People’s Champion finalist 2016: Cornerstone

Start-up name: Cornerstone
Founder: Oliver Bridge
Started in: July 2014
Based in: London
Business description: Online store selling subscription men’s razors and shaving products

Shortlisted category:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

The Cornerstone story:

Believing it brings “shaving into the 21st century”, Cornerstone ignores the ‘gimmicks’ and ‘cheesy’ marketing of big brand competitors, with its success lying in its simplicity.

Focusing on doing a small number of products well, its signature razor has a lightweight, aluminium handle crafted in Britain, with blades engineered in Germany.

And its straightforward approach is winning not just customers but a whole host of accolades, with Cornerstone on receiving end of praise from the likes of GQ and The Telegraph, while also winning the Best Razor Award in Shortlist’s 2015 Men’s Grooming Awards.

Operating on a delivery subscription service, the brand offers razors, gels, face-scrubs and post-shave balms – everything you need for a perfect shave.

Within two years of launching, the start-up has already reached 85,000 subscribers and received £4.5m worth of funding. It expects to hit six-figures for customers by the end of the year.

Much more than just a business however, all Cornerstone skincare products are paraben and microbead free, suitable for vegetarians and tested solely on humans.

Why Cornerstone made our shortlist:

Fabulous growth in subscriber numbers and all-important recurring revenue, justifying investors’ faith. Last year’s People’s Champion winner, can Cornerstone repeat its success and make it two in a row? We’ll have to wait and see…

Where to find out more about Cornerstone:

Website: www.cornerstone.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CornerStoneHQ/