Show notes
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Sam Jukes, the founder of CACTO Drinks – the UK’s first cactus water brand using real prickly pear puree. What started as a spark of inspiration from a TV programme turned into a multi-year journey of innovation, market education, and bold ambition.
CACTO Drinks offers a sustainable, healthy alternative to coconut water and is on a mission to break into an industry dominated by big players – with an exotic but approachable drink that's already gaining nationwide traction.
This conversation is packed with insight and inspiration, structured in three parts:
- The Business Journey – From bootstrapping and recipe development to navigating the competitive drinks industry and standing out with a completely new product.
- Scaling Challenges – Including educating a sceptical market, raising SEIS investment in just 31 hours, and learning the ropes in a complex supply chain.
- Quickfire Round – Where Sam shares thoughts on business, growth, and what he wishes he’d known earlier.
The one key thing from this episode?
👉 When you're disrupting an industry with something unfamiliar, education isn't optional – it's your biggest growth lever.
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For now, continue listening for the full story from Sam.
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Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that’s you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.
Sam can be found here:
Resources:
Willow Talk podcast - https://www.everand.com/podcast-show/731153089/Willow-Talk-Cricket-Podcast
Diary of a CEO podcast - https://stevenbartlett.com/doac/
ZoHo - https://www.zoho.com/
Google Tasks - https://tasks.google.com/tasks/