It feels only right to kick off the STYLISA FoundHers series with a woman who’s disrupting the £90 billion global haircare industry with a vision rooted in personal experience and purpose. Marina Fallahi is the Co-Founder of Bhive London — the AI-powered “dating app for your hair” that’s transforming how consumers discover the right products for their hair type. With over 14 years of experience in marketing for global brands like Schwarzkopf and Revlon, Marina combines industry knowledge with deep personal insight to solve a problem millions of women face daily. In this honest and empowering Q&A, Marina shares the highs, the humbling moments, and her vision for Bhive — all while navigating the early stages of entrepreneurship and an investment raise. Let’s dive into her journey.
Inception of Bhive? What inspired you to Create Bhive, and how did your background influence this venture?
Bhive is an app transforming how consumers discover the right hair products with a data insights platform supporting retailers and brands. The idea was borne from a place of struggle and love.
I spent years struggling to find the right hair products to care for my hair. Growing up during a time of limited information on specific hair types, I opted to chemically process my hair to make it easier to manage. It wasn’t until I was 28 when I finally saw my natural hair in its entirety.
I’d always wanted to work in the beauty industry and my first job was working for a hair electrical company. Occasionally they would test the straighteners on my hair because if they could straighten my curly/coily textured hair it signalled that the straighteners must be good. On one occasion the temperature was so hot, my hair never returned to its curly state. So I had this straight section, amongst my afro hair that I had to keep trimming in order to blend it in as my hair grew out. I stopped using heat on my hair after that.
Hair has always played such a big part of my life personally. It was serendipitous that I spent my career absolutely loving working in marketing roles in-house for global hair product manufacturers, learning about products, ingredients and hair. What became clear is that there are lots of great products out there but that people don’t necessarily know which products are right for them. They are overwhelmed by choice. Products can claim to address a particular hair concern but the efficacy of that product will differ from person to person as our hair is so unique.
When I started my research I found that I wasn’t alone in my experiences. I started having hair conversations with women and saw first-hand the emotional ties women have with their hair. 66% of women struggle to find the right hair products. In an industry worth £90billion globally, that’s a lot of trial and error. 1 in 3 women have admitted to calling in sick to avoid going to work on a bad hair day. It shouldn’t be this difficult.
This led me to come up with the idea for Bhive. Bhive eliminates hair struggles with tailored product recommendations that adapt to a user’s unique and evolving hair profile.
Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship: You've moved from corporate roles to supporting your startup journey with Bhive. What motivated this shift, and what challenges did you face during this transition?
I’m still very much adjusting! The idea for Bhive came to me some years ago when I was still working in corporate roles. I set up the company, started building out the concept and speaking with developers. It was only after I was made redundant that I decided to commit to the business full-time in order to really make a go of it. Challenges I’ve encountered are quite typical for startup founders in my position. The business isn’t yet revenue generating so adjusting to freelance life has been a bit of a shock after being used to a monthly salary. So has getting meetings. When I would email new contacts from my corporate email address I would be guaranteed a response. Often, with Bhive, I have to rely on warm introductions in order to get a call booked in. Startup life is very humbling.
Innovative Approach: Bhive is described as "The dating app for your hair." Could you elaborate on this concept and how it addresses gaps in the haircare industry?
Myself and my co-founder had some fun creating a buzz when we interviewed women to talk about their hair stories and experiences choosing hair products. We called Bhive the hair product matchmaker or the dating app for your hair. In much the same way that a dating app works to match you to your perfect partner, Bhive matches you to your perfect hair products.
Role Models and Influences: Who have been your biggest role models or mentors in your entrepreneurial journey, and what impact have they had on you?
I’m nine months in to my journey so I’m constantly attending events and meeting new people who inspire me, or motivate me or cause me to look at a problem in a new way. Many of us are at similar stages so it’s helpful when we can all share our experiences and learn from each others mistakes. It was thanks to my friend Lindsey Kane, founder of JOLT supplements who gave me the push to dive straight in to entrepreneurship. We attended an event in America together and let me tell you, spending three days at an American conference is like having your own cheerleading squad. I came back to the UK feeling so energised and hyped about my business. I also have a mentor who is the CEO of a leading beauty brand in the UK, who is a great sounding board for business advice. Those walking the same path tend to have the most impact on me as their advice and support comes from a place of shared understanding.
Defining Success: How do you define success for yourself and for Bhive?
Success comes in all shapes and sizes at the moment! So success looks like an app feature performing, onboarding new users, having positive meetings with retailers and brands, receiving five star feedback or someone with strong experience in a relevant field actively contacting me to find out how they can get involved.
Overcoming Challenges: What significant challenges have you encountered while building Bhive, and how are you navigating them?
Starting a tech business, coming from a non-technical background is very slow. I fast realised that
you can’t do it alone. A challenge has been finding the right talent along the way who believe in the vision - to become the number one haircare destination - enough to support me knowing we are a bootstrapped business. On a personal level I’ve had to adapt my lifestyle and prioritise my time much more efficiently by being much more selective and ensuring I’m spending my time on activities and people who bring positive energy.
Balancing Multiple Roles: As someone with diverse roles, including your work in commercials and modelling, how do you manage your time and maintain focus across these areas?
With difficulty! Unfortunately, my time isn’t really my own. With Bhive, I can be waiting for a really key meeting and they might reschedule an hour before the call. Or suddenly become available when I’ve been waiting weeks to speak to them, so I may have to drop everything and take the call. It’s the same with commercial modelling. When a request for a role comes in you are given 24-48 hours to submit a self tape so my ringlight and backdrop are constantly popping up and down and I’m setting up a mini studio, going outside to film, in my car and even asking friends to send me voicenotes of them saying lines so I can edit them into my take! I have to be very creative with my time. I’m an early riser and always start the day with a workout. Having strict non-negotiables to give some semblance of a routine really help to give a form of structure.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: What key advice would you offer to women looking to start their own businesses, especially in the beauty and tech industries?
I’ll share my biggest takeaway from the event I attended that was the catalyst for starting my entrepreneurial journey - Start before you’re ready. As women, particularly operating in an industry that is male dominated, we have a tendency to want everything to be perfect or in place before we start a task or project. When in reality nothing will ever be perfect and thinking otherwise only slows you down. So start before you’re ready and learn along the way. The most important thing is that you start.
Future Vision: What are your aspirations for Bhive in the next five years?
I’d love for Bhive to be used not just in the UK but in Europe and the US. We already have a growing waiting list of users from across Europe and some parts of the US so hopefully it could be a reality! Manifesting…
Personal Growth: How has your entrepreneurial journey with BHive London influenced your personal growth and perspective?
I have a new found appreciation for founders, the journey is by no means linear and it differs for everyone so you are constantly learning as you go. I’ve learnt to reframe a, ‘No’, as ‘Next Opportunity’ and that failure along the way is just part of the process. I come from an academic background which didn’t really suit my creative personality so I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore a path that I’m carving for myself. It’s making the wins along the way all that more rewarding.
A massive thank you to Marina, for being my first interviewee for my STYLISA FoundHers series. And if you’re interested in supporting Marina or learning more about her raise, feel free to reach out to her directly via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-fallahi/
Try Bhive on mobile - app.bhivelondon.com
Visit - www.bhivelondon.com
Follow Bhive London - www.instagram.com/bhivelondon
Want to know more? - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-fallahi/
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