2 Zyla Clients FEATURE IN the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses

The complete 2024 Startups 100 Index is a testament to the boundless entrepreneurial spirit that defines the UK startup scene. These new businesses are not just surviving, but thriving; defying expectations to chart new paths forward. 

Zyla is delighted to have two if its clients Packfleet and Jude feature in this years Startups 100. 👏

Packfleet

Packfleet

Packfleet is a tech-enabled, carbon neutral courier that seeks to overhaul the delivery sector as the antidote to Amazon.

Founders: Tristan Thomas, Hugo Cornejo, and Josh Garnham
Year founded: 2021
Website: packfleet.com

Fragile parcels being thrown into the bin. Drivers being underpaid and overworked. Next-day deliveries that are killing the Earth. The postal sector is in desperate need of an overhaul, and Packfleet is on a mission to deliver change.

Founded by a group of ex-Monzo employees, Packfleet is the courier that cares, using smart tech to fix many of the pain points perpetuated by legacy companies. Having parked itself in 88th position last year, the startup has now driven through the gates to our top 10 this year, following a hugely successful 12 months of growth and development.

Packfleet is the full package for small merchants. In fact, many of its fellow listees in this year’s Startups 100 told us they have even switched to the provider in the past 12 months due to its positive impact on the planet and society.

Following high-profile worker strikes at Amazon and Royal Mail last year, Packfleet was founded on the basic principle that its posties are human beings (somebody tell Jeff Bezos). Drivers are brought on as full-time staff, receive full parental leave and sick pay, and are paid 30% higher than the industry average.

This empathetic approach is then passed down the supply chain to the end user. Aided by the brand’s smart live tracking technology, Packfleet customers can rest easy knowing that their courier has a parcel failure rate of 0.1% when compared with the industry standard of up to 5%.

Plus, it doesn’t cost the Earth. After upgrading to an all-electric van fleet last year, the business is proudly carbon neutral and newly-certified B Corp – alleviating the guilt that many of us feel when purchasing an order for express delivery.

“After upgrading to an all-electric van fleet last year, the business is proudly carbon neutral and newly-certified B Corp”

Having successfully moved its operations from a small railway arch to a 20,000 sq ft warehouse, Packfleet now delivers for hundreds of businesses across London. It has also raised £9m in seed funding and achieved profitability in its eight core delivery areas – all within two years of being founded.

Combined with smart partnerships with large ecommerce brands including Oh Polly, and smaller chains such as Pizza Pilgrims, the brand is revving up for expansion into major UK cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham this year. Welcome back to our list, Packfleet!

Jude

Jude is a bladder health startup that's making waves, and wants us to be less comfortable with accepting incontinence.

Founders: Peony Li
Year founded: 2021
Website: wearejude.com

In a 2022 survey, 56% of UK adult women said their health issues had been ignored by healthcare professionals. The gender pain gap has left millions to suffer in silence – including an estimated 41% who suffer from urinary incontinence.

For years, these women have been told their bladder weakness or propensity for infections is a normal part of ageing, or even a consequence of childbirth. Say ‘hey’ to Jude, the startup on a mission to break the toilet taboo with its range of bladder health supplements.

Tired of the legacy brands like Tena and Always monopolising bladder care, Jude is giving the sector a much-needed refresh. It’s replacing the outdated containment products, such as adult diapers and pads, with science-backed, clinically-tested natural supplements.

The business has even designed a free national bladder care support hotline, in partnership with medical experts and GPs

Containing all-natural ingredients like pumpkin seed extract and soy germ extract, Jude’s products don’t require a prescription. In fact, the business has even designed a free national bladder care support hotline, in partnership with medical experts and GPs.

Claiming to reduce daily urinary leaks by 79% and nighttime wees by 39%, Jude says it has already served 13,000 happy customers. But its impact goes further than sales figures. Jude has also built a community of 4,000 women who engage regularly with its educational content, group pelvic floor exercise sessions, and ‘No Judgement Jude' discussion groups.

In an industry built on disposability, Jude is also a force for environmental change. Alongside its main product line, the company also sells liners and pads, every layer of which is made from bamboo. All wrappers are made from corn starch and are 100% degradable within 100 days, while its recyclable boxes are made using wood pulp.

Jude has future ambitions to help male-specific bladder issues, such as those linked to prostate health.

Currently targeting those suffering from overactive bladders and stress incontinence, Li (who was previously head of operations at femtech, Daye) has future ambitions to help male-specific bladder issues, such as those linked to prostate health.

In the short-term, the goal is US expansion. In September 2023, Jude announced £3.36m in a seed financing round to take its supplements stateside, adding to an Innovate UK grant of £400,000.

Having already supported thousands of women in managing their urologic conditions, Jude is about to help a heck a lot of more. Looking for a top bladder startup that’s disrupting an outdated area of health in 2024? Look for Jude.

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