Co-founder and CEO of Theone, Piers Thackray hopes his recently launched startup will help small businesses ramp up their marketing solutions, and he’s getting creative with his pitching efforts.
Thackray’s journey began at the age of 10 when he found himself assisting his mother, who was navigating the challenges of running multiple small businesses. He became fascinated with marketing and technology, delving into Google Ads at a young age. At 16, he started his first small business, venturing into e-commerce and successfully funding his gap year travels.
After facing setbacks in subsequent ventures, Piers found himself at university studying physics. However, his passion for marketing and tech persisted. He started a consulting business at 19, helping small businesses with their marketing strategies. Eventually, this evolved into a marketing agency, but he encountered challenges along the way.
“Every day, I would knock on doors, trying to get clients for my consulting business. I was 19 years old, I had no credibility. But, in the end, I was able to get a couple of people who were either crazy or they just felt really bad for me.”
Piers Thackray, co-founder and CEO of Theone.
This led to the birth of Theone, an innovative platform described by Thackray as the “Uber of marketing agencies.” As he explains, Theone eliminates traditional management costs, leveraging AI and connecting businesses with a database of freelancers. The goal is to provide small businesses with affordable, high-quality marketing services.
Democratising marketing processes
The core service offered by Theone is content strategy. As Thackray explains, Theone allows small business owners to create an entire content strategy within 10 minutes, launching it for as low as $50. The platform facilitates the creation of diverse content, including videos, infographics, blog posts, and more, catering to a variety of needs.
What sets Theone apart is its infrastructure layer which seamlessly integrates AI into a database of freelancers. This enables unlimited capabilities and a more agile and efficient marketing process. Thackray envisions Theone as a pioneer in democratising marketing processes, making them accessible to small businesses.
Join the waitlist
While Theone officially launched in July 2023, Thackray says it can be a challenge to lure investors, who sometimes express concerns about the team’s age and experience. In line with his marketing and tech passions, he has launched a series of mini-episodes on the challenges of pitching.
Nevertheless, he has managed to build a formidable team of advisors, including a former senior director of Apple. The initial traction has been promising, and Thackray says so far, 3,000 businesses are on the waitlist with $6 million in sales in the pipeline. Despite facing initial rejections, the team has managed to showcase an MVP and proof of concept.
The current fundraising efforts aim to secure $300,000 to further develop the product and expand its reach. Thackray emphasises the importance of integrating technology to empower smaller enterprises and foster competition in the market.
