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4. Naked Wines 4 of 100   Previous entry   Next entry
Founder Rowan Gormley
Website www.nakedwines.com
Why it made our list
Naked Wines, which launched in December 2008, is the brainchild of Rowan and 17 other former employees of Virgin Wines who decided to strike out on their own after the company was sold. The wine retailer and online community connects independent winemakers with UK consumers cutting out the industry buyers and distributors that usually sit somewhere in between. The company supplies unique, premium brands that are not available in the supermarkets at an affordable price. With more than 60,000 customers and a £9m turnover predicted for this year, Rowan has certainly uncorked a winner.
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How do our winners measure up? Year started - 2007 22%, 2008 37%, 2009 36% 2010 5%. The Startups 100 were so busy launching their business in 2008 and 2009 they forgot all about the recession raging around them and now make up nearly three quarters of our list.