About Global London
Global London is part of Grow London Early Stage, a series of business support programmes for early stage companies in high-growth sectors that support sustainable and inclusive growth in London.
Global London focuses on helping underrepresented and underserved founders reach new markets.
Discover how the Global London programme has advised Alchemy on how to manage and utilise a limited cash flow and raise their confidence and helped Period Harmony to implement the business’s export strategy and strengthen its retail positioning.
Alchemy
Alchemy is a functional supplement brand, born from a frustration with conventional healthcare and a personal journey to heal skin and gut issues naturally. Its belief is that true wellness starts from within, as the gut is the foundation of clear skin and overall health.
The company created Skin + Gut, a drinkable supplement to make this gut-health support approach simple by providing an easy daily ritual. The product is packed with prebiotics, digestive enzymes and skin-supporting nutrients.
The challenge
As a startup, the business experienced the following challenges during its early stage journey:
- Limited cash flow.
- Ineffective management of processes.
- Strategy and resource management.
As a small team of two, they found themselves wearing many business function hats. Although this allowed them to build a strong foundation, they were mindful of how other resources might add value and existing business practices that could be improved or streamlined. The team was also seeking guidance on how to combine thoughtful product expansion with standout creative and strategic partnerships.
How Global London helped
Since joining the programme in June 2025, the team has seen significant progress. They have begun conversations with leading retailers, launched their product at Boots and, just one year in, the business is now preparing to explore international markets.
The team believes a New York trade mission was a standout experience, offering an invaluable opportunity to connect with other founders on a similar journey, and those relationships have continued to grow. They are already exploring collaborations and partnerships to expand their reach and naturally grow their customer base.
Although access to funding and marketing opportunities is limited right now, Alchemy has continued to push forward, refine its offering and grow steadily. Joining the Global London Programme has given the business an opportunity to accelerate what it had already been building and take the business to the next stage of its development.
Our impact
Alchemy’s future growth will centre on strengthening brand awareness and elevating its creative direction. With major retailers already stocking its products, the company is positioned for natural expansion, however, the team's focus remains on ensuring that the brand message remains clear, distinctive and impactful.
Alongside new product development, Alchemy is investing heavily in innovative imagery and marketing that push the boundaries of the wellness sector.
While they haven’t expanded the team yet, the foundations they are laying are directly informing their future hiring and scaling plans.
The Global London programme has been incredibly valuable for us. The one-to-one support, both virtual and in person, has provided a much-needed sounding board, offering clarity, reassurance and strategic guidance at key moments. Having experts validate our direction has given us the confidence to move forward with greater intention.Lucy Martin
Cofounder, Alchemy
Period Harmony
Period Harmony is a women’s health brand providing doctor-formulated, drug-free patches for fast, cooling period pain relief. The patches are dermatologically approved, heavy metal-free and vegan, and are formulated with Boswellia, menthol and eucalyptus.
Sold in Boots, Amazon and global retailers, they combine clinically aligned innovation with a powerful 1.2 million-strong organic audience to make effective, accessible relief available to women.
The challenge
The brand joined the Global London programme in 2023 after being introduced through the J.P. Morgan Global London initiative.
Before joining, the business was growing rapidly but facing major scaling barriers, including:
- Complex retail compliance requirements.
- Operational challenges in exporting and global distribution.
Navigating international expansion felt overwhelming and slowed their growth, and the team was unsure of the next steps to take and how to set them in motion. There was a lack of knowledge and confidence regarding practice matters such as pricing, exporting and logistics.
How Global London helped
Raminder Samra, CEO of Period Harmony, was matched with a mentor on the programme and received extensive one-to-one support from her mentor and advisor. They first met during the onboarding meetings and she has been receiving tailored support since.
They've had many helpful discussions, particularly on retail strategy, exporting and global expansion. Samra said her mentor has been exceptional, offering invaluable, practical, honest and deeply knowledgeable advice.
With her mentor’s support, the CEO has refined the business’s export strategy, strengthened its retail positioning and implemented a structured plan to enter major US retailers, including Walmart.
Our impact
As a result of the programme, the Period Harmony founder had the opportunity to attend the grant-funded US trade mission, which, together with her mentor’s guidance, directly accelerated the brand's US retail readiness and opened new opportunities. The brand has since been accepted onto Walmart Marketplace.
Guided by the strategy shaped through the programme, Samra plans to scale further into UK retailers including Superdrug and Holland & Barrett, and expand into the US and other national partners.
The company is also raising strategic investment to support inventory, marketing and fulfilment as it grows into a global women’s health brand.
[My mentor's] advice has helped me streamline operations, make clearer decisions on logistics and pricing, and feel more confident scaling Period Harmony internationally as a solo founder.Raminder Samra
CEO, Period Harmony