Tyneside entrepreneur secures investment to grow nurse-led wellness brand

Cassandra Sonma Ukaobi, 35, is the first black female founder to secure investment through the North East Accelerator Fund, backed by Mercia Ventures

A Tyneside entrepreneur has secured funding to expand her nurse-led wellness brand.

Cassandra Sonma Ukaobi, 35, has become the first black female founder to obtain investment through the North East Accelerator Fund, supported by Mercia Ventures.

Her brand, Tolicious, offers supplements, detox products, skincare and haircare, while delivering wellbeing programmes for organisations nationwide. The investment will be used to broaden its product range and expand its workforce.

Ms Sonma Ukaobi – also known as Cass UK – aims to scale the business nationally from its North East headquarters. She established the venture after almost a decade working as a nurse across the Caribbean and the UK.

Having spotted a gap in the market for accessible, science-backed preventative wellness, she bootstrapped the business to six-figure revenue in its first year while still working NHS hospital shifts, and it has since been recognised as Best Female-Led Wellness Brand UK 2025.

Alongside Tolicious, the dynamic entrepreneur operates Blueprint Academy – a mentorship programme through which she has helped hundreds of women – particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds – to build scalable businesses. She is also the author of The Tolicious Way: Detox Your Body and Life and the creator of the Healing Chat podcast, reports Chronicle Live.

Ms Sonma Ukaobi said: “Securing the Spark Funding through the North East Accelerator Fund, backed by Mercia Ventures, is a significant milestone for Tolicious. Founded in London and raised in the North East, Tolicious has grown from a vision into an award-winning, nurse-led wellness brand with a mission to make science-backed preventative wellness more accessible.

“This investment will help us accelerate our growth, expand our product range, strengthen our team and continue building from the North East. As someone who bootstrapped this business from the ground up while working as an NHS nurse, this investment represents far more than funding, it is validation of years of resilience, sacrifice and belief in the vision.

“The support from the North East Accelerator Fund and Mercia Ventures demonstrates the power of backing ambitious founders with innovative ideas, regardless of their background. I hope our journey encourages more women, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to believe that their ideas are worthy of investment and capable of becoming nationally and globally recognised brands.”

Those behind the fund say the decision to fund Tolicious represents a landmark moment for diversity within the region’s burgeoning investment landscape.