Congratulations to the newly appointed ambassadors for the government-backed Start Up Loans Programme, which helps aspiring business owners across the UK turn their dreams into a reality with finance and mentoring support.”

Michaela Alexander, founder of Miles & Mia, commented: “I am passionate about bringing diversity to children’s education, and really wanted my children to feel represented in the books that they were being exposed to.

“Being picked as an Ambassador to represent UK start ups is a real privilege and I am grateful for the opportunity. Through the Start Up Loans Company I was able to set up Miles & Mia and be the change I want to see in the world.”

British Business Bank chief commercial officer Patrick Magee said: “From healthy snacks for children to gourmet baking kits and waste-free supermarkets, our 2018 ambassadors showcase the wonderful range of small businesses that we have in the UK.

“All of our ambassadors’ stories show the grit and ambition it takes to set up a successful business, and we’re incredibly proud of everything they have achieved. We hope that, with the right guidance and support, we can help even more aspiring business owners realise their dreams of becoming their own boss.”

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the British Business Bank, has provided more than £447m worth of loans to British startups since its inception in 2012.