Ready, Squat, Go: How Two Students Changed Womens Toilets For Good.

Speaker A: Flush from the amazing success of delivering women's urinals at, uh, the London Marathon 2025, I'm joined by Amber Probin, who is the co founder of a company called pqual, who are on a mission to deliver equality for women at events. Amber, thanks for joining me Today on the NatWest Unnoticed Entrepreneur podcast series.

Speaker B: Well, thank you for having me. I'm really excited to have this great conversation together.

Speaker A: Well, you are solving a problem that affects half the world. You know all women that struggle when it comes to large events. And the first urinal, male urinal, was invented in 1866, but you've got a solution now for women. So do you want to tell us what business you're building and then we'll talk a little bit more about you and your background?

Speaker B: Love to, yeah. So myself and Hazel, we've created a, uh, pqual and pequil is the UK's first squat and go woman's urinal. And what we do is we get women out of the queues and back to the event so they're not missing out on their, uh, favorite acts or delaying their start times for marathons or having to go further afield and have a wildery where it's a bit unsafe. You know, we're really creating equal access to facilities and we consider women's time as equal to men's time. So that's why we're really passionate about what we do.

Speaker A: Yeah. What a wonderful, wonderful mission that you've got. And I said, um, as a father of two daughters and I have three sisters and five nieces.

Speaker B: Yeah. You know the problem.

Speaker A: I know the problem of waiting, waiting around for them, actually. Yeah, yeah. So it's benefiting everybody.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: People tell us then, the backstory, how did you and your co founder, Hazel, start the business? Then we'll talk about some of the challenges that you faced along the way and successes you've been having.

Speaker B: So in our master's year at Bristol University, Hazel and I collaborated in our fourth and final year. And the project was to solve a real world problem. So in our, in our summers we'd work at festivals and in our breaks we'd have to choose between going to the loo or getting food just because the toilet queues were that long. So you'd have to really compromise on what you needed. And so we thought, surely there's a better way. Let's just see what we can do, push some doors, be curious and sort of see if there's any kind of solutions out there already. So when we did the project, and we were going through the secondary death research, we just realized there was nothing out there. Like, oh, my goodness, this is a massive gap. There's no innovation, there's no investment assigned to this. There's huge taboo around women's sanitation, and it's actually very unsexy, and women are very linked to being sexy. So if you don't want to talk about it, it's this huge taboo around, you know, women's sanitation. So we were like, gosh, someone needs to do something about this, so why not us? Uh, so that's sort of where it kicked off. It was. That was very. A big conviction point. And then ever since then, we've been speaking to millions of women, hundreds and millions of women, about getting this, getting this to be a standard facility.

Speaker A: Why do you think that women's urinals have taken this long? You said it's been, um, unsexy. Um, but has it also been something that's not been interesting to, you know, inventors, to vcs?

Speaker B: Yeah. So the one point is that, you know, we sexualize women, so we don't want that associated. We don't want any kind of bodily liquid associated with women. So even in our language, we'd say, I'm going to the powder room, you know, I'm going to powder of my nose instead of go to the toilet. Or, you know, you see these slight changes in our language even to sort of disconnect women from sanitation. Um, so there's, like, taboo around that. But then there's also, um, lack of investment in this space, because at the moment, it's very obvious that a lot of investors out there are men, and this problem doesn't impact them very much. So the investment is less, um, funneled towards women's sanitation or women's health tech. So, yeah, there's a big barrier there for female founders to get investment. So, yeah, for a long time now, it hasn't been a priority. Um, there's lots of other barriers as well, but those are the two main ones.

Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, so you've got, I think the statistically less than 1% of all funding goes to women.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: When it comes to, you know, investments. Plus, you've got the, like, the unsexiness of women's sanitation.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Being not high on people's agenda. And I guess you can't use technology perhaps in the same way to get scales and so on.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Why did you and Hazel think that you could solve this problem where in 160 years, no one else has even

Speaker B: come close I mean, I think it was that conviction that we had, like when we realized there was nothing out there and it was like a bit baffling, you kind of surprised yourself and you sort of realized that this is, uh, a normalized inequality that us, ourselves have been drawn into. You know, it's something that we, we know the problem, we feel the pain waiting in the queues, but yet we've just stood about thinking, oh, uh, someone else will do something about it. But then you get this conviction of like, gosh, this something needs to happen, so let's see if we can do it. This, why not us? That kind of attitude of why, why not us, if not us who? You know, that kind of the powerful convicting language that you hear. It was that kind of moment. And then we just have been curious and been running with it ever since.

Speaker A: Well, I think it's amazing that you found such a huge problem that no one had addressed, but also that the scale of the problem didn't intimidate you and Hazel.

Speaker B: I think there was a bit of naivety at the beginning, to be honest, which was actually a protective thing because if you knew what we were getting into, I don't know if we'd even started. But, um, yeah, I think it is massive. And sometimes it is intimidating to think about. We're actually changing industries, we're changing language, we're changing expectations and budget allocation. And you know, there's so many important things that people addresses and challenges. And so that's a big responsibility. So, yeah, I think the naivety. I wish we had a bit more of that at the moment, but, um, yeah, there was, it is a huge opportunity.

Speaker A: You had a huge opportunity. And we'll, we'll talk about how you got there in time. But just for anyone watching or listening, you have just served the London Marathon.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: So you've had literally tens of thousands of people go through P. So for anyone listening, this is a true story of a couple of women founders changing the way that events and even society operate. So I, uh, do want to call that out. So on listening goes. Wow, that's amazing. Let, let's stick around and listen to this story. So you and Hazel University find a real world problem, unlike just submitting your thesis and then getting jobs and say, well, we found the problem, but we decided not to tackle it. You have decided to tackle it. Can you just take us through the steps, the stages that you've gone from university thesis to actually delivering these people urinals to the London Marathon?

Speaker B: Sure. I mean, there's so many stages and so many things I could talk about, but to, to condense it down. So after Hazel and I did get full time jobs, um, I got a job at an innovation consultancy, M and Hazel got a job, um, with um. Oh my goodness, I've forgotten the company now. An important company, very important company, sustainable company. Um, sorry Hazel. And um, we did that in our days and then we worked on people in our mornings and our evenings to sort of keep going and keep pushing, getting more research, talking to more people, more customers. Um, and so that was how we funded the sort of our work on people. Right at the start, um, we were also applying for grants and competitions. We'd win 500 quid there, 200 quid here, so that would sort of tie us over, um, right at the start. And then, um, we managed to get a grant from the University of Bristol that enabled us to go full time. So we were able to quit our jobs, which is incredible feeling to focus the best hours of your day on what you really want to do. Um, and then we made lots and lots of prototypes. So we were already making cardboard prototypes and 3D prints. But then we made two scale prototypes, prototypes that we took to Covid Safe events. This was in 2021, um, and we took our ah, large scale prototypes to get real feedback from women at these events because you can talk about it all you want but as soon as you go to an event, get your feet on the ground, that's when you get your real feedback. So it was fantastic. So the first event we went to was on the Downs in Bristol. Um, it was a comedy garden festival and um, we had the BBC feature us. It was a fantastic opportunity because it meant that we won the front page of the BBC. BBC with this made, um, out of scrap material prototype, basically we had no money. And that meant we had customers internationally reaching out to us saying, how do we get you to the us? I want you in Malaysia. Literally it was incredible. Um, the demand that we were able to showcase. Um, and that was a big point for us because it meant that when we went for investment we had all this sort of, that all these customers lined up that showed the demand for our product like this. So lots of prototyping and then the next step was raise investment. Um, and this was in Covid, so lots of Zoom meetings, lots of dodgy wi fi, which was not fun, very triggering. Um, but we did manage to raise 250k in Covid for an event based business. So, you know, that's no, uh, small thing and we, we often think about that, uh, how did we do that? But we had some incredible investors and that still back us today. And, yeah, that allowed us to manufacture the product in the UK and then be able launch at Glastonbury in 2022. I can keep going, but that's.

Speaker A: What an amazing story. So it sounds as though you managed to really tap into a zeitgeist where, although it hadn't been developed, everyone saw the need.

Speaker B: Yes, that's right. And in Covid actually helped in some ways because it was a chance for, uh, festivals and events to rethink their sustainability and to look for, to switch up their solutions. And so people were a bit more open to change, a bit more open to trying new instead of sort of the same old rigmarole. So, yeah, in that way it really did help us. And also because we're so much more hygienic than portable toilets, it meant that because Covid had just happened, everyone was looking for sanitary options. So it was another sort of arrow in our, in our bow.

Speaker A: Yeah, like for those people that aren't familiar with how a woman's urinal works, I don't know whether it's possible to say, paint us a picture in words.

Speaker B: Yes, try my best.

Speaker A: Yeah. So that people can visualize, of course.

Speaker B: Um, yeah. So it is a standalone facility, so you don't have to hold anything. It's not a funnel. You just step into this facility and pop a squat. Um, you pee into this thing called the pedestal, which is anti splashback and it's really comfortable for all squat heights. We've tested this thoroughly and there's a handle if you want support and you just pop a squat and pee. Squat and go. It's that simple. It's a designated safe space for women to go for a wi. Uh, just like the equivalent of male urinals. Uh, it's. What the key thing about peak is, is the efficiency. So we've designed it to be 2.7 times faster than a portable toilet, which means women are in and out of those queues. Like no tomorrow means that you get back to the event without having to miss out on anything. Um, and those, those, um, that efficiency has been made real because of things like the pedestal being just squat and go. You'd have to touch the thing, clean anything down. There's overlapping doors instead of like a lockable door and it's semi private. This is the important thing. It means that when you're standing up, you can be seen from the waist up. So it's really Fun. You can wave at your friends. Um, but then when you're peeing, you're popping a squat, you can't be seen by anyone, and that means you're fully private, means that you're incentivized to just pee and go. You're not checking your phone, you're not doing anything else in the toilet, you're just peeing.

Speaker A: You said something there which made me think of, you know, you and Hazel as engineers, which is about the micro moments and makes me think about the idea of the frictionless customer experience. You know, we remove anything that's a bottleneck and you've identified time as being the, the give back for the, for the customer. How did you light upon what you're calling micro moments as being, if you like, one of the keys to success?

Speaker B: I think we just knew that we needed to make it more efficient some way, so we were trying to tackle what was it that was slowing this process down and then tried to re out design it, basically. Um, and that's shown throughout our journey because we're actually launching a version five next year. So, you know, not just version one, not two, not three, not four, but five. And that's just micro improvements that we've made to make the product a lot more efficient, a lot more desirable for the user to use. So, yeah, it's just constant iteration and improvement to make it even more efficient.

Speaker A: Let's talk then about, um, the move from raising money and making these things yourself, these urinals yourself, to, if you like, commercialization. Because it's one thing to have a great idea and get people saying, hey, can you deliver it? It's another game altogether. When there are two of you in Bristol and you're delivering your rhinos to Glastonbury, for example, or to the marathon in London, how did you and Hazel overcome that, really, the transition from idea and prototype into delivered commercial product?

Speaker B: Um, I think a big moment was when we started manufacturing from, um, the uk. So it went from building the prototypes ourselves to an established rotational moulding factory producing the product for us. Um, and that was the product that we had ready for Glastonbury. However, there is a story here. You know, one of those barriers that you as founders always have to come up against. Unfortunately, the manufacturers made half of the product, so they made the tanks but not the walls. So if we had just gone ahead, we wouldn't have been able to do Glastonbury, ah, that year. So as gritty, uh, founders that we are, we were like, no, this has to Happen. How do we get to Glastonbury? How do we make sure that we do this? Launch women access this. So we got loads of our friends together. We. We ordered some scaffold poles, loads of Allen keys, and some foam boards, and we basically built the walls ourselves. I think over 300 walls over a weekend or two. And our, you know, new employees, they also gave up their weekends to join us. And it was just this big team effort that enabled these walls to be made. And we got to Glastonbury and we launched there, and it was significantly successful. We were on Woman's Hour. We sort of hit. Hit huge BBC outlets. It was incredible. Um, and we got to prove that this is something women love and really want to see more of, and that those walls we actually took throughout the whole of 2022. It wasn't just Glastonbury, so the manufacturers actually couldn't have produced those walls for any of the other events either. So it just shows. You just have to really dig deep and think, how can we actually make this happen? As a founder, you're, like, so stubbornly passionate about what needs to go next. So, yeah, that was. That was a really big moment of going from just prototyping to commercialization.

Speaker A: Can I ask what went wrong with the procurement process that the manufacturer didn't deliver?

Speaker B: Because I wish I knew.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: There's multiple reasons, you know, things that you can't help. Like, you know, one of the tool makers was sick for three weeks, delaying production, you know, or, um, some. A big order took longer than they anticipated before our order pushing ours back. You know, there's just so many things that you can't control with manufacturing. Um, and so, yeah, that buffer time was just eaten up. But, you know, we've learned a lot from it. And, you know, we're. We. We do enjoy, um, not having to make ourselves, you know, we do enjoy working with manufacturers that have those skills to make sure that we can commercialize. But, um, yeah, we're excited to be producing the version 5 in Poland next year. So we went out there last year and we. We absolutely loved it, and it was a fantastic factory where they've got everything run to a T. Um, yeah, we really enjoyed their. Their business, their manufacturing.

Speaker A: Okay. Obviously, it's a bit disappointing that in the UK you won't be able to find someone to deliver, um, that you've had to go to Europe. But I. What I will ask you is a cash flow question. M. Because when you commercialize, you. You got the quarter of a million, but you've got a team, you've got, you know, you and Hazel. Um, how are you able to structure the cash flow to carry you through? Because if you have a manufacturer that doesn't deliver, but you've probably got a commitment to Glastonbury, for example.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: For me, anyway, the stress is when I'm trying to arbitrage the relationships between a customer and a supplier. Right. As an entrepreneur, you get stuck between what you prom one person you'll deliver and what someone else promised. Yeah, you'll deliver. And you're expressing how you, you bridge the gap by just sheer force of

Speaker B: character and type of risk, isn't it?

Speaker A: Exactly.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Can you just take us through

Speaker B: how

Speaker A: you solved, how you dealt with that, practically or emotionally? Because I think often people look at entrepreneurs. Oh, well, they, they were there and they got to there, but there's, there's a lot of challenges. Not just the physical, but the financial.

Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, from a cash flow perspective, what we ask of customers is 50% upfront, so as soon as they book, and then 30% 30 days before the event and then 20% seven days after. So we get a large percentage of the cash up front before the event actually happens. Which means that we have that cash flow coming in significantly throughout the year. Um, and that really helps us sort of prepare for those events and tie us over. Um, but we have raised a second round of investment since 2022 till now and we are currently raising an investment round now. So you. We are constantly looking for new investors. So if anyone's listening that wants to back Pequil, please reach out to us because we always want to start new relationships with new investors and, yeah, see how we can get Pequal International.

Speaker A: Okay, that's wonderful, Amber. So let's, um, think about. Investors will love the product and half the world, let's face it, half or over half the world needs what you're offering. But investors also look at the founders, um, and the relationship between the founders. Can we just talk a little bit about how you and Hazel operate? Because that can make or break a business.

Speaker B: Yeah, I think, well, for people, our relationship has made the business happen. So, you know, both of us would say, we don't want to do this on our own. This is something that we've entered into together. This is something that we both really believe in, really want to see happen. You know, off the back of the London Marathon, you know, we were collecting the urine to turn into fertilizer and we were there on the ground actually collecting the urine ourselves. And, you Know, you have these moments of like, shared experience. You're like, nobody else understands me like you do. No one else gets the grind like you do. And it's this very rare relationship where you challenge each other, where you care for each other, where you really grind and see that strain with each other and try and support each other in the best way you can. Um, I don't know know any other relationship in my life that's like this one. Um, but yeah, we, we shoulder each other, you know, and you have to be constantly communicating to know, to let each other know where you're at. Even today, you know, communicating where our moods are in the day, like, oh, I think I need to just have a break, have a drink, get a cup of tea. Um, disclaiming, you know, today I feel a bit rough, you know, that kind of thing. It's the day to day communication that makes your sort of relationship reliable and steady and, um, trust, trusting. And I think, yeah, both of us treasure, treasure it. Because I have got friends that are solo founders and it is a big struggle. You know, it's isolating. It means that you don't feel as understood by your peers. There's, there's a lot of positives as well, but I know from experience that having a co founder is significantly better.

Speaker A: Yeah, well, there's old, old saying, isn't there? If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go further, yeah, go with others. When you look now at, uh, Picol and you know, the role that you two have been able to play and the community that you found in the accelerator, yeah, you've come both as students and I think not even it wasn't from a business studies background.

Speaker B: No, no, I studied anthropology, uh, with innovation, and Hazel studied physics with Inn. So, you know, we both had sort of creativity in our blood. You know, we've been creating dens and go karts and small business projects on the side all the time. But, um, no, not like a business background necessarily.

Speaker A: And so what are some of the ways that you've got involved with the accelerator and how that's helped to, to grow people into the kind of business that it's becoming?

Speaker B: I think a big thing about the accelerator is sharing in the challenges that you're facing. Um, because like I mentioned, nobody else quite understands you like another founder does. Um, and sharing those struggles is like quite a vulnerable thing to do. And if someone can help you in that, in that position, you'll, you know, you feel so grateful, you feel so supported and, and backed you know, I think there's this real feeling of fight. If you're a founder, you're constantly like, come on, I want to create something. And it can be really difficult to create something. So if someone's got your back and says, hey, I can connect you with this person, or, hey, don't worry about it. I've been there, and you'll get through it, that is massive. And it's not to be underestimated to have that support system. So for us, it was that greater support system underneath people that allowed us to reach out to people and be like, what did you do when you hit this wall? You know, how did you get over that hurdle? And, um, then us allowing us to do the same for others, if we could help others, we would pass that on and. And do the same.

Speaker A: So would you say that even if you have a founder like you and Hazel have, being part of a broader community absolutely brings you benefits.

Speaker B: The perspective, I think, is key. Uh, we always talk about perspective on, like, if you're just working on your business and you're sort of, you know, working from home quite a lot, you can be quite insulated, you can lose perspective. So when you come into spaces like this and you ask, what's your business? You know, what are you going through at the moment? Moment, who are you talking to? It kind of opens you up to be a lot more, um, grateful in a way. You sort of understand, hey, let's celebrate these wins. You know, the London Marathon just happened. What, like, we were dreaming of this three years ago, you know, So I think perspective is one of the most important things as a founder.

Speaker A: And as you say, you've got the perspective of everyone here supporting you too, haven't you? I think that, uh, even as being on the podcast here, people are celebrating and in your corner. As wonderful as it is to have you and Hazel and, I guess, family and friends, what about the. The mindset shift that you two are having to go through now? Because as the company grows and you've got, you know, pitches out to investors and you're going to go for more, what are you having to think about differently now as an entrepreneur? Because it's not been that long, in fairness. I mean, you launched the first product in 2020. I think it was 2021, and we're only 2025, so you've actually accomplished a huge amount in a short amount of time.

Speaker B: Thank you.

Speaker A: And it's incredible. What mindset changes have you had to make and how are you making those?

Speaker B: Good question. Um, I Think I want to rephrase it. The mindset things I want to keep, um, because I think that's what has meant the business continues, is to sort of hold on to traits like, like the passion, the grittiness, these sort of like personal qualities that have actually enabled the business to keep going. Um, that sort. Those are the mindset qualities that have really enabled our business to thrive. Because this grittiness, you don't find it in lots of people. The grittiness that it takes to sort of do the really hard work that no one else wants to do. You know, to be the last person at the end of the day to clear up the cups, you know, to do the things nobody sees. I think you need that grit and that conviction, passion. And those are the things I want to have throughout my whole life, not just running this business, but in every aspect of life. But, um, those are things I want to keep. Sorry, I rephrased your question there.

Speaker A: That's okay. In a way, that's probably, uh, the hallmark of why you're such a great entrepreneur. Because you're staying very true to your core values. Right. Of it needs to be done. And you've got this higher sense of purpose.

Speaker B: That's right. The purpose point is a really, it's what drives us. It's not just clickbait. It's something that we really believe in. It really is what keeps us going and why when it's so hard, we do keep going. And I think any business founder would agree that if you have purpose at the center of your business, it is that, that thing that keeps the engine going.

Speaker A: Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. And the people that fall by the wayside are those who didn't really have a mission, but maybe had a motive.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, uh, maybe self interest or short term interest rather than the bigger, bigger picture which you've got really just equality for women. You know, looking at your website and watching the videos. But looking at the website, watching the videos, I can see the enthusiasm that women have, uh, for frankly, the relief. Right. I mean, they've been waiting a long time now. They don't have to wait.

Speaker B: The relief is the right.

Speaker A: Relief is the right word. How have you been marketing to those event companies? Because you've got some pr. Uh, can I say pr. You've got some public relations just to qualify. How many puns can we get in one interview? Um, but what about the marketing to those companies that are looking at. They've got an established porter cabin provider, they've got a piece of the field that already comes to it. They sell the tickets whether the women get a better urinal or not. You know, people aren't voting with their wallets for that service. How are you getting the proposition for people into the market to get people coming to buy?

Speaker B: Good question. I think we started with events that shared our values. So Glastonbury, for example, they're always looking to be more innovative. They're always looking to be more sustainable. They're always looking to bring something new, something fun into their event. And obviously they set the bar. So we wanted to start with the influential events, and then it would just triple down into the rest of the industry. And that's what we've seen happen. So that. That was definitely the right move. But we do sort of angle our pitch to customers, um, sometimes differently. So we do, um, we obviously create a better experience for the women, but we can also generate a lot more revenue for the events themselves because when aren't waiting in the queue, they're getting a drink. So you can see that we generate a lot more revenue for the event themselves and actually peak pays for itself once it's there. So if a event is struggling to get more money every year, this is something that they can do too.

Speaker A: That's a great. Yeah, that's. So if they're not peeing their shopping.

Speaker B: That's right.

Speaker A: Um, which with two daughters and, you know, three sisters, I think. Absolutely. Right. So maybe I. Maybe I don't want them to have people cost me even more money when I take my daughters to it. But you said you got into Glastonbury, but there's a little bit missing that I do want to talk about, because, uh, as an entrepreneur going, okay, you got to Glastonbury, but how did you get into Glass? Because it's a huge event.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: They must have so many vendors pitching them everything. So I'd just love for someone to hear that might be listening to this. Okay. That is the practical step I would need to take to get the dream client that would make the cascade of customers for.

Speaker B: Yeah. So the way we approach Glastonbury was we were still students at the time, and we reached out to them M as like research. We were like, can we get your advice? Can we get your opinion on this design? We would love to provide this for you. What sort of size tank capacity would you like? What kind of colorful walls would you like? And actually involving them in the. The development process, enlisted them on the journey. And so we weren't, uh, we weren't selling to them from the start. We were constantly keeping in touch with them and sort of showing them the new design that we'd come up with. What about this? What are your thoughts on this? And we were talking to the head of sanitation at the time. And so, yeah, it was like a constant feedback loop and they gained more and more interest in people and it meant that, um, when we did have something to sell, they felt a part of ownership. They felt like, yeah, I want to see this, how this goes. I've fed into it. You know, I've said that this tank should be this size. I've said that, you know, women would want this kind of dimension or. So that was definitely the way of getting our first customer across the line. Um, and, yeah, we really love our relationship with Glastonbury. They always get all our stock every year, and women absolutely love it at their event. So, yeah, that was how we sort of got that customer. It was just through relationship and through being keen, constantly knocking on the door.

Speaker A: And was that actually physically going down to see them or. We just found them on a website in Covid.

Speaker B: So it was just over the. The channels that we had. So it was email, phone, that kind of thing.

Speaker A: Okay, great. So it's so important, I think, to go through the detail of how these deals get done, because for someone starting a business. Yeah, it's often just that first step. Yeah, that's the hardest. And no one writes.

Speaker B: Yeah, about. Yeah, so true. I mean, a lot of it is just calling people up. It's just doing the small bits and you just never know where it will go. I've got so many stories of, like, Taxi Driver that knew an investor that then made an intro, or someone at the publisher knew a manufacturer that linked me to another manufacturer that we went with. You know, there's just so many ways of leads that you need to follow up on and you have no idea where they can go.

Speaker A: Exactly. And I think that's one of the joys of an accelerator program that you have mentors and people here. Are there any examples of how people within the accelerator community have supported you?

Speaker B: Definitely have had so many founders share their investor, like spreadsheets, a lot of them, um, like sharing networks, being like, oh, I think I know this competition might be suitable for you, or I know this mentor that could help tackle this problem. The network is definitely the huge advantage with this and we've benefited significantly from that. I think it's the openness founders have towards each other is like, if I can help you, I will. And, um, Yeah, I really love that.

Speaker A: Okay. And I think also within NatWest, because everyone's kind of joined this community of people under the umbrella of, of NatWest, there's a sort of a security. People's guards are not up. Right. They feel like they're all part of a community. No one's trying to sell anybody anything.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: It's not a commercial arrangement. It's really a supportive.

Speaker B: Absolutely. There's a lot of respect towards each other. Everyone's very respectful. Everyone knows people are working towards something or creating something that brings something good into the world. And I think, you know, what else can you ask for? Yeah.

Speaker A: To be surrounded by people that inspire you, motivate you and support you.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Uh, that's a real dream as an entrepreneur. Uh, speaking of dreams, Amber, where in you, where have you and Hazel got in your mind for the next five years?

Speaker B: For Pequa five years? Um, so we've got lots of different potential options, um, that will just be curious and like we've done so far, just be testing and seeing and seeing how it goes and, and if that's what we want to do. So there's no, like, hard plan. But, um, we are hoping to go international. This is the next big thing. Uh, we've got so much inbound requests from the us, Australia, the eu. Like, there's just so much possibility. So once We've manufactured the V5, we will be going to events in Germany and the Netherlands. Um, and so that will be where we'd be scaling up in the eu. So manufacturers in Poland will be very well suited to international expansion. M and also working, working with toilet distributors to actually reach women much faster. So we could scale up in house, we could do all the logistics ourselves. And that's what we've done up till now. So Hazel and I, we've got forklift tickets. You know, we've been driving the stock around site in forklifts. We've been doing the cleaning, we've been leading the teams. But actually, if we want to reach women as quickly as we want to reach them, we want this facility to be available for all. We need to start distributing with other people. So that's how we're looking at Scandinavians.

Speaker A: I will ask you the million dollar question, which is about IP protection. And there I go. I've got another P in there. Sorry, sorry.

Speaker B: Not sorry, sorry.

Speaker A: IP protection. Because one might think that, uh, there's no software code, uh, it's a design. Um, how are you going to protect pql, um, from being copied?

Speaker B: We have Multiple patents granted and filed. So from year one we filed a patent on our design, um, on the functionality of how it fits together. And that's been grant that was in 2021. So that sort of, you know, that sort of held us over from, from the beginning. And then as our design has been developed, we've continuously filed more and more patents that have sort of broadened the umbrella of IP for people, um, and that spans the uk, the eu, the us, China and Australia. So we're in a good position for ip. And it's important question because you know that is the next obvious thing, copycats. And what's the window of time before other people follow steps? And yeah, that is very much on our brains have been like there is this window of time that we want to actually leap into and land grab.

Speaker A: That's great. I want to ask that question because there's been many an entrepreneur that has a great idea, commercialized it to some degree and a larger company, um, an Armitage Shanks or someone could come along and because they've got that heft, could, could steal it. So this idea of IP protection, either locally, regionally or internationally is really important. If you've got something that could be copied and actually it's remarkably low cost for the protection it gives you, even if it just creates a speed bump for anybody else, doesn't it?

Speaker B: Yeah, that's right. That sort of barrier of protection is there. We're also building our brand. So that is another way we're protecting people. Um, we're becoming the go to woman's urinal provider, the trustworthy established provider out there. And we're building relationships not just with events, but also the toilet distributors that would have fleets of toilet blocks, things like that. We're building those relationships. So actually when we do want to go international, we have these full fully formed relationships that we trust and that we want to work together in an effective way. So yeah, the brand, the IP and, and the relationships are the key to that.

Speaker A: And um, to what extent has been the sort of the umbrella of the company now growing and the sort of environment that you're in, shaping how you and Hazel think of yourselves and where you see yourselves in the next few years?

Speaker B: Um, I think we, we know that people has made an impact in the event industry, which is crazy to say, and I, you know, pat yourself on the back for that. That is something to celebrate. Um, yeah, so we 100% know that Pequil has made an impact already. I think in the future we are ambitious and we Want to see policy change. So we want to, um, make PEQUAL make women's urinals a standard facility for all events. So when you go to event, you need to have X, Y and Z. And women's urinals needs to be there everywhere. Toilets are everywhere. Male urinals are. Women's urinals need to be there too. Um, so, yeah, we're, we're excited to be trying to tackle that challenge and try and change, change policy and guidelines around that.

Speaker A: Yeah. And you're doing that, I think, with the support of Hazel, both of you, together with investors, new investors, and of course this, uh, amazing community in the accelerator program. Final question, Amber. Uh, if there's an entrepreneur out there thinking about how to grow their business, thinking about whether to join an accelerator or not, what, what would be your experience that you'd share?

Speaker B: I think one quality Hazen and I both have is using being really resourceful and being really resourceful with our networks. So, like, always thinking, who do I know that might know somebody else as a graphic designer who, you know, I wonder if this person would be able to do something for free. I wonder, you know, and sort of utilizing the people in our network is the, in the best way possible. You know, from the beginning, our families have helped us out big time. You know, know we've got family, creative families, um, that would sort of help us model some sort of part of the product and, and be able to, yeah, draw on their contacts and, and just sort of think creatively about the networks that we have touch points within. So always think who do you know? And, and look there first before thinking I need to make, um, a stranger become my best friend. Before I can do anything, just think, oh, no, I know someone that knows someone else. Else.

Speaker A: And what about an entrepreneur that's looking at the accelerator and going, well, is that for me or not? Maybe I can go alone. What would be your, your advice to someone thinking about joining an accelerator?

Speaker B: I think there's no harm in it. Hey, you know, like, what, what have you got to lose? I think that's my attitude. It's like, what could you gain? You know, there's either you continue doing what you're doing or you could continue and have this incredible support system. System. So why not?

Speaker A: Amber Proven, thank you so much as such an inspirational story. And you're changing the lives of so many people from here in Bristol. You're changing the world. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Speaker B: Thank you for having me. It's been really fun. Cheers.

Speaker A: It's my pleasure.