UCL entrepreneur launches ‘UK’s first virtual barber’ amidst coronavirus crisis

UCL alumnus Daniel Silvertown and his cofounder Jeroen Sibia saw an opportunity when hairdressers were forced to close, leading to a rise in amateur attempts to style and trim growing manes by parents, partners and housemates.

“We’d be disastrous at trying to cut someone’s hair but we thought we can at least build the technology to help professionals continue doing it,” Daniel said.

Their website, Lockdown Haircut, is billed as the ‘UK’s first virtual barber’. Anyone who has their own electric clippers, comb and laptop with webcam can book a 20 minute video appointment with a professional barber online. On the video call, the barber walks them through how to cut their own hair (or that of a family member or housemate) according to the style they want. 

A 20 minute appointment is £15 with the majority of the fee going to the barber and the remaining profits going to the NHS. They also operate a salary sacrifice scheme where the barbers can donate all or a portion of their wages to the NHS too. 

“The reception has been amazing, it shows real community spirit. So far every barber we’re working with has offered to donate their wages to the NHS,” Daniel said.

He adds: “We also hope this will encourage others to think creatively about how we can overcome the constraints of lockdown life by keeping Britain moving. Technology today is super powerful, with the rise of cloud computing, social media and high-speed internet, barriers to entry in all sorts of sectors are falling and innovation is accelerating. Hopefully others will be spurred to launch new businesses today in the depths of this crisis.”

Adapting business as usual

Daniel, who graduated with a degree in law from UCL in 2013, formed his main current business Swap in January 2019. Swap is a platform that connects talent at leading investment banks and strategy consultancies with handpicked buy-side opportunities including private equity, private debt, and venture capital funds.

The Swap team has received extensive business advice, free office space and mentoring from the entrepreneurship team at UCL Innovation & Enterprise. The company now has four employees and has been working with some of the largest and most prestigious alternative asset managers in the world. 

Jerry Allen, Director of Entrepreneurship at UCL Innovation & Enterprise, said: “This is an incredibly challenging time, especially for small businesses and startups, but I’ve been very impressed at how members of our enterprising community at UCL have pivoted and adapted to the circumstances. Many, like Daniel, have also endeavoured to do social good, which chimes with our values at UCL Innovation & Enterprise, and will continue to be important as we come out of the crisis.”

Links

• Support for UCL students, staff and alumni interested in starting their own venture

Photo © Lockdown Haircut