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Dreams Started In a Garage!

Humble beginnings

In the spirit of tech pioneers from the 1970s who launched their ventures in humble garages across Silicon Valley, we too embarked on our journey in a garage. While I won’t compare ourselves to Apple, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft, our story demonstrates that businesses can still start from humble beginnings.

Back in December 2020, amidst a second government lockdown, I faced a double blow: not only was I locked down, but I was also ousted from Andersen EV, the business I had poured my life savings and three years of effort into building.
As a dyslexic child, I had grown accustomed to setbacks and failures. So, after two days of self-pity, I convinced Mandy that we should create Simpson & Partners.

Technically, Simpson & Partners came into existence in our modest hallway/dining room within our London rental home. There, we deftly balanced parenting two young children during the lockdown. . However, the true founding work occurred in March 2021 when we made the pivotal decision to relocate to the lovely village of Kemble in the beautiful Cotswolds.

To the Cotswolds

While the move might appear as a quintessential “Covid escape” to the countryside, the reality is more pragmatic. It was primarily driven by the need to reduce living costs, rather than a desire for a lifestyle change.

Our new rental home in the Cotswolds came with a wonderful, albeit cold and damp, garage. To me, it felt like the height of luxury after cramped London living. I transformed the garage into a cozy workshop, equipped with basic test kits and 3D printers. Over the next six months, with the help of my small team of electrical and mechanical engineers, we developed the hardware for the Home Series.

Fast-forward to 2024:

Today, we have a factory in the Cotswolds, an in-house team of skilled and enthusiastic individuals, and local suppliers mostly based in the UK.
For those about to embark on their entrepreneurial journey, remember that even in our high-tech society, dreams can still be born in garages—just like in Silicon Valley, albeit a bit colder and damper.