London has always been a retail capital, but the real action isn’t on Oxford Street anymore, it’s in the fulfilment centres and digital storefronts of the city’s D2C pioneers. While the broader e-commerce market has faced headwinds, a specific breed of London startup is thriving. These are data companies wrapped in beautiful packaging, using subscription models and hyper-personalisation to build sticky, loyal communities across Europe.
From sustainable toiletries to AI-prescribed skincare, here are the 10 London-based D2C startups that are currently defining the European consumer landscape.
1. Huel
Focused on complete nutrition, Huel (Human + Fuel) began as a niche product for life-hackers but has since evolved into a global nutrition juggernaut. Founded by Julian Hearn, Huel offers nutritionally complete food in powder, bar, and hot & savoury forms. They realised that busy Europeans didn’t want diet food, but they wanted convenience food that wasn’t junk. With revenue exceeding $170 million annually and a valuation surpassing $500 million, Huel has successfully transitioned from an online-only to a physical retail presence. Their recent launch of Daily Greens and ready-to-drink options positions them not just as a meal replacement, but as a total health ecosystem for the time-poor consumer.
2. Oddbox
Leading the charge in fighting food waste, Oddbox takes the fruit and vegetables that supermarkets reject for being “too curvy” or “too small” and delivers them directly to doorsteps. Founders Emilie Vanpoperinghe and Deepak Ravindran have turned food waste into a massive business opportunity, securing B Corp certification along the way. Having saved over 35,000 tonnes of food from going to landfill, they have resonated deeply with eco-conscious consumers across the UK. With recent funding of £16 million, they are rapidly expanding their logistics network to bring their circular economy model to more European households, proving that supply chain inefficiency can be a consumer’s gain.
3. Skin + Me
Built around the concept of prescription personalisation, Skin + Me changed the rules of skincare by offering prescription-strength ingredients, such as Tretinoin and Azelaic acid, through a digital consultation. You upload photos, a dermatologist reviews them, and you receive a personalised Daily Doser, a proprietary twist-click dispenser in the post every month. By removing the need for a physical doctor’s appointment, they have democratized access to medical-grade skincare. Their model has proven incredibly sticky, with a recent £10 million investment fueling their expansion into new dermatological categories, such as acne and anti-ageing.
4. Wild
Pioneering the refill revolution, Wild tackled the massive environmental crisis of single-use bathroom plastic with the world’s first zero-plastic, compostable deodorant refill made from bamboo pulp. Founders Freddy Ward and Charlie Bowes-Lyon designed a sleek, reusable aluminium case that customers keep for life, turning a commodity product into a design object. Their viral marketing and subscription model have been a masterclass in D2C growth, resulting in a massive £5 million Series A investment. Their recent acquisition by Unilever validates the refillable model on a global scale, proving that sustainability can be scaled without sacrificing convenience.
5. Manual
Dedicated to destigmatising men’s health, Manual provides a judgment-free, digital clinic for issues like hair loss, hormonal imbalances, and erectile dysfunction. Co-founded by George Pallis, they offer consultations and treatments delivered discreetly to the door. They have significantly expanded their offering to include weight management, leveraging GLP-1 treatments and testosterone support, effectively building a comprehensive digital hospital for men. With over $75 million in funding, they are the dominant player in the European men’s health and wellness space.
6. SURI
Championing sustainable rituals, SURI created a modular, repairable electric toothbrush with plant-based heads made from corn starch that can be recycled for free. The industry is typically a graveyard of unrecyclable plastic. Still, founders Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi have proven that sustainability doesn’t have to mean compromising on design or power with their sonic technology that rivals that of market leaders. Their sleek aesthetic, magnetic mirror mount, and Apple-like unboxing experience have made them a cult favourite, securing £6 million in funding to take on giants like Sonicare and Oral-B.
7. TRIP
Bringing CBD to the mainstream, TRIP founders Olivia Ferdi and Daniel Khoury created a range of CBD-infused drinks and oils designed to help anxious millennials unwind without alcohol. Their branding is impeccable, with accents of pastel, calming, and premium, allowing them to secure shelf space in major retailers like Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, and Boots, moving the product out of health stores and into the mainstream beverage aisle. They are now the fastest-growing soft drinks brand in the UK, creating a new functional wellness category that bridges the gap between soda and supplements.
8. Lick
By reinventing decorating for the Instagram generation, Lick simplified the overwhelming process of buying paint. Founders Lucas London and Sam Bradley curated a focused palette of high-quality, eco-friendly paints and wallpapers, selling them online with innovative peel-and-stick samples that leave no mess. They built a massive community of home decorators on social media, turning user-generated content into their primary sales engine. With $22 million in funding, they are modernising the dusty home decor industry across Europe, offering a curated, sustainable alternative to big-box stores.
9. Patch
Designed to green the urban jungle, Patch realised that millions of urbanites wanted plants but had no idea how to keep them alive. Founder Freddie Blackett built an online garden centre that filters plants by your specific conditions, such as “low light” and “pet safe”, and delivers them to your door. Their Plant Paramedic aftercare service and free video courses ensure customers succeed, building massive loyalty and reducing plant churn. By solving the complex logistics of shipping living things, Patch has greened thousands of apartments and offices across London and Paris, becoming the go-to brand for biophilic design.
10. Grind
Bringing café-quality coffee to the home, Grind started as a cool Shoreditch espresso bar but pivoted brilliantly during the pandemic into a direct-to-consumer powerhouse. They sell compostable coffee pods compatible with Nespresso machines, filled with their signature organic roasts. Founder David Abrahamovitch recognised that people wanted premium coffee without the plastic waste of standard pods. Their distinctive pink tins are now a fixture in kitchens across the UK, and their subscription service generates millions in recurring revenue. Their partnership with Soho House as the exclusive global coffee provider further cements their status as a premium lifestyle brand.
