Richard Moross: MOO

Richard Moross, 30
Company: MOO
Web: www.moo.com

Moross likes to think of his business as the world’s online stationer. Given that MOO has customers in more than 180 countries, it’s a fair comment. Soon after launching in 2004, he began to realise the growing potential of web 2.0 sites. Since then, relationships with the likes of Facebook (with more than 100 million users) and photo sharing site Flickr (30 million users) allow customers to grab their photos and put them onto stationery products, including business cards and greetings cards, which are printed and shipped all over the world. MOO offers an unrivalled level of product customisation, and growth has been propelled by £2.75m investment from Atlas Venture and Index Ventures in 2006, secured on the strength of Moross’ business plan before the business took off.

2013 update:

Moo now turns over around £20m a year and has established itself as a major player in the cards business. In September 2008, the company acquired digital identity website Flavours.me and is planning to market its service as a mobile product.

2016 update:

Moross remains as CEO of MOO, which claims to have now served millions of customers in nearly 200 countries and employs almost 400 people across five locations in the UK and US. To date, MOO has also raised more than $10m in venture capital from the Accelerator Group, Index ventures and Accomplice including a £3m funding round from Barclays’ Fast Growth Tech Fund. He was awarded an MBE for entrepreneurship in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list 2015.