Falmouth University – Successful Alumni who Founded Startups

If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly. Please see our shortlist below!

 

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Dan Bethell & Anna Burnett – Forest & Clay

 

Forest and Clay

 

Fine Art graduate Dan Bethell and Fashion Photography graduate Anna Burnett both attended Falmouth University. The duo founded Forest & Clay, a handcrafted pottery and furniture business that’s nestled in the heart of the Cheshire countryside.

They have created a signature range of pottery, furniture and homeware and also offer bespoke design services for furniture and larger fitted cabinetry. Despite only setting up their business in October 2020, the couple’s designs are already turning plenty of heads. They couple founded the business after converting a barn together and deciding to make their furniture in order to fill it. Anna re-discovered her love of pottery during lockdown, after being inspired by her grandmother – a successful potter. The couple now have plans to open a physical homeware/design store and work with other British designers and makers to feature handmade homeware products in their range.

Anna says: “We found ourselves in a lucky position to start Forest & Clay when we did. The lockdown allowed us to focus all our time and attention into something we owned. I was able to devote all my attention to teaching myself how to throw, glaze and fire pots. It’s only been a little over a year since starting our business and we’re already seeing so much progress in ourselves as makers.”

 

Ella Kasperowicz – Ellastrated

 

ella-kasperowicz

 

Falmouth University Illustration graduate Ella Kasperowicz was already capturing attention before she graduated, having featured in D&AD New Blood Exhibition. Her work was spotted by publishers at Octopus Books, who invited Ella to write and illustrate her own book ‘Squad Goals’.This unique gift book explores the world of female friendships, delving into friend archetypes, the group chat, shared hobbies and what holds a friendship together.

The book is based on Ella’s experiences of being immersed in a friendship group and inspired by the seaside lifestyle she experienced in and around Falmouth. Ella’s online store ‘Ellastrated’ features an impressive range of maps, zines, totes, stickers, postcards, textiles and mugs – including some very witty, tongue-in-cheek designs featuring Jeremy Corbyn Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson. As a freelance designer, she has worked with clients including BBC Bitesize, Birmingham Stage Company, London Gallery, UK Stem and Run Wild Magazine.

Speaking about her time living and studying in Falmouth, Ella says: “(My studies) not only taught me the idea generation skills required to get my crazy imagination down on paper, but taught me about colour, composition and gave the professional practical skills to become a freelance illustrator. Living in Falmouth was an absolute dream for writing this book…It’s so surreal! All my friends, family, old school teachers and work colleagues are so supportive and proud of me which is amazing. I hope that readers are inspired to make plans with their own squad, while remembering the good times and of course have a laugh at the many silly things that my friends and I get up to!”

 

Adam Tindall – Purpose 3D

 

Headshot Adam Tindall

 

Purpose 3D, based in Cornwall, is helping museums bring history to life whilst providing them with a recurring income stream.

Purpose 3D uses photogrammetry to create digital 3D models of historical costumes. They are building the world’s largest marketplace of digital clothing, with formats available for games developers, fashion designers/students, TV and film. Museums get a cut of each model sale.

They’ve already built a portfolio of over 100 models from museums and collections across Cornwall, including the Museum of Cornish Life and the Cornwall Museum Partnership and Art Fund. Museums benefit by making their collections more accessible and are able to show people pieces that they can’t fit into their physical space. (Plus some garments are fragile and difficult to move around). The process involves taking around 400-500 photographs of each costume, then using software to produce each model.

Next, they are planning to push the boundaries of 3D models within the fields of immersive tech, digital fashion and digital simulation.

Co-founder, Adam Tindall, spent 20 years in London in media sales before he moved to Cornwall and started this business with the help of Falmouth University’s Launchpad venture studio. He now has an MSc in Entrepreneurship from Falmouth University which he gained through the Launchpad programme.

 

Michael Calvin – Viewr Ltd

 

Michael Calver Viewr

 

Founded in 2021, Viewr Ltd is a software start-up aiming to transform the way in which the world around us is designed, marketed and sold. Viewr instantly turns Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) files into compelling, high-quality and interactive web-based experiences to support the design, sale and marketing of the built environment.

Viewr was founded by Michael Calver. Michael used to be a technology consultant, which was his role whilst at Falmouth University’s Launchpad venture studio. Michael originally studied at the University of Hull, and now also has an MSc in Entrepreneurship from Falmouth.

 

Mollie Spurr – RELUV

 

reluv

 

Mollie Spurr was born in Lincoln and with the help of Falmouth business incubator, has recently started a business that supports charity retail stores whilst they become part of their online marketplace community.

She founded ‘RELUV’ during the pandemic and believes they have a great solution to building an Online Charity community marketplace and future proofing the Charity Sector. They have soft launched their web application recently and are looking to the next stage of growth.

Their main goals are –
1. Revolutionise the charity sector with modern and accessible solutions

2. Educate the community in the many benefits of a circular economy of fashion

3. Lift, support and develop online UK Charities and their causes

4. Unleash the power of digital, making charity shop shopping accessible to all

5. Vitalise online, affordable shopping experiences that support the environment, reduce consumption and eliminate waste.

With the effects of COVID-19 still showing themselves within the charity retail sector, they would like to provide future online selling security. Their web platform is designed to host charities all in a non-competitive space, whilst they work with the charity community.

The platform takes a 9% commission for each item that is sold and a £5 monthly subscription fee for use of the platform. However, this subscription starts after a 3 month trial period and it is encouraged to post as much as possible during this time to really get the most possible from the platform.

 

If there is someone you would like to add to the list, please email us directly.

 

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