News / Business

Bristol startup named in Forbes ‘ones to watch in 2019’ list

By Ellie Pipe  Wednesday Jan 23, 2019

A Bristol company dedicated to spreading joy through small gestures is making big waves on the national business stage.

Huggg – a platform that enables people to send real gifts via messaging – has been named in the Forbes’ list of startups you should watch in 2019.

The prestigious accolade marks the end of a fruitful year for the Runway East-based business that was founded in 2015 with the aim of sharing kindness – in the form of a coffee, cake or cinema ticket.

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Huggg grew from a team of three to 18 in 2018, secured some big partners, including Caffè Nero, Odeon, Vue, Lola’s Cupcakes, Crosstown Doughnuts, and went national with its unique product.

As the only Bristol company in the Forbes list, Huggg was singled out for success because “the money and product are right” and it’s “already a hit with Apple”. The company is also tapping into a growing market, said to be worth upwards of $250 billion.

Paul Wickers says the past year has been pretty unbelievable for the business

Responding to the recognition, Huggg CEO and founder Paul Wickers said: “We’re thrilled to have been included in Forbes’ ‘ones to watch list’ alongside some amazing businesses who are using tech for good.

“The past year has been pretty unbelievable, and with even more national brand partnerships to be announced soon, 2019 looks set to be even more exciting.”

Read more: Bristol named UK’s most productive tech cluster

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