People’s Champion finalist 2018: Simplee Aloe

Start-up name: Simplee Aloe
Founders: Alex Lai, Raymond Pang
Started in: October 2014
Based in: London
Business description: Simplee Aloe produces soft drinks and health supplements based on the health benefits of aloe vera

Shortlisted category:

Innovative Business of the Year

The Simplee Aloe Story

Four years ago, former BNP Paribas bankers Alex Lai and Raymond Pang discovered the amazing health advantages of aloe vera whilst on a trip to south-east Asia.

They realised that the succulent plant, for many years a waiting room fixture, offers an incredible array of potential benefits: it can reinforce the immune system, stimulate white blood cells, even clear up a person’s skin.

Why had no-one cottoned on to this before? Well, it’s simply really: aloe vera tastes awful. Really awful.

Undeterred, Lai and Pang created a selection of aloe-based soft drinks and health supplements, using other fruit juices to mask and soften the bitter tang of the aloe vera itself.

The founders added in organic lemon juice to create a smooth, natural taste, and visitors to the Simplee Aloe site today will find a profusion of flavours, from white grape to cranberry.

Pang and Lai pitched their product to buyers at Sainsburys, who immediately snapped them up and put them on the shelves of two hundred stores nationwide.

Riding the crest of the current health-food explosion, Simplee Aloe products can now be found in over four thousand outlets; as well as Sainsbury’s they can be found in Waitrose, Asda, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, WH Smiths and Wasabi. You can also find them online from Ocado and Amazon. Not bad for a relatively small team of 10 people, based in the start-up nucleus of Shoreditch.

In its founders’ words, Simplee Aloe is driven by the simple mission to “get the nation to drink healthier.” Following the success of their initial range of products, the team are pushing ahead with plans for a new range of sparkling drinks, side-stepping into a slightly different market to contend with high-sugar fizzy and energy drinks.

It’s a good time to get into the game and capitalise on the public’s increasing taste for healthier alternatives.

With their cheery packaging and long list of health benefits, Simplee Aloe is pegged as a strong contender to the throne of the £100m coconut water empire.

Why Simplee Aloe made our shortlist:

We admire Simplee Aloe for its bravery in leaping head-first into an oversaturated market of soft drinks, and being the first of its kind.

Additionally, they’re not just making money from their products but are on a mission to encourage the nation to make healthier choices about the drinks they consume. Who knew aloe vera wasn’t just good for sunburn?

Where to find out more about Simplee Aloe:

Website: www.simpleealoe.com
Twitter: @SimpleeAloe