Another UK business launched as a result of coronavirus is Hidden Smile, a facemask supplier set up earlier this month by Oxfordshire-based entrepreneur Neill Cotton.
Its masks are made from two layers of cotton, with a folded paper filter inside.
“You don’t need to replace the filter as often, as it isn’t exposed to the outside world, nor, crucially, to the moisture of the mouth,” says Mr Cotton. “You also look like an extra from [medical TV drama] Holby City.”
Other industries that have seen a big rise in business as a result of coronavirus, and therefore offer opportunities to new start-ups, include home improvement and the delivery sector.
Nicole Gibbons, who founded US paint firm Clare in 2018, says that sales have soared as a result of the lockdown. “Normally people would rather have brunch on weekends, and not paint their homes.” she says. “But now they have cabin fever, and want to do something.”
Meanwhile, London-based courier business Gophr says it has just seen its busiest ever two months as more people have got a taste for online shopping.
