Launched to mark Reed's 66th year in business, the 'All about business entrepreneurs fund' is committed to supporting 66 young entrepreneurs over the coming years. Inspired by the journey of Reed Founder, Sir Alec Reed, who started the business in 1960 with just £75 at the age of 26 and went on to build the world's largest family-run recruitment company, the initiative reflects our belief in the power of ambition, opportunity, and entrepreneurship.
Rooted in Reed's purpose of improving lives through work, the fund provides successful applicants with financial backing and expert mentorship to help them overcome challenges, scale their businesses and accelerate growth.
This inaugural cohort was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants aged 18–26, all of whom are already running trading businesses with at least one paying customer.
And the winners are…
1. Kanoj Vora, Co-Founder of Prospect AI.
Kanoj co-founded Prospect AI in 2023 to act as an AI revenue engine for B2B sales teams. He started research as a teenager, wanting to “build Jarvis from Iron Man” and started teaching himself machine learning. Prospect AI was built partly from his student loan, and he has reinvested everything into growth.
2. Khamani Edwards, Founder of KJ’s Craft Time.
Khamani Edwards, a 19-year-old, multi-award-winning entrepreneur, is the sole Founder of KJ's Craft Time, a UK children's brand creating inclusive, curriculum-linked craft boxes for every child. Born with Dystonia, a condition affecting grip and mobility, Khamani spent his childhood sitting out craft activities because the tools available were never designed to include him, an experience that, alongside spotting the rise in screen time among children during lockdown, led him to found KJ's Craft Time. The brand now builds adaptive tools into every box as standard, serving families and schools UK-wide.
Reflecting on his win, Khamani said: "Winning the 'All about business entrepreneurs fund' is an incredible milestone, made even more special hearing it announced live, on the spot, right after our pitch. The funding will accelerate our next phase of growth: launching our subscription box and bringing inclusive, educational craft to even more families across the UK. Beyond the grant, the support and platform that comes with it will make a massive difference too."
3. Paul Wilson, Founder of Consultico.
Paul founded his Glasgow-based digital marketing consultancy in 2024, aged 21, which has served over 20 paying clients to date. After recovering from an operation in December 2023, he decided to build his own business rather than return to a conventional job. He has supported other young people by giving paid work or placements to 7+ students.
On his win, Paul said: "Winning the 'All about business entrepreneurs fund' is one of the most exciting steps I've had with my business. Being involved in this kind of business ecosystem is extremely exciting, and at every turn since we've won, Reed keeps adding more benefits. Winning has reignited my passion for my business and my desire to grow it into something fantastic, and I can't wait to see how this support helps me reach new heights, both in my business and as a young entrepreneur!"
4. Precious Adu, Founder of The Tech UK.
Precious is the sole Founder of The Tech UK, a London-based nail studio which started in July 2024 and has built a solid customer base through consistency and a high-quality service. The Academy is currently in development, with the aim to help young people who leave school learn how to build a career from a trade. Precious originally studied accounting and finance at university but found nails as a creative outlet.
5. Tia Collard, Founder of fiftyminds.
Tia started fiftyminds as the sole Founder in 2023, aged 20, to help SMEs with AI, automation and systems transformation. The South-West based business has served 80+ clients with an 11-person team and has been profitable since day one. She is also mentoring early talent.
On her win, Tia said: "I'm incredibly grateful to Reed for this opportunity. This is a significant inflection point for me, fiftyminds, and our entire team. The grant will help us move toward our vision of providing organisations with independent and honest advice on technology, automation, and AI - while also allowing us to invest in training and hiring graduates and young talent within our team. It is a life-changing opportunity"
Each founder will receive:
£20,000 to invest directly into their business
A year-long mentorship programme with experienced business leaders
A national platform to showcase their business and ambition
Ongoing support from Reed to help overcome challenges and accelerate growth
James Reed, Chairman and CEO of Reed, said: "We are delighted to announce Kanoj, Khamani, Paul, Precious and Tia as the inaugural winners of the 'All about business entrepreneurs fund'. From a pool of high-quality applicants, their passion, ingenuity, and determination shone through in their applications and pitch meetings. When we first launched this fund, we wanted to back the best and brightest young entrepreneurs from across the country. Through our initial cohort of winners, we’ve done just that.
“Our hope is that their stories and success will inspire other young people in their own entrepreneurial journeys. We look forward to supporting our first cohort of winners over the coming year and welcoming applications for the second cohort very soon.”
Applications for the next round are open now, with the next cohort to be reviewed in January 2027. Full eligibility criteria and the application pack are available at reed.com/entrepreneurs.