Embracing outdoor life
Wilderness Now has created a first for customers and suppliers engaged in outdoor leisure pursuits. It is one of ten start-up companies to join Southampton Science Park’s Catalyst programme this spring.
The brainchild of Dylan Fuller, Michael Bruce and Charles Montier, Wilderness Now is an online marketplace which aims to transform a currently fragmented but fast growing sector. 840,000 people in the UK regularly participate in outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, mountain biking, wild camping, surfing and kayaking. Worldwide, the ‘travel experiences’ market is estimated to be worth $150 billion and is expected to rise to $183 billion in 2020. However this growth is throttled by the fact that 25% of UK activity seekers do not participate due to a lack of online information, scheduling and booking tools.
Wilderness plans to change all that with a single online port of call which will enable customers to get inspired, book online instantly or request custom activities for specific needs or dates. It is expected to appeal widely to millennials, young families and baby boomers – both resident and visiting the UK. Activity providers will benefit from a cohesive, high profile and expertly curated portal which will raise their business profile and generate revenue.
Managing Director Dylan Fuller commented: “We were very happy to be one of the companies selected to join the Catalyst programme. Our business is now at a crucial stage – our service is live and trading in pilot mode – so it’s a good validation checkpoint. Our next challenge is to produce a polished investor pack and to secure funding which will enable us to scale fast and cement our first-to-market position. Exciting times!”
