Boomf

Boomf
Private
Industry Personalised confectionery
Founded November 2013
Founders James Middleton and Andy Bell
Headquarters Reading and London, England
Area served
 Global
Website www.boomf.com

Boomf is a UK company that delivers marshmallows personalised with photos by post.[1] The company positions itself as an alternative to sending flowers or chocolates.[2]

Background

Boomf was founded in November 2013 by James Middleton and Andy Bell.[1] Middleton had previously founded Nice Cakes, which specialised in personalised cakes.[3][4] Bell had previously founded Mint Digital,[1] which created StickyGram (now Sticky9), an Instagram magnet company which sold to PhotoBox.[5] Boomf combines elements from both businesses.

History

In 2014, Boomf raised over $1m and is backed by a number of angel investors, including Nick Jenkins, founder of Moonpig, Duncan Jennings and Matt Wheeler.[1]

Boomf launched in November 2013 without mentioning Middleton's involvement, to allow for a low profile launch.[6] In January 2014, Boomf announced Middleton's involvement, believing that it would be impossible to keep it secret long-term.[3]

The initial reaction to Boomf was incredulity; in the Bluff the Listener section of NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me, one listener believed it was more plausible that Vladimir Putin had a brother Igor who had invented a pill to stop old people smelling, than that the Duchess of Cambridge's brother has launched a personalised marshmallow company.[7]

Nevertheless, Boomf shipped 2 tons of marshmallows in its first year and made £100,000 ($168,000) in sales in its first three months.[8]

Boomf launched a real-time personalised marshmallow service on a reconditioned Pashley's tricycle in the department store Selfridges, as part of Selfridge's Meet the Makers pop-up season.[9] For Valentines, Boomf created a S'mores pop-up, allowing customers to roast their ex.[10]

In July 2015, Boomf launched a nationwide search for a new marshmallow designer. The winner was Bournemouth University student Izzy Burton.[11]

It was reported in August 2015 that the company had raised £1million in funding.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Baker, Dylan (8 August 2014). "Middleton Brother's Boomf Instagram Marshmallows Raise Over $1m". TechCityNews. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Boomf - multi-sensory magical marshmallows. Mmmm!". Boomf. Retrieved 4 August 2015. More charming than chocolates. Tastier than flowers.
  3. 1 2 Bryant, Martin (23 January 2014). "James Middleton, Brother of the Duchess of Cambridge: The Man Behind Boomf's Instagram Marshmallows". TNW Blog. The Next Web. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  4. ↑ Nicholl, Katie (9 August 2012). "The other Middleton". British GQ.
  5. ↑ Titcomb, James (24 June 2014). "Printing Site PhotoBox Snaps Up London-Based Instagram Firm". City A.M. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Bryant, Martin (25 November 2013). "Boomf: Marshmallows with Your Instagram Photos on Them". TNW Blog. The Next Web. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "Bluff the Listener". Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!. NPR. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  8. ↑ Petroff, Alanna (12 August 2014). "Kate Middleton's brother: The Marshmallow Selfie King". CNN Money. London. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Stephens, Charlie (23 July 2014). "Refurbished Tricycle Lets You Create Edible Marshmallow Instagrams On-Demand". PSFK. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  10. ↑ Calladine, Dan (10 February 2015). "Boomf's Valentines S'Mores Trike in Selfridges". London Pop-ups. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  11. ↑ Kaur, Melisha (19 July 2015). "Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton chooses artistic collaborator and apprentice for marshmallow brand Boomf". London Evening Standard.
  12. ↑ Charlton, Corey. "Kate Middleton's brother James's mobile marshmallow picture-printing firm". UK Daily Mail August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015. ....the paper reported the company was not in the red because it had raised £1million in funding.

Further reading

External links

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