THE HEROPRENEURS AWARDS
Start-up of the Year 2025
This award recognises a business in the early stages of its inception that is successfully transitioning from an idea to an operational entity. The successful applicant will have a commercial product or service, a strong and sustainable business plan, and dedicated, enthusiastic management.
Meet our finalists
Adele Furness, CG Cambridge
Although my time in the Army was short, it shaped who I am. I loved the structure, teamwork, and shared respect, values that still guide me today. After a medical discharge, the Army continued to support me, but it was the mentorship from HeroPreneurs that truly helped me build something of my own.
I started a cleaning business, but it’s not like the rest. My team is made up of highly skilled individuals with backgrounds ranging from degrees to hands on experience. They’re some of the hardest most dedicated workers I’ve ever met.
I believe in investing in people. Everyone on my team is supported to grow into a specialist in an area they enjoy, building real careers in an industry full of potential.
We’re growing naturally and for the right reasons and every time someone wants to be part of this journey, it reminds me why I started.
Daisy Coleman, Redberth Croft CIC
Redberth Croft CIC is a veteran-led social enterprise and community farm based in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Founded through lived experience, it supports individuals affected by trauma - particularly veterans, neurodivergent people, and those with complex needs - through land-based therapy, rural skills training, and purposeful activity. The organisation champions post-traumatic growth, offering inclusive, nature-based services that help people rebuild confidence, connection, and direction.
With a focus on wellbeing, sustainability, and community inclusion, Redberth Croft is developing an equine-assisted therapy centre, accessible market gardens, a carpentry workshop, a veteran-run café, and a micro-enterprise incubator to support participants into meaningful work. Though still in its early stages, the organisation is already demonstrating how recovery and enterprise can go hand in hand. Redberth Croft is proud to be part of a growing movement that challenges outdated narratives about veterans and disability—proving that small organisations with bold ideas can create lasting, transformative impact.
Ones to watch
Nathan Jones, Peak State
Peak State is a global mental fitness organisation on a mission to empower people to thrive, no matter their background or adversity. Founded by veterans and human performance experts, Peak State delivers science-backed mental fitness training that builds resilience, confidence, and purpose. Its programmes are rooted in proactive wellbeing, combining psychology, neuroscience, and real-world application to create lasting behavioural change. With a strong track record of impact across sectors, Peak State is redefining how we approach mental health - not as a reaction to crisis, but as a daily foundation for thriving.
Laura Moore & Laura Milward, Replenish
Replenish is an electrolyte and vitamin solution designed to support women suffering from Pregnancy Sickness. Each concentrated sachet contains essential electrolytes, B and C vitamins (including bioactive folic acid), and glucose to help reduce fatigue and restore what pregnancy sickness depletes. Founded after a personal experience with hospitalisation due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum (severe Pregnancy Sickness), Replenish addresses a serious gap in women’s health - where symptoms are often dismissed and effective support is lacking.
Meet our judges
Jon Herbert
Jon started a company at the age of 21, in the specialist electrical sector. This business was eventually sold in 2018 to an FTSE 250 company, and employed around 70 people. With its core business in the UK, and exports to much of the rest of the world.
Jon understands small businesses, the emotional side, the joys, frustrations and growing pains. Working as a mentor for Heropreneurs since 2019, Jon has an understanding of the risks and opportunities open to the veteran community who want to make the leap into running their own business.
Andy Bourne
Board Advisor and Business Mentor
Andy is a business consultant and mentor with over 40 years of experience, including building and successfully selling his last fitness company for £3 million. He brings real-world insight, empathy, and practical support to help leaders unlock their organisation’s full potential.
Since 2019, Andy has proudly mentored members of the military community through the Heropreneurs programme. A former Great Britain swimmer, he has twice been crowned Triathlon European Champion in his age group and earned a World Championship silver medal in Aquathlon. Andy remains deeply passionate about helping others succeed.
Emma Jones
Founder, Enterprise Nation
Emma started her entrepreneurial journey in 2000 by founding Techlocate, which was successfully sold to Tenon plc after 15 months. The experience of starting, growing and selling a business from a home base gave Emma the idea for Enterprise Nation.
Launched in 2005, Enterprise Nation has since expanded to become an active small business membership community, reaching more than 800,000 businesses each year with its powerful digital business support platform.
Enterprise Nation now works with multiple global and government partners to deliver tailored business support programmes for a growing number of micro and small business owners. It also delivers regular data-led research to highlight and understand the important contribution SMEs make to the economy and to establish ‘what works’ when it comes to funded support programmes.
In 2021, Emma was awarded a CBE for services to small businesses and entrepreneurs and has held several key advisory roles at the heart of the UK government. She was recently appointed as Small Business Commissioner, making the case for small businesses in the corridors of power.