An independent programme by Harri Davies
Building a Company of 1.
One person can now build what previously required a team.
AI has reduced the capital, time and technical barriers to building a credible product or service.
The work
- 01Identify a problem worth solving.
- 02Prove demand.
- 03Launch something real.
Building a Company of 1 provides structure, accountability, specialist expertise and connections to create something with commercial value alongside an existing career or business.
-
36%
of 2025 US startups were founded by one person.
Carta -
62%
average wage premium for workers with AI skills.
PwC
The outcome
Build. Prove. Commercialise.
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01
Build
Turn a worthwhile problem or opportunity into a product, service or venture that exists beyond a slide deck.
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02
Prove
Put it in front of real users or customers and gather evidence that it solves something they value.
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03
Commercialise
Leave with a live offer, a route to revenue and a clear plan to win your first customer, client or opportunity.
Build something real that can generate income, reputation and opportunities beyond a single employer or client.
Ways to work with BC1
Two ways in.
Launch your Company of 1 in six weeks.
A selective, in-person cohort for ambitious people ready to identify a problem worth solving, prove demand and launch something real.
- Bristol Underway
- Cardiff Starts 19 August 2026
- London Autumn 2026
Focused 1:1 support to move a specific business, idea or opportunity forward.
Identify the right problem, test the critical assumptions, sharpen the proposition and get something into the real world.
Limited availability.
Discuss a 1:1 Build SprintWho it's for
For people who already have something to build from.
You've built experience, relationships and a track record of getting things done. You can see a problem or opportunity worth pursuing, have access to the people who experience it, and want to turn that advantage into a product, service or venture you own — alongside your existing career or business.
- You don't need
A technical background, employees or major capital.
- You do need
To be willing to test assumptions, speak to real people and build.
Already building
Bristol is building now. Cardiff starts next. London planned for autumn.
Current participants span experienced business owners, mid-career professionals and recent graduates working on problems across property and dentistry, architecture, pet travel, new-father loneliness and wildlife fundraising.
- Bristol Underway
- Cardiff Starts 19 August 2026
- London Autumn 2026
Who runs it
Built by someone who has done it.
Harri Davies has built a career beyond dependence on a single employer, without having to go “all in” on a single business venture.
Pathways into the 1%
Created programmes with Meta, Revolut and Formula 1 that moved graduates from free school meal backgrounds into some of the UK's highest-paid careers.
Portfolio career in practice
Has not applied for a job since 2011. Built multiple income streams through cross-sector leadership roles, advisory work and independent ventures.
The right people, at the right moment
Harri makes selective introductions when they can materially accelerate progress — to validate a problem, unlock specialist expertise, reach customers or open a commercial opportunity.
Harri will challenge which problem is worth solving, who experiences it, what evidence would prove demand and how your particular advantage can create commercial value.
Who it is built with
Built with credible partners.
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Partner
Home of the Bristol founding cohort and an active partner in the programme.
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Supporting
James Gin
Supporting the founding Bristol cohort.
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Origins
University of Bristol
BC1 grew out of earlier Company of 1 work with the University of Bristol community.
Register interest
BC1 is selective.
We look for people with a strong reason to build and something distinctive they bring to the problem.
- Bristol Underway
- Cardiff Starts 19 August 2026
- London Autumn 2026