A custom sportswear company, which was founded by two Exeter alumni whilst they were students, has gone on to appear on Dragon’s Den and supply sports equipment to the Paris Olympic games in 2024.
Y1 Sport was launched by Chris Rea (Business Management and Philosophy, 2013) and Tom Carson (Business Management with Marketing, 2012) in 2012 during their university days. What started as a student-run business selling custom onesies and sportswear to friends and university clubs, is now a 4-million pound sportswear brand with 26 employees.
Inspired by the onesie craze whilst at university, Chris and Tom spotted an opportunity to create and sell a onesie for students, which was more affordable than other onesies on the market. They added a personalisation element to the onesie which became increasingly popular. They quickly branched out into sports gear and other clothing for sports clubs and societies, offering custom-made on-trend garments with a low minimum order. The entrepreneurial pair made £100k in sales in their first year, and went on to pitch on BBC’s Dragons’ Den to drive their next steps.
The co-founders’ Dragons’ Den appearance resulted in further media exposure in 2013 including interviews with ITV News, BBC Radio Devon and The Times. They also received a £5,000 grant from the SETsquared Exeter Student Startup team, to support them in going full-time with the business after graduation.
Chris said: “The amount of press exposure we received after Dragons’ Den, combined with the grant from the University gave us the confidence to pursue the business full-time. I am very glad that I started my business as a student when I had the opportunity to explore and test multiple ideas in a low-pressure environment, and build the skillset I needed to run a business later on.”
Alongside running the business, Chris and Tom were both playing hockey at an international level. (Tom played for Team GB at the 2014 World Cup, while Chris represented the USA at senior international level). Drawing on their expertise in the sport and first-hand insight in the industry, in 2016 they launched Y1 Hockey, which specialises in hockey equipment, including hockey sticks, bags and gloves.
Their hockey sticks were used by 26 hockey players in the Paris Olympics last year, including two gold medal winners, and Y1 Hockey boasts the second-highest Instagram following of any hockey brand worldwide.
Today, Y1 Sport supplies custom sportswear to more than 1,000 university clubs and societies across the UK, with Exeter clubs remaining a key part of their community. The company has also maintained close ties with the University, regularly recruiting Exeter students for industrial placements—some of whom have gone on to work full-time for the brand.
Chris said: “It’s amazing to think in 2018 we were making £300k in revenue, and we are now on track to make £4 million this year. The next sport we are excited to focus our efforts on is Padel, which is the world’s fastest growing sport today.”
To find out more, visit the Y1 Sport website or watch their Dragons’ Den appearance on YouTube.
Image credit: The hockey stick images are credited to Y1 Sport.