19. StoryTerrace

Founder: Rutger Bruining
Founded: 2015
Website: www.storyterrace.com

Appearing in the Startups 100 for the first time, StoryTerrace is a London-based startup with story-telling at its heart.

On a mission to turn one million life stories into books by 2028, StoryTerrace was inspired by founder Rutger Bruining’s own experience with his grandfather’s tales of adventure and adversity in the Dutch resistance. The business wants to create stories that will help families to know and remember the experiences of their ancestors.

The process starts with a customer being matched with one of StoryTerrace’s professional writers. Then, the customer will complete a questionnaire designed to jog their memory before meeting either online or in person to talk through the most important moments of their life.

The writers will then take these details, propose a structure and write the story, with an in-house editorial team on hand to ensure that every book is written to a high standard. A hardback book is delivered directly to the client, with an e-book also available. Clients pay a fixed price to have a book created, which includes the process above as well as the actual book production.

So far, StoryTerrace has documented more than a thousand life stories, has a network of 600 professional ghostwriters, offices in both London and Los Angeles and has garnered national attention, appearing in the BBC’s Dragons’ Den Series. We know there is going to be a happy ending for this creative startup.