Simba Sleep
Simba Sleep is a British sleep-products brand known for hybrid mattresses, bedding and direct-to-consumer online sales.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Simba Sleep is a British mattress and sleep-products business founded in 2015 by Steve Reid, James Cox and the McClements family. The company developed its proposition around hybrid mattresses that combine foam comfort layers with individually shaped springs, presenting the products as a technologically informed alternative to conventional mattresses. It initially emphasized online purchasing, compressed delivery and home trials, while later expanding through retail partnerships and international operations. The company’s first hybrid mattress was sold in the United Kingdom during its first year. Simba said that its design process used body-profile information from approximately 10 million people worldwide in collaboration with the Sleep to Live Institute. Manufacturing for the initial product took place at a factory in Derby, England. The mattress was designed to be folded and vacuum-packed in a cardboard box, enabling parcel-style delivery despite the product’s size. Simba attracted a series of private investments as it pursued product development and overseas expansion. It raised £1 million in March 2016 from investors including advertising executive Sir John Hegarty, Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed and investor Tom Teichman. A £5 million Series A round followed in October 2016, with international growth in markets such as France and Canada among the stated objectives. The company raised a further £9 million in February 2017 and announced a £40 million investment round in November of the same year. The later round was led by Atami Capital and included investors such as Nigel Wray and Lombard Odier. Marketing became an important part of Simba’s growth strategy. In 2017, the brand worked with footballer Gareth Bale on a campaign that included the development of an aircraft seat intended to improve sleep during travel. In 2019, England rugby player Maro Itoje became the face of another United Kingdom campaign, which was accompanied by the launch of an application designed to monitor sleep patterns. These campaigns positioned Simba not only as a mattress seller but also as a broader sleep-performance and sleep-technology brand. Simba expanded its product range beyond its standard hybrid mattress. In October 2019, it introduced a premium hybrid mattress with 5,000 springs, compared with 2,500 conical springs in the standard model. The company also sold duvets and pillows, including products using temperature-regulation technologies. One duvet incorporated Outlast, a material technology originally developed for NASA-related thermal-management applications; Simba subsequently developed its own related technology under the name Stratos. By the beginning of 2020, Simba was operating in nine countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Its retail relationships included John Lewis and Argos in the United Kingdom and Sleep Country stores in Canada, complementing its online channel. In the same period, the company secured a further $24 million investment from United States private-equity firm Cartesian Capital. Simba’s commercial practices later attracted regulatory scrutiny in the United Kingdom. In December 2023, the Competition and Markets Authority opened an investigation into concerns that online pricing claims and countdown mechanisms might mislead customers or pressure them to purchase quickly. Simba agreed to undertakings concerning the use of former prices and countdown clocks. It committed to ensuring that a stated “was” price represented a genuine prior sale price and to clarifying which products countdown clocks applied to, while avoiding a misleading impression of urgency or price movement.
History
Simba Sleep was established in the United Kingdom in 2015 by Steve Reid, James Cox and the McClements family. Cox reportedly suggested the name from a pet name he used for his partner. From the outset, the business focused on selling mattresses through a modern, digitally oriented model while differentiating its products through hybrid construction and compact delivery. During its first year, Simba sold its first United Kingdom hybrid mattress. The design combined foam layers with conical springs and could be folded and vacuum-packed into a cardboard box. Simba described the design as being informed by body-profile data from 10 million people worldwide and developed with the Sleep to Live Institute. Initial manufacturing took place at a Derby factory in England. The company raised £1 million in March 2016 from a group of investors that included Sir John Hegarty, Richard Reed and Tom Teichman. Its £5 million Series A round in October 2016 supported international ambitions, including planned growth in France and Canada. Further investment followed: £9 million in February 2017 and £40 million in November 2017. The latter round was led by Atami Capital and included Nigel Wray and Lombard Odier among its backers. Simba used high-profile partnerships to build awareness. In April 2017, footballer Gareth Bale led a campaign featuring an aircraft seat concept intended to maximize sleep during flights. In August 2018, Allan Leighton replaced Tom Teichman as chairman. In July 2019, rugby player Maro Itoje became the leading figure in a United Kingdom campaign linked to a sleep-pattern monitoring application. Product development continued alongside the marketing expansion. The standard mattress was described as having five foam layers and 2,500 conical springs. In October 2019, Simba launched a premium version with 5,000 springs. The company also expanded into bedding, selling duvets and pillows with temperature-management features. Its duvet range included a product using Outlast technology, originally developed for thermal regulation associated with NASA, while Simba later promoted its own related Stratos technology. At the start of 2020, Simba was operating in nine countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Its distribution model included online sales and retail relationships. In the United Kingdom, partnerships included John Lewis and Argos; in Canada, Simba products were sold through Sleep Country stores. The company also secured a further $24 million from Cartesian Capital. Regulatory scrutiny emerged in the United Kingdom in the 2020s. The Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation in December 2023 into whether Simba’s online sales practices could mislead consumers through former-price comparisons and countdown clocks that might create undue urgency. Simba agreed to undertakings requiring a former “was” price to reflect a genuine earlier sale and requiring clearer information about which products countdown clocks applied to. The case illustrates the regulatory pressure faced by online retailers using promotional pricing and urgency-based interfaces.
- 2023
CMA online-sales investigation
[1]The United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority investigated Simba’s former-price claims and countdown-clock practices.
- 2020
Operations reach nine countries
[1]Simba was operating in nine countries across Europe, Asia and North America and secured $24 million from Cartesian Capital.
- 2019
Premium hybrid mattress launched
[1]Simba introduced a premium mattress with 5,000 springs.
- 2019
Maro Itoje campaign and sleep application
[1]Maro Itoje led a United Kingdom campaign connected with an application for monitoring sleep patterns.
- 2018
Chairmanship changes
[1]Allan Leighton succeeded Tom Teichman as chairman.
- 2017
Further funding and international growth
[1]Simba received £9 million in February and announced a further £40 million investment round in November.
- 2017
Gareth Bale campaign
[1]Gareth Bale became the lead personality in a Simba campaign featuring a sleep-focused aircraft-seat concept.
- 2016
Initial £1 million funding round
[1]Simba raised £1 million from investors including Sir John Hegarty, Richard Reed and Tom Teichman.
- 2016
Series A funding
[1]A £5 million Series A round supported the company’s international expansion plans.
- 2015
Simba Sleep founded
[1]Steve Reid, James Cox and the McClements family co-founded the British mattress and sleep-products business.
Products and positioning
Technology-led sleep products combining hybrid mattress construction, compressed home delivery, data-informed design and temperature-regulating bedding. The brand has operated through a mix of direct online sales and retail partnerships.
Mattress · 2015
Simba Hybrid Mattress
Simba’s original hybrid mattress combined five foam layers with 2,500 conical springs. The construction was designed to balance pressure-relieving foam with spring support, while the mattress could be folded and vacuum-packed for delivery in a cardboard box. The product formed the core of Simba’s early direct-to-consumer proposition.
Premium mattress · 2019
Premium Hybrid Mattress
Introduced in October 2019, the premium hybrid mattress was positioned above Simba’s standard model and used 5,000 springs rather than 2,500. It extended the company’s hybrid-mattress architecture into a higher-specification offering.
Bedding
Simba Duvets
Simba’s duvet range includes temperature-management products. One product used Outlast technology, originally developed for thermal regulation in space-related applications, while the company later promoted its own Stratos technology for use in duvets and related bedding.
Bedding
Simba Pillows
Simba expanded from mattresses into pillows as part of a broader sleep-products portfolio. The available reference material identifies pillows as part of the range and associates the wider bedding portfolio with temperature-regulation technology.
Digital sleep product · 2019
Sleep-pattern monitoring application
Simba launched an application connected with its 2019 United Kingdom marketing campaign featuring Maro Itoje. The application was described as monitoring sleep patterns, extending the brand’s proposition beyond physical bedding.
Controversies
2023
Competition and Markets Authority investigation into online pricing practices
The UK Competition and Markets Authority investigated whether Simba’s online use of former-price claims and countdown clocks could mislead customers or create undue pressure to buy. Simba agreed to undertakings requiring “was” prices to reflect genuine prior sales and requiring clearer explanations of countdown-clock scope and operation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Maro Itoje sleep campaign
United Kingdom
England rugby player Maro Itoje became the central figure in Simba’s next United Kingdom marketing campaign.
Outcome. The campaign was associated with the launch of an application intended to monitor sleep patterns.
- 2017Gareth Bale sleep campaign
United Kingdom
Simba worked with footballer Gareth Bale on a promotional campaign that included the development of an aircraft seat designed to maximize sleep during travel.
Outcome. The campaign supported Simba’s technology-oriented and performance-focused brand positioning.
Brand decisions
2023
Changes to online promotional-pricing practicesStrategyBackground
The CMA raised concerns about whether former prices and countdown clocks on Simba’s website could mislead consumers or encourage rushed purchases.
Action taken
Simba agreed to ensure that former prices represented genuine prior selling prices and to clarify which products countdown clocks applied to.
Aftermath
The undertakings addressed the regulator’s concerns about misleading price comparisons and false urgency.
2019
Launch of premium hybrid mattressProduct launchBackground
Simba had established a standard hybrid mattress using foam and 2,500 conical springs.
Action taken
The company introduced a premium version with 5,000 springs.
Aftermath
The launch broadened Simba’s mattress range with a higher-specification product.
Recent events
- 2020
Cartesian Capital invests in Simba[1]
Other
Simba secured a further $24 million investment from United States private-equity firm Cartesian Capital as its international operations expanded.
- 2019
Maro Itoje becomes face of Simba UK campaign[1]
Campaign · Product launch
England rugby player Maro Itoje fronted a United Kingdom marketing campaign connected with the launch of a sleep-pattern monitoring application.
- 2019
Simba launches premium hybrid mattress[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Simba introduced a premium hybrid mattress using 5,000 springs, compared with 2,500 conical springs in its standard mattress.
- 2018
Allan Leighton becomes Simba chairman[1]
Leadership change
Allan Leighton succeeded Tom Teichman as chairman of Simba Sleep.
- 2017
Simba secures additional private investment[1]
Other
Simba received a further £9 million investment as it continued developing its business and international presence.
- 2017
Simba closes a major investment round[1]
Other
The company announced a £40 million funding injection led by Atami Capital, with participation from investors including Nigel Wray and Lombard Odier.
- 2017
Gareth Bale leads Simba promotional campaign[1]
Campaign · Product launch
Simba appointed footballer Gareth Bale to lead a campaign that included an aircraft-seat concept designed around improved sleep during travel.
- 2016
Simba raises initial funding from prominent investors[1]
Other
Simba raised £1 million in an early funding round involving investors including Sir John Hegarty, Richard Reed and Tom Teichman.
- 2016
Simba announces Series A funding for international expansion[1]
Other
The company raised £5 million in a Series A round intended to support overseas growth, including expansion into France and Canada.
Sources3 sources
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