Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Meet Lucy Rout, a passionate and driven entrepreneur who has earned a place on the esteemed shortlist for the 2023 Great British Entrepreneur of the Year award in London’s ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ category. As a result of this treatment, Lucy was faced with the reality of taking 20 tablets a day for the remainder of her life. However, her quest to find a pill case that resonated with her sense of style and practicality proved futile. In the midst of a Christmas party in 2019, Lucy received devastating news about her rare pancreatic cancer, leading her to face one of the most difficult challenges of her life. Despite being only 25 years old, she confronted this medical trial head-on, undergoing a life-altering reconstruction of her pancreatic system.
As we eagerly await the announcement of these awards in November 2023, one thing is certain – Lucy Rout has already won the hearts and admiration of many. Her story serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, encouraging others to follow their passions, embrace challenges, and leave a lasting impact on the world. My main advice would be to try not to view everything all at once, as the size and scale of what you're trying to do can seem incredibly overwhelming. If you had told me that I'd be getting a product from ideation to GTM in 3 months on a shoestring, 18 months out of major surgery – I would have laughed. Breaking things into chunks and putting one foot in front of the other really kept me going. The Founder, Lucy Rout, is a 27-year-old cancer survivor who needs to medicate every time she eats. The entrepreneur and inventor found herself apologising for having to doing so, so she searched for a pill case that would make her feel better about this part of her day, but she simply couldn’t find one, and this is how the idea was born. Lucy then decided to design her own pill case, before going on to launch Tabuu. During her time in London, Lucy actively sought out business internships at the likes of Vita Coco and served as a campus brand manager at Danone, showcasing her proactive approach to learning and development. Her adventurous spirit led her to venture into the world of water sports, where she briefly worked as an instructor in Greece.With one more pitch to go, I was excited to see who see who else would dare to tread into the Den. Manifesting positivity, dynamic duo Jayne Wallace and Grace Frost entered with their wellness business and collection of crystals, candles, and incense In addition to her dedication to making a difference, Lucy’s vibrant spirit extended into various extracurricular activities. As an esteemed member of both the Durham University cheerleading and netball teams, she exemplified unwavering dedication and the ability to thrive in collaborative environments – a precursor to her future as a visionary founder. Lucy Rout & Tabuu Pill Cases Achievements Demonstrating her commitment to this goal, Lucy recently established a partnership between Tabuu and the Terrence Higgins Trust – an organisation dedicated to ending the transmission of new HIV cases in the UK by 2030. Through Tabuu, Lucy launched a limited-edition pill case, with 100% of profits going directly to support the life-changing and incredible work carried out by the charity’s teams. It’s the modernised pill case invention that everyone’s talking about. It’s smart, discrete, stylish and compact: perfect for those on the move, and for busy lifestyles. While some may recognise Lucy from her appearance on Dragons’ Den or as the visionary founder of Tabuu, the inspiring story that paved the way for these accomplishments remains largely unexplored…but we’re here to change that. Lucy’s personal Health Story leads to the unique Tabuu Pill Case Business Idea
I used to feel a bit anxious getting my tablets out in social settings, I had some awkward comments, you know, it just sort of wasn’t particularly enjoyable,” Rout said. “I searched the market everywhere for something a bit stylish and discreet I could carry them in.” The main challenges were a) budget and b) time. I decided I wanted to run everything completely bootstrapped which has certainly meant I've had to get creative to get things done. Free trials, YouTube tutorials and elbow grease have been absolutely key to getting live. On the time challenge, I've definitely had to make some sacrifices in my personal social schedule, but I like to think that seeing everything going live has made it all worth it. Despite their small social media presence, Steven was keen to support the duo in improving their digital presence and made them an offer.I spoke to a range of different people taking tablets for contraception, HRT, mental health, digestive aid and everything in-between to understand if there would be interest. The response was overwhelmingly positive and that pill cases had been an outdated industry for far too long. They hated the feeling of having lumps of unsightly plastic in their bags. Since graduating I've worked for Just Eat as a Digital Marketing Executive, then a Sustainability and Social Impact Brand Manager for Unilever, and now a startup development manager in Sustainability. Whether it was holding an inconvenient bag of pills in her purse or sneaking away from the dinner table to take her medication in private, she found it troubling to find an easy way to take her medication in public. Whether taking medication for contraception, mental health, pain relief, or any of the other many reasons, it is never something you should ever be made to feel uncomfortable for doing. I want to empower people to feel unapologetic with their medication, by creating beautiful, conversation-driving cases that also provides discretion for the days you’d rather not open up,” she added.
We make stylish, sustainable and durable pill cases with a donation of profits given to cancer research charities. The brand mission is to remove the stigma around medication by starting the conversations we're too uncomfortable to have, so I'm hoping to brand out into events in the future. This success is a testament to the power of Lucy’s social platforms, where her unique and original character shines through, raising awareness for critical healthcare matters while encouraging a more empathetic and accepting society. Lucy’s Dedication shines through the Dragons’ Den Legend in her formative YearsOne of the reasons Lucy was looking for investment was that she was worried that someone could copy her idea. This got me thinking how can Lucy protect her product from any copiers? Within 48 hours of the brand’s launch, Tabuu garnered impressive media attention with a feature on Grazia. National TV Exposure: Beyond her impressive professional endeavours, Lucy devoted countless hours to meaningful volunteer work, immersing herself in programs like We Make Change, The Girls’ Network, and Girlguiding. Paola stood firm that this type of product didn’t already exist on the market, but sadly this wasn’t enough to convince Peter. Despite a confident pitch, and a product that caught my eye, there was no deal for Paola today. Zen in the Den Lucy Rout had one mission when on her route to entrepreneurship: to open up conversation around medication. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 25, Rout realised she wanted to pave the way for change for people who take medication each day – and soon her business was born.
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment