Simply Business Startups Business of the Year 2015

Startups Awards 2015 @ Vinopolis, London ***Pic by David McHugh***

Start-up name: Appear Here
Founder: Ross Bailey
Started in: 2013
Based in: London
Business description: Online marketplace for short-term retail space

Among many impressive start-ups Ross Bailey’s Appear Here stands out – and it’s not hard to see why, which is why it scooped the prestigious title of Simply Business Startups Business of the Year.

The online marketplace for short-term retail space, which has transformed the UK retail sector since launching in February2013, succeeds the likes of YPlan, Naked Wines, Beer52, The Cambridge Satchel Company, BeatThatQuote.com, and biotech company Abcodia..

The figures for Appear Here speak for themselves.  The company has experienced a staggering 500% growth in bookings and revenue over the last 12 months, with over 1,000 spaces listed on the site, and a 10,000 strong client roster that includes the likes of Google, Marc Jacobs and the BBC.

On top of this Bailey has secured deals with some of the biggest landlords in the country including British Land, Transport for London and Hammerson, and continues to grow and evolve with the addition of an end-to-end booking and a concierge service in 2014. The last year has also seen the creation of a Landlord Dashboard, to allow landlords to monitor the performance of their spaces online, and the ability to book spaces in Paris.

And it seems this is just the start of the journey for Appear Here with plans to launch in other international locations already underway – Bailey’s long-term goal is for users to be able to “rent space anywhere across the globe”.

A company with global ambitions that helps other start-ups get up and running is one we can get behind; and with a young entrepreneur at the helm whose already achieved more than many could ever achieve – Bailey is still in his early twenties – the future looks bright for Appear Here.