DBAH Case Study of T-cup | Helping people thrive

Helping people thrive - T-cup  

For Bath based start-up, T-cup, life is about the perfect blend (or balance). 

T-cup offer personalised support through technology and experts designed to help you find your right blend between Health, Happiness and Success - using these three building blocks to improve and measure personal performance.

Typically used by organisations, a customisable staff questionnaire provides easily managed data to identify wellbeing trends and offers support to those who need it. Using a self-reflective app individuals can check in on their wellbeing daily, while organisations are encouraged to better understand the wellbeing of their colleagues and support them to reflect, track and act on their personal blend of insights.

There are also benefits for individuals who can use the platform to target and improve their own personal wellbeing.

T-cup was founded in early 2019 by Tech Entrepreneur, Edwyn van Rooyen who has previously set up and run a number of very successful organisations.  Ed applied for the fully funded business support available through the Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub (DBAH) to provide business consultancy support to help identify strategic growth plans for the business. The DBAH is a programme funded through the ERDF to provide bespoke, sector specific business support for startups and SMEs.

We recently caught up with Ed from T-cup to talk about his start-up and in particular how the current pandemic has affected the business and how more than ever understanding employee wellbeing is vital:

Describe your business, a little bit about yourself and the reasons behind starting your business.

T-Cup was founded to help millions thrive by finding and understanding their own unique blend of health, happiness and success.

I founded T-Cup in response to my own search for health, happiness and success following the successful sale of my previous business, which surprisingly left me feeling flat and lacking in direction. In building the business, I have been supported by academics from Bath and Loughborough universities, elite athletes and organisational experts. Two of my co-founders are Lee Mears - the ex-England and British & Irish Lion rugby international, who is now an executive coach - and Dr Alistair Turner, one of the most experienced leadership coaches in the UK. Together, we have built a unique platform that helps individuals and organisations to take their wellbeing into their own hands, while improving productivity, performance and job satisfaction at the same time.  

We live in a rapidly changing world, wherein just a few short months there has been a seismic shift from office to home, resulting in employees having to take more responsibility for themselves. As a result, sustainability and wellbeing have become critical issues in the performance and future success of businesses. Our passion is to help people and businesses take responsibility for their own blend of wellbeing and to act on it so that they, and their businesses, thrive.

Who is in your team?

We are a team of highly-motivated individuals from a diverse range of professions; from doctors and physiotherapists to professors and coaches. We have a unique blend of expertise that means we are knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to health and wellbeing.

What business successes have you had so far?

From councils and charities to elite sports teams, many organisations across the UK are using T-Cup to help staff better understand the insights and wellbeing trends of their employees and thus feel better placed to support them. 

We are in the process of signing up several more large companies in the UK and abroad, and hope to have 5 million users within the next 5 years.

Are you looking for investment / received any grant funding?

Yes. To date, T-Cup has been fully self-funded.

How did you find out about the Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub and why did you apply for the support?

We found out about the Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub through our business network, some of whom are employed by the University of Bath. 

At T-Cup, we firmly believe in the beneficial principles of collaboration, alongside continuous learning and development. The DBAH programme gives businesses like T-Cup access to a wealth of experience and support which undoubtedly helps us make strategic decisions and helps drive the business forward.

How has the Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub helped you?

At the start of the programme we found it very useful spending time with Garry Pratt, Entrepreneur in Residence on the DBAH programme, as we were developing our vision. Since then, the DBAH programme has given us fruitful links and quicker access to various universities - ensuring that we can participate in placement and research projects - which would have been difficult otherwise.

What’s been your biggest challenge to date?

Staying true to our vision of building AI driven technology that assists individuals with self-reflective and personal growth, and not diverting to easier wins, especially during the Covid-19 period. This is now paying dividends.

What are your next steps?

Our aim is to help 5 million people to better understand their wellbeing and find their perfect blend for a balanced life, by downloading and regularly using the app. Our next steps are around scaling up to ensure we can offer a great tool and service for more people around the world.

What’s the ethos underpinning your business?

For us at T-Cup, it’s all about balance and finding your perfect blend. We want to give organisations a tool to better understand their employee’s wellbeing so they are in a stronger position to offer support. Ultimately, we want to help individuals and businesses to thrive.

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?

The “hedgehog principle” of trying to be world class in your core offering, rather than a jack of all trades in many different areas.

For more information about T-cup head to their website - download the app and start finding your blend!

If you think your business could benefit from the free business support offered through the DBAH - learn more and submit an application form.

Apply here: Digital Innovation Business Acceleration Hub application.