93. Shepper

Founders: Ben Prouty and Jan Vanhoutte
Founded: October 2016
Website: www.shepper.com

While issues surrounding cyber security have been dominating column inches for the past 12 months, the threat of physical theft is a pain known all too well for an unfortunate many.

Attempting to provide a low-cost yet effective security for prized assets, and peace of mind for the owners, on-demand inspection company Shepper is attempting to disrupt the age-old security industry.

Protecting users most viable assets including cars, boats, houses, shops and warehouses – Shepper assigns trusted local people or ‘shepherds’ to perform visual checks on said property and then reports back to the owner on its condition.

A peer-to-peer model, the use of ‘hyper local’ inspectors aims to considerably drive down the end cost for users, who may otherwise have to invest in the services of a security company based miles away from their location of choice.

Customers pay just £4.95 per inspection but more in-depth inspections do require a more detailed search costing extra.

The business was founded by Ben Prouty and Jan Vanhoutte; an entrepreneurial duo which boast an impressive resume of past successes. While Prouty was part of the early Zipcar and LOVESPACE teams, Vanhoutte’s background in product development and digital marketing saw him work with the likes of Carlsberg, KPMG, and Hilton.

Launched just last November, the London-based start-up has already landed several B2B contracts including Zipcar, Nextbike and Airsorted.

Having raised £300,000 worth of seed capital via lead investor Carl August Ameln (LOVESPACE) and First Risk Capital, Shepper has all eyes on international expansion.

With an innovative take on an traditional industry, Shepper’s cost effective yet sound business model makes it a deserving Startups 100 winner.