For Olivia Trilford, the inspiration for her venture wasn't just a market gap - it was a deeply personal journey. Olivia's personal struggle with endometriosis drove her to seek less aggressive, supplementary ways to nurture her health. As a mother of twin daughters and stepmum to three, with a "chaotic, busy life," she was looking for a convenient, supportive product that simply didn't exist. So, she decided to create it herself.
Meet the founders of Twenty Eightish, a venture in the Sprout Accelerator Spring25 Cohort, who have developed a functional, carbonated beverage designed to support women's hormonal health.
Olivia describes her team, which includes her father, Tony Trilford, as "creative, tenacious, and purpose-driven". This duo brings a powerful mix of expertise to the table. Olivia's background is in digital marketing and brand development, and Tony, who recently sold his own company after nearly 30 years, has extensive experience in sales, marketing, and distribution within the FMCG sector. Together, they have a strong skill set to launch their venture.
Olivia recognised a widespread problem among women: hormonal symptoms like cramps, fatigue, acne, and weight fluctuations are a universal struggle. She knew it wasn't just her own experience, but one shared by her friends and family as well. To validate the idea, she conducted market research with over 500 women, and the results were clear - an overwhelming 86% said they would be interested in trying a product like hers.
The solution they developed is a unique formulation with 13 key ingredients, designed with food scientists to help women manage hormonal symptoms and regulation throughout their entire cycle.
During her market research, Olivia was surprised to find significant interest from a demographic she hadn't initially considered: women over the age of 40, including those past menopausal age. This unexpected discovery highlighted a key insight: women are genuinely excited about brands that specifically cater to their needs. This reinforced their mission to create a brand designed solely for women, as Olivia notes, "I think it's time we deserve a brand in this space that is unapologetically designed for women."
The next milestone for Twenty Eightish is to launch their product by the end of this year. Beyond that, Olivia's vision is ambitious: she wants Twenty Eightish to become a global brand. A significant motivator for her is a commitment to community-focused initiatives, like donating a percentage of profits to charities that help women, which she views as a key measure of success.
As part of the Sprout Accelerator, Olivia is eager to soak up as much wisdom as possible from Sprout mentors and industry experts. She specifically hopes to gain guidance and connections to help Twenty Eightish expand into international markets such as Asia, North America, and Europe.
Ultimately, the legacy Olivia hopes to create is a better world for her daughters by fostering open conversations and providing support around hormonal health, a struggle she faced in her own youth. For the team, success looks like scaling a profitable brand that helps people and gives back to the community.