果冻影院

果冻影院 architecture alumnus shares his experience of launching an award-winning startup while studying for his master鈥檚 degree, with support from 果冻影院 Innovation & Enterprise.

James was part-way through his BSc Architecture at 果冻影院 when he and his聽co-founder, Alessandro Attanzio,聽hit on the idea for BoxxDocks. Their business is helping logistics companies boost efficiency and become more sustainable.

James and his two co-founders have been supported to set up and grow their business as part of the Hatchery incubator programme at BaseKX, 果冻影院鈥檚 dedicated entrepreneurship hub in King鈥檚 Cross.

Meeting an untackled issue

鈥淥ur journey with all started during lockdown when I was working on a placement as part of my architecture degree. Myself and Alessandro noticed a pressing untackled issue in the UK logistics industry. Namely, the lack of innovation and visibility in distributors鈥� backend logistics.

We could see that many businesses were struggling with a lack of visibility into the whereabouts and condition of their shipped goods. So, we thought why not find a way to address that problem. We came up with the idea of fitting reusable packaging (such as plastic logistics boxes) with advanced tracking and tracing technology, to help companies boost efficiency in their supply chain, while also doing away with single-use plastics and cardboard to lower costs and emissions.

Studying while growing a business

At that stage, we were still a long way off BoxxDocks becoming a revenue generating company. So, I went back and started my architecture master鈥檚 at 果冻影院, and things got properly going over those next two years.

Looking back, it was a lot to do at once. But it also taught me to get very good at decision making and time management, because I had deadlines to meet with my studies and limited time to get everything done for the business.

Joining 果冻影院鈥檚 Hatchery incubator programme

A lot of the time as a startup, you just need to be together at a desk. So, our first step was to look for some in-person space. Someone told us about 果冻影院鈥檚 Hatchery programme run by 果冻影院 Innovation & Enterprise, and we applied and were accepted. Having that desk space and tailored support meant we could meet up in person, put a plan together and really go at things from there.

As well as all the helpful facilities at the Hatchery, I was able to tap into my connections at The Bartlett School of Architecture at 果冻影院. That was great for getting access to useful contacts we needed, to help us build a prototype of our platform, for example. Having the 果冻影院 logo on our decks also helped with building credibility with potential investors.

In 2021, BoxxDocks was named one of the top 100 startups in the UK by TechRound. That led to us securing the Wired Award in 2022 by TATA. In 2023 we won Santander鈥檚 Hatchery Startup of the Year award and a spot in TransportTech 50, who ranked us in the top 10 of the UK's most innovative tech companies in logistics.

After receiving business support from 果冻影院 Innovation & Enterprise, BoxxDocks secured investments from TechStars, British Design Fund and Angel Investor to take their solution to market.

Growing the business with 果冻影院鈥檚 free extra-curricular support

It鈥檚 been a rapid and exhilarating journey, and the input we鈥檝e had from 果冻影院 has been pivotal in all of it. Not just in giving us a physical base, but also in the support we鈥檝e received from the startup experts at 果冻影院 Innovation & Enterprise.

They helped us access finance to develop our product. They helped us explore different markets. They let us know about competitions to get our name out there, like 果冻影院 Demo Day.

When you鈥檙e a first-time founder, you don't really know what you're doing, you鈥檙e trying to navigate this world of investment, and launching and development. So one of the best things has been being surrounded by other 果冻影院 entrepreneurs who are in the same boat as us. We ask each other questions, we signpost each other to different bits of support. Having that community is game-changing.

Having a tangible impact

I鈥檝e now finished my master鈥檚 and am working full time on the business. I never would have thought I鈥檇 end up working in a field like logistics, as it鈥檚 quite a niche and hidden industry. But I absolutely love what we鈥檙e building and doing. By leveraging our technology, we鈥檙e empowering logistics companies to take accountability of their operations in a way they haven鈥檛 been able to do before.

We鈥檝e recently launched with a UK leading pharmaceutical distributor, Sigma Pharmaceuticals. We鈥檙e helping them by tracking their logistics packaging across their national supply chain, enhancing efficiency and supporting their path towards net zero.

We鈥檝e also signed contracts with two UK logistics companies and are in conversation with multiple enterprise across the pharmaceutical, food and retail sectors. Our focus now is continuing with our growth and product development, while we work towards a seed round in 2025, to scale our business.

Advice for budding entrepreneurs

Would I recommend entrepreneurship to other 果冻影院 students or graduates? Absolutely. But it鈥檚 vital to remember that success as a founder demands a huge amount of dedication and hard work. Be prepared to put in the time and effort required to nurture your business and see it flourish.

In terms of support, the best way of describing 果冻影院 is it鈥檚 a bit like a treasure box. There鈥檚 so much you can access. So, if you have the drive to go and build something, you just have to be willing to ask, and you鈥檒l find someone who can help you. It鈥檚 all there for the taking. My advice is to jump in headfirst, and really make the most of what鈥檚 available.鈥�