July 13, 2022

How to take on an industry the size of Portugal's GDP... Patrick Pinto - Really Clever

31 minutes

One of my favourite things about doing this podcast is that we get to profile entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey.

From the likes of Sarah Wood who exited Unruly a few years ago to the likes of Herman Narula, who raised a mega-round of £500m for his company Improbable.

Today's guest is right at the start of that journey - so much so that this is their first-ever podcast.

Patrick Pinto is the co-founder of Really Clever, a company that is looking to make sustainable materials out of fungi, and has just raised 750k from angels and VCs including Hoxton ventures.

They are currently taking on the leather industry, an industry the size of Portugal's GDP- but their plans don't stop there...

In this episode we talk about:

The name of the company- and why they changed it.

What makes the company Really Clever?

Why they chose their base in Nottingham.

Meeting his co-founder aged just 14 and how they split the roles of a co-founder.

The process of raising £750,000 and their plans for the future.

The TAM/SAM of the leather industry- and escaping the term ‘vegan’.

Why it's important to make alternative leather truly accessible- and not just focus on high-fashion items.

Patrick’s top marketing tips through TikTok.

The jobs they will be hiring in the next 5 years.

How Patrick’s background as a bodybuilder led to their first business idea.

How people can learn more about the fungi powering our world.

The content that inspires Patrick the most.

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