Three innovative London-based small businesses — Chhabra, Edvance AI, and Cirkular — have each secured £5,000 through the Simply Business Young Entrepreneur Fund, a nationwide initiative supporting founders aged 18–30. The programme has now distributed £50,000 to 10 young entrepreneurs across the UK, aiming to remove two major barriers: lack of funding and lack of expert support.
For more information about the fund: https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/campaign/young-entrepreneur-fund/
Meet the London Winners
Chhabra – Sugar-Free Functional Beverage Innovators
The natural, sugar-free drink brand Chhabra will use the £5,000 to scale production and boost marketing for its functional drops.
Website: https://chhabra.co.uk/
Founders Pratima Chhabra, Casey Nicholas and Ruby Woloski said the win is a “game-changer” that validates their mission to deliver healthier drink alternatives.
Edvance AI – AI Consultancy for Growing Businesses
AI consultancy Edvance AI plans to strengthen its brand and upgrade its AI readiness diagnostic systems using the grant.
Website: https://edvanceai.com/
Founder Ideja Bajra said the win “accelerates the momentum” the business has been building.
Cirkular – Search Engine for Second-Hand Fashion
Fashion-tech platform Cirkular will use the funds to onboard new resale partners and grow its community of conscious consumers.
Website: https://cirkular.co/
Co-founder & CEO Annie Hought said the recognition is meaningful, especially as launching a tech platform with limited resources is challenging.
Judging Panel & Winning Criteria
Applicants were evaluated on:
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Innovation
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Unique value proposition
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Growth potential
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Social impact
The judging panel featured:
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Julie Fisher – CEO, Simply Business UK
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Professor Green – Musician & Entrepreneur
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Harpreet Kaur – Winner of The Apprentice
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Rebekah Sun – CEO, Hatch Enterprise
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Mark Maciver – Founder, Slider Cuts
Professor Green highlighted the quality of the 12,000 entries and emphasised the need for opportunities that remove barriers for young founders.
Business Support Beyond the Grant
Each winner will also complete a six-week business support programme delivered by Hatch Enterprise, a charity focused on empowering early-stage entrepreneurs.
Hatch Enterprise: https://www.hatchenterprise.org/
CEO Rebekah Sun noted that young founders often lack the early-stage support required to scale, making partnerships like this essential to the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Why Support for Young Entrepreneurs Matters
According to Simply Business research:
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75% of 16–19-year-olds want to start a business
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36% already earn money from side hustles
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51% say lack of funding is their biggest obstacle
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46% struggle with limited access to mentorship
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61% believe school doesn’t teach essential business skills
Julie Fisher, CEO of Simply Business UK, said the company hopes the fund will inspire future entrepreneurs and spotlight the enormous talent among young people.
Learn More
Full details on the fund and winners: https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/campaign/young-entrepreneur-fund/
