Sook

Summary

Sook, one of Retail Week’s Top 10 Global Tech Startups 2020, maximizes the utility of empty spaces by fitting them out with a digitally-enabled canvas which anyone can put any digital content onto. This allows a wide spectrum of occupiers to create a bespoke environment at the touch of a button.

• Award-winning Proptech startup: Retail Week, Estates Gazette, The Spectator & TFL
• Delivered 3 sites, with a fourth on Oxford Street opening soon
• Scaling in partnership with landlords like Grosvenor, Legal & General and Derwent London
• Pop-up space expert for Amazon's Small Business Academy

Idea

Sook is a complete makeover of the bricks and mortar retail experience. We give every business an equal opportunity to be fully present in the marketplace. Sook enables you to migrate from the digital world to a physical space at the touch of a button. You can literally customise the walls of your Sook from anywhere in the world to adopt your unique brand.

Building your Sook is quick and easy: drag images, videos and text to design your digital canvas. We circumvent the traditional barriers to entry like expensive rent, long-term contracts, fit-out costs and setup periods. We connect you with your consumer base and put you right where the action is - quickly, easily and at a fraction of the cost. Pick a location, book a time, apply your brand and show up to your Sook.

Phillip Hammond, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, described Sook as a winning idea. Sook is one of Retail Week’s Top 10 Global Tech Startups and won the Transport for London Connected Retail award. We are the pop-up expert for Amazon’s Small Business Academy, delivered by Enterprise Nation, and support other global retail brands and famous artists, like David Yarrow.

Sook is scaling in partnership with landlords like Grosvenor, Legal & General and Derwent, who have covered most of the capital expenditure for our sites so far. Join our movement to bring our high streets back to life in a more sustainable form.

Team

Our founders are driven to disrupt the failing model of traditional retail by blending physical and digital assets to create financially sustainable real estate solutions. Our founding team consists of a property developer, an interior designer and a retail technologist.

John Hoyle, CEO & Founder. A former Grosvenor property developer, who has developed retail space in the UK, Middle East and East Africa. John also has experience in running property startups.

Simon Gallagher, COO & Co-Founder. A design expert who founded and ran Fabled Studio for 8 years after cutting his teeth at David Collins. Simon has helped startups to scale internationally.

Daniel Burnham, CTO & Co-Founder. An experienced product professional who has run innovation projects at Sainsbury’s. Dan also helped deliver the NHS Track and Trace app.

Sook's board is chaired by John Bullough, a seasoned executive with 40+ years of experience in property development and investment. Rebecca Orde serves as an advisor. She has decades of experience in strategy consulting, business development and project management.

Sook team:

Sarel van Baalen, Commercial Director

Tom Price, Project Manager

Liam Kelman, Operations Manager

Emily Pirkle, Account Manager

Bailey May, Account Manager

Kirsty Roberts, Sales Manager

Michael Kilshaw, Customer Operations

Amber Bryce, Social Media Manager