Huboo keeping ‘innovation and authenticity’ at its heart
When Martin Bysh and Paul Dodd met as they watched their sons play football in Bath, they had no clue that their problem-solving idea would turn into an award-winning business with almost 800 employees and a projected turnover of £52m this year.
For many, online shopping has become the norm. With the increasing volume of new e-commerce businesses comes the challenge of how to get orders to customers efficiently. This is where Huboo comes in.
Martin and Paul devised a pioneering, scalable system for growing businesses to get goods to their customers in peak condition.
As an order fulfilment company, Huboo’s warehouses use the latest tech to create a unique micro-hub model to pick and pack orders so that they reach their final destination quickly and cost-effectively.
With humble beginnings, starting in two secure storage rooms at a Safestore in Bath in 2017, the company has grown to five warehouses around Bristol as well as in mainland Europe and fulfilled more than 10m products in the last year alone.
And it seems the only way is up, with Huboo identified in a 2021 government report as one of three companies within Bristol’s tech sector expected to attain a “unicorn” valuation of more than $1bn over the coming years.
Despite this fast upward trajectory, Huboo prides itself on maintaining a culture of openness, fairness and collaboration to retain the heart and authenticity Martin and Paul created back in Bath five years ago.
Huboo started with an innovative solution and has never lost its
passion for advancing and developing its technologies.
Knowing first-hand what it takes to become a pioneering company, it is sponsoring the Innovation Award at the Bathlive Business Awards 2022, taking place at the Bath Pavilion on September 29 in a bid to promote the capabilities of Bath locals.
Huboo became one of the fastest-growing tech companies due to its innovative, time-effective microhub model which has helped it to attract clients en masse and raise a total of £80m in funding so that e-tailers across Europe can take advantage of the fresh new process.
The bespoke hub model sees the warehouses divided into sections, each overseen by a hub manager who works closely with all of the hub’s businesses to ensure every bespoke fulfilment requirement is
met. This can be from including a thank you note in the handpacked box to wrapping it in branded outer packaging.
The clever combination of award-winning technology with human management gives that much-needed balance. Evidenced through its excellent Trustpilot score of 4.8, Huboo’s business customers appreciate having a hub manager who they trust to provide consistency and quality in ensuring their products reach customers quickly and in peak condition.
Paul, co-founder and CTO, said: “It’s important to combine innovation and authenticity so that while the former provides action and solutions, the latter provides creativity and stability – all making a recipe for success which not only supports our partners and their customers, but the talented local people working with us.”
Keeping that human approach throughout the business means that the company as a whole can maintain integrity.
At the start of this year, Huboo was named one of Europe’s best places to work. Its new head office in Bristol’s city centre is fitted with a working bar, climbing wall, rooftop balcony, games consoles, fully functional kitchen and even its own radio station.
At the heart of Huboo is a culture where people can be themselves and thrive. Its passion to see those in its team given equal opportunities is also replicated in its work with the local community.
Huboo has close connections to many projects across the South West, including the Jessie May Trust, Bristol Children’s Charity and South & East Bristol Foodbank. One in particular, Bath’s Julian House, is a charity which Huboo is especially passionate about – helping to protect vulnerable people in the area.
Following another of its partnerships, a multi-year agreement with Bath Rugby, the company is using the opportunity to support the community even more, helping the delivery of various programmes, including the renowned Captain’s Run.
Martin, who lives in Bath and is CEO and co-founder of Huboo, said: “We felt that this was a truly authentic partnership for us, given that we first breathed life into Huboo from a garage in Bath – this is where our roots lie. Bath Rugby is so central to the city and its people and it has a great ethos with a focus on community, teamwork and solidarity, which match our core values.”
To find out more about Huboo, and find out if there are vacancies to join the team, visit the website: huboo.com