As part of a weekly series, BusinessCloud is highlighting updates from some of the companies featured in our Founder 250 list.
The UK-wide list celebrates 250 of the country’s best founder-led and founder-influenced businesses.
RSM UK is the headline sponsor of Founder 250, alongside law firm CG, property specialist OBI and investor Mercia Ventures.
1. Simmer founder praises immigrant family’s contribution
Simmy Dhillon praised the sacrifices of his immigrant family during a visit to 10 Downing Street.
Dhillon is the founder of £50m-revenue business Simmer and attended an event celebrating the contribution of business leaders and entrepreneurs from faith communities.
Simmy Dhillon, Simmer, outside 10 Downing Street
He said: “50 years ago, my family came to the UK. For their generation, success was simple: Put your head down, work whatever jobs were needed, and build stability. Yesterday, I walked into 10 Downing Street and it really hit me. The sacrifice of immigrant parents and grandparents is spending their whole lives laying bricks. Spending decades working night shifts in factories. Just so their kids and grandkids never have to start from nothing.”
The event was organised by Polly Dhaliwal of Enterprise Nation.
2. Happl turns six and hints at ‘major changes’
Happy 6th birthday to Happl, the AI-native employee benefits platform for global companies founded by Ben Towers.
Earlier this year, Towers was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours list at the age of 27.
With offices in London and New York, Happl is backed by Y Combinator – the Silicon Valley incubator that helped launch Airbnb and Reddit – as well as notable investors including Tom Blomfield, co-founder of Monzo and GoCardless.
Happl was founded by Ben Towers and is six years old
He said: “This year has been the biggest. We raised an $11m Series A led by Portage, grew the team 3x, moved into a new office and I was given an MBE. 10x more people are using Happl and it isn’t just a platform now, it’s an operating system for global benefits. There’s a lot to be proud of but I’m most proud of the team who turned an idea into a reality. As we start to think about the future, we have some major changes happening.”
3. Must Have Ideas celebrates eighth birthday
Another company celebrating a birthday last week was family-run Must Have Ideas.
Amy Knight started the e-commerce retailer in 2018 from her kitchen table with just £3,000 and ‘a head full of ideas’.
Must Have Ideas celebrated its 8th birthday
The business turned eight this week and celebrated with a birthday party for its 200+ staff.
The company said: “Our birthday party was the perfect opportunity to come together, celebrate how far we’ve come, and recognise the hard work, dedication and team spirit that have helped make Must Have Ideas what it is today. Here’s to the next eight years.”
4. Fresha expands into Mexico
Fresha, the London-based AI-powered marketplace and business management platform for the beauty and wellness industry, has announced senior hires in Mexico and Germany as part of its global expansion.
Carlos Walther is the head of commercial for Mexico in Fresha
Founded in 2015 by William Zeqiri and Nick Miller, Fresha is one of the fastest-growing beauty and wellness platforms in the world.
Fresha has appointed Carlos Walther as head of commercial for Mexico and Mazen Tadli as general manager of Germany, as well as opening a new office in the heart of Berlin.
5. Ex-IBM exec joins SurrealDB
SurrealDB, founded by brothers Tobie and Jaime Morgan Hitchcock, has appointed former IBM executive Debbie Landers as strategic advisor.
Earlier this year, SurrealDB raised $23m in a Series A extension, taking its total funding to $44m.
Debbie Landers has taken on new role at SurrrealDB
Landers, who spent more than 30 years at IBM, has been advising SurrealDB since August 2025 and said: “So proud to be part of your team.”
6. NorthEdge completes Distology sale to Foresight
Manchester-based private equity firm NorthEdge has completed the sale of Distology, the Stockport-based specialist value-added distributor of cybersecurity technologies, to Foresight Group.
Hayley Roberts, CEO of Distology
The transaction is NorthEdge’s ninth technology exit.
Distology was founded by CEO Hayley Roberts.