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There are a lot of ideas out there and pretty often the crazy ones are those which succeed, so how did you come up with the idea of making a caffeine sweet?
We sat together for a university project and the deadline for it was approaching way to fast. We already been drinking coffee throughout the day and late at night we fancied some sweets. The single question that was raised was, whilst having some sweets on the table “why can’t these sweets give me energy now?” this was our Eureka moment. We did a little research on the internet and found that there is nothing comparable to what we had in mind. One year later the result was UPs SolidEnergy.
What’s the mission of your company?
We want to simplify the way people energize their lives.
We believed that this product might be really popular in Universities at first and then expand to work places when people who have met it at Uni start jobs. Have you moved in any other University?
Our main customers and fans are students, but we are also trying out new things these days to make UPs available for other people despite students.
Your website says that you are in three different countries, why did you make that choice?
Each of our founders made a lot of contacts on travels plus we met a lot of people from different countries in Manchester who, once they were back in their home countries supported us in bringing our caffeinated sweets to their communities.
We all drink coffee and our lives are all stressed a little bit. You were born in a University, so do you believe your audience is restricted to University students?
Not at all, so many people lead busy lives nowadays. Think of all the young professionals in their first jobs, the night-shifters and the lorry drivers who need to drive for hours and hours plus all the people who travel. The energy of two cups of coffee in a pocket can’t be too wrong in all of these contexts.
Are you planning to produce the sweet with more tastes?
Let me answer that question with one simple word: Yes! Stay tuned; we have got some nice prototypes already and we are looking for people who want to test them. If you want to, please get in touch with us: [email protected]
Are there any side effects if someone eats more than you recommend?
There could be, it depends on the level of caffeine each individual is used to. The effects are the same as drinking too much coffee. But it’s like with all the products: too much of it is always bad.
Where do you see your product in the next five years?
We see it in all the university outlets in the UK, Germany and other countries in the European Union. As well as in music festivals and gas stations and we will work hard for it to be there.
Have you got any other competitors in the market?
Sure we do ☺. But their products are not as strong as UPs and don’t taste as nice.
What would you say to the next generation of Entrepreneurs that is graduating from the University of Manchester?
This is a really good question and I am happy to answer it: if someone of you out there has a unique idea: go speak to your friends and family. No one will steal your idea (at least not directly ;-). Test it while you are at school or uni. You are in a safe environment and can stress-test your idea, or just make a uni project out of it to make the first steps with some guidance from experts.
