Yuup, an online marketplace for booking experiences, has launched in its second city, Birmingham. Having generated over £600k of income for Bristol locals in its first year the platform will now provide a place to browse and book hundreds of experiences in the UK’s second-biggest city. The company, which was founded during the UK lockdown, is embarking on UK expansion after a successful first year of trading and a crowdfunding round that secured almost £1m in investment.
The platform offers small independent businesses and indie creators a platform to host unique experiences. Customers can find 100s of local experiences to do and to gift: from pottery making to food tours, silversmithing to wine tasting, and from paddleboarding to immersive cinema events.
Bristol has welcomed Yuup with open arms, with 300 hosts joining the platform and over 23k experiences sold since Yuup’s launch in September 2020.
Since launch, Yuup has injected nearly £600k of income into the local economy and has offered businesses an alternative revenue stream in order to remain agile in an ever-changing economic environment. Positive social impact is at the heart of the company’s operations, with local, independent businesses and budding entrepreneurs being the centerpiece of Yuup’s offering to consumers.
Birmingham is home to a whole host of quirky independent shops, bars, venues, and restaurants. It has a bustling arts scene, innovative food and drink offerings, and most importantly- a passionate and diverse community that loves Birmingham and is proud of the city’s independent spirit.
Dominic Mills, Founder and CEO of Yuup said: “It’s the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands that sold it for us.
“A city, like Bristol, that is full of creative people, champions local independents and is made up of diverse communities united by a collective desire to share their passions and new experiences.”
Ed Rowberry, CEO of Yuup’s lead investor Bristol & Bath Regional Capital (BBRC), expressed his support of Yuup’s potential when pledging a £250k investment in Yuup through Bristol-focused fund, City Funds:
“Yuup is a ‘have your cake and eat it too’ type of company. Not only have the Yuup team found a unique and growing niche in the market, they’re also generating new and lasting local value.
It’s an exciting combination of innovative disruption and local impact, powered by a team with the experience to execute. Yuup has already made a significant positive impact on communities across Bristol and we’re excited to be supporting the team to scale up this impact.”
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