The founder of Manchester firm Dote has revealed how it clinched a deal which will see the world’s biggest retailer stock its ‘baby tech’ products.
Ste Senior and his team headed to the USA a week ago for the pitch, which he described as a “huge moment for us”.
Dote provides parents with real-time insights on their baby’s comfort, sleep patterns and a full log of development via an AI-powered smart baby monitor, advanced strollers, car seats and a smart cot.
Senior wrote on LinkedIn: “To be honest, I’m feeling very nervous because pitching doesn’t come naturally to me. But I’m lucky to have some of our incredible team by my side – Denise Namakando, Avril Murphy and Ralph Wood.
“It still feels surreal that something that started as an idea has come this far… startup life is f****** hard and draining.
“As a founder, you constantly try to be the best version of yourself under severe pressure… Dote wouldn’t be in this position without this exceptional team.”
Now Dote has revealed on LinkedIn that the pitch was successful: “We did it!! Starting next year, one of the largest retailers in the world will be stocking our product range across America. This is a huge opportunity for us, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
“Our team poured their hearts into presenting to the head buyers, and it paid off.”
While Senior couldn’t confirm the identity of the retailer, the team were pictured outside Target on LinkedIn in recent days.
In the first quarter of this year, Dote has announced a series of senior hires as it targets international expansion.
Namakando, who has worked with Dyson, Barbie and Unilever – as well as US tech startup Owlet Baby Care – took up the newly created role of managing director of the UK & Ireland.
Murphy, a former general manager, international and chief revenue officer at Owlet Baby Care – where she oversaw US business performance and market expansion – joined as COO with a focus on establishing Dote’s US presence.
Following the pitch, Dote wrote: “Denise Namakando kicked things off by sharing how we’re reimagining the parenting experience with our health tech platform and 360-degree monitoring. At one point, the buyers even paused the presentation to say they had goosebumps!
“[Chief product officer] Ralph Wood then instilled confidence in our design strategy inspired by Dyson’s principles while showcasing our stroller, highlighting its unique features and Buddy, our AI powered camera.
“Ste Senior, our founder, shared his vision, which is the belief that technology can genuinely change the way we support parents.
“Avril Murphy, our incredible COO and former CRO of Owlet, closed by giving them complete confidence in the numbers. They were all in.
“What’s even more exciting? Our new retail partners don’t just want to stock our products. They want to disrupt the market with us.
“Before we left, we were blown away by all the well wishes and support. It means the world to us.”
Dote raised £1.15m in seed funding in November 2024 and is now raising Series A funding.
“Expanding into the US will unlock massive revenue and profit potential, but we need working capital to make it happen,” it added.
“If you’re an investor and what we’re building resonates with you, we’d love to talk.”
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