- Rockit will launch its range of products that help babies in France to sleep after landing a deal with its first French distributor
- The business has already seen success exporting to Spain and Germany, with global exports accounting for 60% of its revenue
- Europe is a key export market accounting for 25% of total revenue, and it is instrumental to Rockit’s success
- The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helped Rockit to trade internationally as it encourages other SMEs to take advantage of the opportunity Europe presents
A business launched by three British dads to send babies to sleep is set to bring peace to families across France after securing its first deal in the country.
Headquartered in Bristol, Rockit was founded by Dr Nick Webb when his three-month-old daughter, Abby, refused to sleep in her pushchair. After a lightbulb moment one evening, he dismantled an old printer motor and soldered together a prototype that would keep her asleep even after the pushchair stopped moving. Nick set about refining it with his co-founders Matt Dyson and Matt Sparrow, developing it into the Rockit, a rocket-shaped portable baby rocker.
A few months after launching, Rockit was stocked by John Lewis, Mothercare and JoJo Maman Bébé as well as 130 other independent retailers across the country. It is now exporting to over 45 countries and has sold over 700,000 Rockits worldwide.
The team of three dads identified Europe as a target market from day one, and worked with the Department for Business and Trade to secure an Export for Growth grant to increase its IP protection, take legal advice on distribution contracts and secure translations to internationalise its packaging. They were also assigned an International Trade Adviser to support their first steps going global. International trade now accounts for 60% of its total revenue.
Co-founder Dr Nick Webb said: “No matter where you are in Europe, there are always sleep deprived parents so we knew we’d have an audience, but as a start-up we were completely new to exporting. There was a lot to navigate, and Europe can’t be treated as just one big market: Over the years Germany has become one of our largest export markets and, despite its proximity to France, we found it harder to find a French distributor until now. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step and would encourage others to realise the massive opportunity Europe presents.”
Rockit is just one of the many UK businesses exporting to Europe, contributing to a total of £352.3bn in exports to the region from June 2023 to June 2024. This International Trade Week, running from 11-14th November, the Department for Business and Trade is encouraging all businesses interested in expanding or kick-starting their global operations to attend the free workshops and seminars. Data from ITW sponsor, Santander’s Trade Barometer Report, shows that the proportion of businesses trading internationally that see growth opportunities in European markets over the next few months has increased – in Germany from 20% to 23%, and in France from 15% to 19%.
Minister for Exports, Gareth Thomas: “Our mission is to grow the economy. Using International Trade Week to boost exports across Europe and to reset our relationship with our nearest neighbours on the continent is an important part of that.
“It’s fantastic to see Rockit already seeing success in Europe and now expanding even further into France. Demand from EU markets for UK goods and services is substantial, and whatever the sector, we are here to help SMEs interested in leveraging this opportunity.”