The Origin: A Simple Idea with a Big Impact

In September 2016, siblings Anna and Will quit their jobs and took the leap to build something they believed in. The idea was deceptively simple: the beauty industry uses a lot of ingredients that could be saved from waste streams in other industries, and the skin-beneficial properties of many of those by-products are actually extraordinary. Why were coffee grounds being thrown away by the thousands of tons when they are one of the most effective natural exfoliants available? Why were fruit waters from juice production going down the drain when they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants? Anna and Will set out to answer those questions with products.

From Kitchen Table to Dragon's Den to Global Brand

In February 2018, UpCircle achieved its crowdfunding target of £200,000 in just three days, closing the round overfunded by £17,000. In August 2018, the founding siblings took their business into the BBC's Dragon's Den, walked away victorious with investment offers from three Dragons, and agreed a deal with Touker Suleyman and Tej Lalvani. From there the brand grew rapidly: Sainsbury's picked UpCircle as a winner from over 60 competing beauty brands for a major retail rollout. The products launched in Whole Foods and Credo Beauty in the United States. The brand became Plastic Negative certified in 2022. And through it all, Anna and Will maintained the family-run culture and the founding commitment to accessible, circular beauty.

Our Mission and Values

The circular economy sits at the heart of what UpCircle does. The brand's ultimate mission is to leave the world better than it found it by transforming ingredients that would otherwise be discarded into natural, organic beauty products that are better for people and better for the planet. The brand's values are equally clear: innovative products that actively contribute to a less wasteful world, a supportive and diverse team culture, honest and transparent community engagement, and a deep commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

UpCircle products are all-inclusive: body positive, gender neutral, representing all ages, and reflecting the founders' conviction that price should not be a barrier to sustainable purchasing. Ethical, sustainable, fair-trade ingredients cost more, and UpCircle is committed to absorbing as much of that cost as possible rather than passing it entirely to the customer.

B-Corp Certified: The Gold Standard for Business Ethics

UpCircle is a certified B Corporation, a designation granted by the nonprofit B Lab to companies that meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corp certification covers everything from supply chain ethics to employee treatment to environmental impact. For shoppers who want to know that a brand's sustainability claims are independently verified and not just marketing language, B Corp certification is one of the most meaningful signals available.

Giving Back

UpCircle's philanthropy extends to active charitable giving. The brand has made donations to Refuge, a domestic abuse charity; the Save Elephant Foundation, supporting captive elephants at risk; and The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, tackling inequality in all forms. UpCircle also donates products to women in need, communities in need, and frontline workers. These are not token gestures. They are expressions of a brand that genuinely means it when it says it exists to leave the world better.