65. Sibberi

Founders: Clara Vaisse and Mehdi Meghzifene
Founded: August 2014 (launched February 2015)
Website: www.sibberi.com

If you aren’t yet familiar with Sibberi then get reading as it’s a business bucking a new drinks trend which is becoming the fast-favourite among top models and health and fitness fans.

Sibberi’s USP? It has created a drinks brand made exclusively from tree sap, often known as ‘birch sap’, which is all natural, hydrating, low in calories and has four times less sugar than its health drink rival coconut water.

Made using sap from birch, maple and bamboo trees, Sibberi was created by founder Clara Vaisse and Mehdi Meghzifene after they tried sap in Eastern Europe – where drinking sap is traditional – and decided to bring the taste to the UK.

While they were aware that models overseas were drinking birch sap because they believed it could aid weight loss, Vaisse and Meghzifene couldn’t have prepared for the demand they received for Sibberi when it launched in the UK in February 2015.

As the first in its category, the drink has pulled in stock listings from over 1,000 stores including Boots and Waitrose and has even attracted the attention of Sir Richard Branson; selected as a finalist at VOOM 2016 where Meghzifene pitched to the Virgin mogul.

With four members of staff, Sibberi also employs 20 brand ambassadors to spread the word and it’s a marketing tactic which is working. Already, the business has received coverage from a number of top press outlets including The Guardian, The Grocer, and now Startups.co.uk!

Intent on becoming “the new Innocent Drinks”, Sibberi has a busy few months ahead of it as it looks to leverage the trend it has created. Key targets include exporting to key markets such as France and America, introducing new bottle variations, and investing in marketing.

We’re told the alternative water market will reach $5.4bn by 2020 and we suspect Sibberi will be taking a good part of this share in no time!