Fast-growing Bristol company Huboo’s branding is set to appear on the shirts of five of the city’s professional sports teams, including Bristol City Football Club and rugby side Bristol Bears.
The e-commerce fulfilment firm, whose technology enables online retailers to access and complete end-to-end fulfilment operations, has been unveiled by Bristol Sport as its new principal partner from the start of the 2022/23 season.
Bristol Sport, which oversees the commercial and operational interests of both teams, said Huboo will also appear on the kit of its basketball club Bristol Flyers, as well as Bristol City and Bristol Bears women’s teams.
The group - owned by billionaire Stephen Lansdown, co-founder of Bristol-based financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown - said the “ground-breaking” deal marked the first time that all the clubs will have one unified sponsor.
Mr Lansdown said: “We’ve always said sport will support the city and the city should support sport. Here we have a local business supporting all of our sports and that is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to us working together over the next few years to take us both forward.”
Mark Kelly, managing director of Bristol Sport, added: “As we’ve got know each other we’ve all been struck by the similarities between our two organisations. The values and the ambition that we both share.
“We all want success for Bristol and the South West and we believe this partnership will significantly help both of us fulfil that ambition.”
Launched in 2017 from two secure storage rooms at a Safestore in Bath, Huboo now operates four warehouses in and around the Bristol area.
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Last year the company expanded into Europe by opening fulfilment centres in The Netherlands and Spain, with plans to further roll out its services across the continent over the next year.
Since 2018 the company’s annual turnover has risen from £61,000 to £17m. The firm was identified in a Government report last year as one of three companies within Bristol’s burgeoning tech sector expected to attain a "unicorn" valuation of more than US$1bn over the coming years.
Martin Bysh, co-founder and chief executive of Huboo, said: “As Huboo continues to grow at pace and our expansion across Europe accelerates, we’re delighted to announce our position as principal partner to Bristol Sport in a collaboration which has such strong ties to our founding roots.
“Huboo’s core values are perfectly aligned with those of Bristol Sport’s and together we aim to raise the bar for what is possible with a partnership of this scale. It’s an exciting time for both Huboo and Bristol Sport. We have a shared vision of making Bristol proud.”
Paul Dodd, co-founder and chief technology officer of Huboo, added: “We’re proud to call Bristol home and are honoured to partner with such a prestigious sporting group which is so fundamental to this city.”
Mr Bysh previously told BusinessLive in a wide-ranging interview that he and Mr Dodd co-founded Huboo after meeting on the sidelines of their sons’ Saturday morning football training in Bath.
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