8. Frog Bikes

Founders: Jerry and Shelley Lawson
Founded: March 2012 (Launched February 2013)
Website: www.frogbikes.com

This small UK start-up is taking on some major established players in the global children’s bike market with a range of lightweight, specially designed and affordable children’s bikes.

After finding most bikes on the market were heavy and poorly designed when trying to find the perfect bikes for their children to learn on, Jerry and Shelley Lawson saw an opportunity to get the ageing industry off its stabilisers. Together they launched Surrey-based Frog Bikes. Every component of the company’s range of bikes is designed specifically for children using “cutting edge scientific research” – from balance bikes, to pedal bikes and road and track models.

Now shipping to nearly 1,000 independent bike stores in 28 countries including the UK, mainland Europe, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand, it’s not surprising that the company took home Export Business of the Year at the 2015 Startups Awards.

Currently assembled in the Far East, summer 2016 will see the opening of Frog Bikes own factory in Wales, on the back of which it will look to accelerate growth both overseas and in the UK. Grown organically to date and set to turnover an impressive £8m in 2016, this ambitious product start-up has a bright future ahead of it.