Nurse-led wellness firm Tolicious lands Mercia Ventures backing for North East push
What's the deal? Tolicious, a UK-based nurse-led wellness company, has secured growth equity funding from Mercia VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The investment will fund product development, technology, operational expansion, and hiring as the company grows from its Newcastle upon Tyne base.
What does the company do? Founded by chief executive officer Cassandra Sonma Ukaobi, Tolicious sells wellness supplements, detox products, skincare, and haircare under its Hair Fever brand. It also runs workplace wellbeing workshops and preventative health programmes for organisations across the North East, Scotland, and other parts of the UK.
Why now? Ukaobi launched the business after working in healthcare, where she saw the rising toll of stress, burnout, and poor nutrition. Since starting in London and expanding to Newcastle, the company has grown its consumer and corporate wellbeing lines.
What's the endgame? The money targets new wellness products, digital technology and customer experience, operational infrastructure, recruitment, and expansion of corporate wellbeing programmes. The goal is wider reach across both consumer and workplace markets in the UK.
What the founder says: "This investment marks an important milestone for Tolicious as we continue building the business from the North East while expanding our reach across the UK," said Ukaobi. It lets the company "invest in innovation, strengthen our technology, grow our team," she added.
The signal: The deal reflects investor appetite for preventative health and corporate wellbeing, and for founder-led brands building outside London. For Mercia Ventures, backing a Newcastle scaleup underscores continued regional investment beyond the UK's traditional startup hubs.
Read more: Business Insider
