BIZ Experiences UK's London 100: Popsa Built for the world from day one—Popsa leads global growth in personalised photo products
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
You're reading BIZ Experiences United Kingdom, an international franchise of BIZ Experiences Media.
Industry: e-commerce
Founded in 2016 by Liam Houghton and Tom Cohen in a Soho kitchen, Popsa had a revenue of £33.4m in 2024, a 355% growth over five years. It now serves 10 million customers in 50 countries.
Houghton's journey began in his bedroom as a teenager, teaching himself to design and code. He saw these skills as a superpower—a way to express emotion and tell stories through technology.
His leadership style reflects this ethos: empowering people creatively, hiring globally-minded thinkers, and building technology that feels personal and intuitive.
We're drowning in digital photos, but rarely do anything with them. Popsa's platform uses AI to transform a user's photos into beautiful photobooks, calendars, and keepsakes - automatically.
Popsa's use of AI to make staff more productive sets it apart. Lots of companies say AI boosts productivity. The problem is, few have the numbers to back up that claim - Popsa does. The average RPE in the UK tech industry is c. $150k. Popsa's RPE is 5 x higher at $800k and is on track to grow another 25% to hit $1m by the end of the year.
Popsa boasts a global first mindset - Popsa launched with international markets in mind.
