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Industry-led accelerator Breakout Wellness UK seeking next big nutrition brand

Startup accelerator programme Breakout Wellness UK is partnering with retail major Holland & Barrett to propel eleven extraordinary startups into growth.

Designed by startup accelerator Growth Studio, the programme has selected a cohort of eleven high potential founders for an eight-week mentorship programme designed to help each startup refine growth strategy, brand positioning and commercial credibility to scale. Participants stretch across women's health, sleep quality, performance, gut health and sexual wellness. Founders will receive mentorship from Holland & Barrett throughout the programme and two winners will each receive a TikTok Shop support package worth £150,000 to help accelerate growth.

At a glance:

• Startup accelerator Growth Studio has kickstarted its inaugural Breakout Wellness UK programme seeking the next high-growth nutrition brand.
• Holland & Barrett is the founding retail partner and will help coach the eleven emerging wellness startups during the accelerator programme.
• The programme aims to bring together UK wellness stakeholders to streamline growth and forge startup-retail partnerships.

Holland & Barrett form part of a wider consortium of global partners and specialists set to support the selected emerging brands, including HSBC Innovation Banking, Bird & Bird LLP, Somerce, Finishing Line, Taylored Consultancy and a selection of major UK venture capitalists.

Pivotal timing

Paul Finch, co-founder of Growth Studio, said the programme is timely for the UK wellness category which is currently valued at £170 billion (€198bn) by the non-profit Global Wellness Institute.

“Breakout Wellness UK comes at a really interesting, exciting and also somewhat scary time,” Finch told Ingredients Network. “We have high growth in consumer demand for wellness solutions but not all the foundations we need to serve that demand are in place today. There are too few investors for the size of the prize and not all retailers are set up yet to capitalise on the wellness shopper, especially from younger, independent brands.”

Many retailers, grocers and department stores, he said, are “looking to make more solid wellness plays” but are burdened by traditional constraints like where to place wellness brands in store. Having Holland & Barrett on-board as a founding partner, therefore, is “absolutely invaluable”.

Guy Farmer, chief commercial officer at Holland & Barret, said that partnering with Breakout Wellness UK is a natural move for the retailer as it works to stay at “the forefront of innovation” in the fast-moving health and wellness space.

“Part of the reason we're involved in Breakout Wellness is to be surprised,” Farmer said. “For Holland & Barrett, it gives us an opportunity to get closer to emerging innovation and help shape solutions that can make preventative wellness more accessible and easier to incorporate into everyday life.”

Asked what Holland & Barrett is looking for amongst the emerging brands, he said the ultimate goal is to find “the next big thing in wellness”.

“We're not looking for more of the same. We want to discover brands bringing something genuinely new – whether that's a solution, format, ingredient or a completely different approach to an emerging wellness need.” Within this, he said convenience, accessibility and experience are increasingly important, as well as a proactive and personalised approach to health.

No matter the theme or format, though, science and credibility is non-negotiable, Farmer said; there must be a strong evidence base and a clear purpose. “For us, genuine innovation starts with a real customer need. We're interested in solutions that are science-led and credible, but also accessible and simply enough to become part of everyday life. That's where innovation can make a meaningful difference.”

Empowering entrepreneurs

Today, Finch said many barriers continue to block emerging wellness brands. Whilst lots of startups successfully scale via social commerce, many founders lack knowledge to scale in retail. In addition to this, the regulation, claims and compliance landscape is highly complex and expensive for early-stage founders to adhere to, he said.

The accelerator programme, therefore, aims to build on these important foundations. “We place emphasis on the formation of firm commercial foundations, understanding regulation and compliance, raising capital and investment and moving into retail with much greater knowledge which will utlimately drive sustainable growth.”

Farmer said Holland & Barrett will provide mentorship from senior leadership and specialists across science, commercial, retail and supply chain to help build out knowledge and refine communication amongst the founders. The retailer will also be imparting its “really important customer perspective”, he said, which should help with decisions around investment and scaling.

According to Finch, bringing together emerging wellness entrepreneurs and established retailers is crucial for the future of the wider UK wellness market and should catalyse more investment and shared expertise whilst elevating startups.

Breakout Wellness UK is more than just an accelerator programme, he said, it is “a leap forward” in driving a wellness ecosystem ready to scale innovation and serve customer demand.