Main Squeeze: Catching up with our 2025 Startup Angel winner

Hi, Princess! It looks like it’s been a busy start to the year for you, what has Main Squeeze been up to since we last caught up?

Hi! Yes, it’s been a busy start to the year. Following our win last year, we saw strong growth for the brand. During Chronic Illness Awareness Month, we focused on building our community through curated events, and after a short break over the Christmas holidays, we’ve spent the past few months refining our 2026 strategy and gearing up for our upcoming fundraise.

Are there any personal highlights you’d like to share?

One highlight was being featured in The Independent as the best travel gift. That was particularly exciting because we haven’t actively pursued PR yet, so receiving such a strong organic feature was a great validation of the brand.

What are you looking forward to in 2026? What’s on the cards for Main Squeeze?

We’re looking forward to continuing to spread the message that compression socks are for everyone. In 2026, our focus is on growing brand awareness and reaching new audiences. To support that, we plan to expand the team and launch strategic partnerships with businesses that align with our mission of making compression both functional and stylish.

As part of your prize package from winning last year, you received mentoring from the Angels. How did it go?

Since winning, we’ve really benefitted from speaking with Dr. Raphael Sofoluke. He invited us to exhibit at the UK Black Business Show, which significantly increased our visibility and led to several valuable business connections. More recently, he’s also been supporting us as we think through our fundraising strategy. We’re excited to continue engaging with the wider group of Angels as we grow.

How has winning last year’s competition impacted Main Squeeze’s journey?

It’s been a real gamechanger for the business. The win helped us further validate our products, expand our marketing activities and launch impact initiatives for our chronic illness community. Since the competition, we’ve grown more than 100% in sales.

What advice would you give to anyone who’s thinking of applying to this year’s AXA Startup Angel competition?

Take your time to put forward a strong application. Read the guidelines and make sure you’re hitting all the requirements.

With the £25,000 prize money, how have you used it so far?

So far, the funding has supported several of our impact and marketing initiatives. Through these efforts, we’ve reached over 50,000 people, raising awareness around chronic conditions and helping to destigmatise compression socks.