Richard Branson and Simon Squibb Join Forces with Rising Founders Backed by Virgin StartUp In a high-energy gathering that buzzed with entrepreneurial spirit, Richard Branson and Simon Squibb sat down with nine ambitious British founders, all of whom have been supported by Virgin StartUp to grow their businesses from bold ideas into thriving ventures.
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Hosted alongside Andy Fishburn, the managing director of Virgin StartUp, the conversation unfolded as part of a wider mission to champion purpose-driven entrepreneurship and inspire the next generation of changemakers. The conversation was candid - and Entrepreneur UK was in the room
Among the standout entrepreneurs in attendance were Varun Bhanot, founder of MAGIC AI, a cutting-edge company blending artificial intelligence with performance coaching since its 2021 launch; James Griffiths, co-founder of Mous, the wildly successful tech accessory brand now boasting more than 2 million customers since its 2015 beginnings; and Jess Kaye and Rosie Williams, the duo behind The OWN Studio, a trailblazing sustainable bridalwear brand that's become a fashion industry favorite, featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. The room was filled with passion, brilliant reflections, and big ideas. Branson, known for his fearless approach to business, said "the best way of learning anything is just to chuck yourself in a deep end... you've got to say you can do anything.... and then you've just got to catch up, and catch up, catch up, catch up."
Simon Squibb, entrepreneur and founder of HelpBnk, took the opportunity to challenge the status quo on education and support systems. "Its a collaboration thing. We need to upgrade the education system in this country, and give people access to some real world knowledge, like financial literacy and basic fundamentals, including that we can only succeed if we work together and help each other. Community is everything," he said, nodding to the collaborative ethos that Virgin StartUp champions. This gathering marks just the beginning of a renewed commitment by Branson, Squibb, and Virgin StartUp to empower thousands more founders across the UK - not just to scale companies, but to change the way business is done.
A longer, more detailed feature covering the full conversation, behind-the-scenes moments, and founder insights will be published soon - offering a deeper look at how this powerful network is shaping the future of entrepreneurship.
