Brightland scales children's footwear startup with DJH backing
What's the deal? Brightland, a London-based children's footwear startup, is preparing for further expansion after securing investment and specialist business support from Leeds-based professional services firm DJH.
Founded by Rebecca Kelley and Duncan Robertson, Brightland developed a range of children's shoes designed to support healthier early foot development. The business grew out of a conversation at a nursery playground and evolved into a three-year project involving a biomechanical podiatrist and a consultant orthopaedic surgeon.
Its two products — the RISE Pre-Walker and WANDER First Walker — use over 90% natural and bio-based materials. DJH helped structure an investment raise and advised on financial systems, tax reliefs, and long-term growth planning.
Why now? Brightland has moved past its go-to-market phase and is entering early growth. It has secured direct-to-consumer sales and attracted international press coverage in The Times and Dezeen.
Following an earlier fundraising round backed through the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, the company is now preparing for further investment to scale and expand its product range.
What could go wrong? As a direct-to-consumer brand, Brightland faces the expensive challenge of building brand awareness and community in a crowded market. Robertson, who has over 20 years of experience in fast-moving consumer goods at Unilever, acknowledged that changing how an entire industry thinks about children's footwear is no small task.
The startup must also navigate evolving HMRC guidance on R&D tax credits — a relief DJH identified as providing corporation tax savings of around 15% for every £1 of qualifying expenditure.
The signal: Brightland sits at the intersection of two growing trends: science-backed product design and sustainable materials in consumer goods. Its approach — combining biomechanical research with natural materials — reflects rising consumer demand for products that are both functional and environmentally conscious, even in categories as traditional as children's shoes.
The involvement of a professional services firm like DJH, which employs around 800 people across 19 offices in the UK and Ireland, also highlights how early-stage consumer brands increasingly rely on specialist financial and tax advisory support to maximise limited capital during critical growth phases.
Read more: bdaily.co.uk
