We are excited to introduce a new Meet the Founder section in our monthly newsletter — shining a light on the people behind the businesses.
Ideas matter, but it is often the founder’s drive, experience, and vision that truly shape success.
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting Sam Jukes, founder of Cacto Drinks — a modern beverage brand focused on refreshing cactus-water drinks designed for today’s health-conscious consumer.
Sam has already successfully raised through the hub and is now preparing for the next raise to take Cacto Drinks to the next level and keep pace with growing demand.
We are pleased to feature Sam as we continue to spotlight the founders building and scaling exciting businesses.
What made you start Cacto, a gap in the drinks market or something else?
Honestly, it started with curiosity more than a gap analysis. I stumbled across prickly pear while researching hydration and recovery and went down a proper rabbit hole. It’s this wildly resilient fruiting cactus that thrives where not much else can, holds onto water like a camel, and somehow still tastes incredible. I drank it once, fell in love with its flavour and the way it lasts on the tastebuds and could not stop thinking about how this isn’t readily available as a well know fruit drink. That curiosity quickly turned into obsession, and Cacto was born.
What problem or experience made this mission feel personal to you?
Firstly, me and my partner fell in love with the taste, and we just wanted a prickly pear drink in our fridge at all times. Then there was the genuine dissatisfaction with the drinks on the market including the functional ones that didn’t contain many ingredients of substance. Like 1% concentrates instead of using the real fruit puree/juice. My experience was either samey flavour, different branding (from very similar base recipes across the industry), or healthier but tasted poor due to overuse of supplements.
When I got deep into the research that laid a foundation of knowledge for Cacto, Prickly pear became deeply personal to me, and I became hellbent on a vision that utilised the plant for a better environment and economy for deprived regions of the world – especially those without good water resources for drinking and farming. A very pressing environmental problem we face in our lifetime. It is a plant that survives extreme conditions and is more resilient than Bear Grylls on a deserted island. Building a brand around real prickly pear fruit felt personal because I wanted to do something meaningful that lasts beyond my time.
What’s been the biggest surprise about being a founder so far?
How much of it is psychological. Self-motivation, juggling young kids, making big decisions quick, training your gut instinct to try and get those right as much as possible. Strategy matters, numbers matter, but mindset is everything. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re negotiating 20 pallets being collected the following morning questioning all your life choices. You hear about resilience which is true but mostly it’s making a hundred decisions a day and trying to get the majority right.
How would you describe your leadership style in three words?
Do-your-best.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned that changed how you approach business?
Momentum beats perfection. You can think forever, but progress comes from doing, learning, adjusting, and doing again. You learn more from your customers than you are going to just know naturally. They guide you but without product and feedback you can’t know what perfect is.
What keeps you motivated during challenging periods?
My kids (nappies are expensive), my partner and my vision. Cacto isn’t about quick wins, it’s about building the global prickly pear brand for all to enjoy and for as many people to benefit from as possible. I could say something Yoda-like and say if a prickly pear survives droughts, heat, and water scarcity then so can I, but I thoroughly enjoy what I do and the mission behind it. It motivates me, I have no issue getting out of bed in the morning and I can proudly say I’m the first to create an entire drinks category in the UK.
Outside of work, what helps you reset and stay grounded?
Being outside, seeing my family happy and having fun. Spending time with them and mates over a few drinks and good food. Simple things for a simple person really. Not just because I’m trying to get brownie points, but my partner Catelyn is priceless. She’s a psychological therapist and doesn’t charge me anything and all jokes aside is just amazing at helping me see what’s really important and making me laugh
FOUNDER FAST 5 – QUICK FIRE
Morning person or night owl?
100% Night owl pretending to be a morning person because it’s cool in entrepreneurial circles. I don’t run up mountains at 5am wearing Lycra but I do sometimes catch trains around that time.
One word that describes you as a founder?
Persistent.
A book, podcast, or person that’s influenced your thinking recently?
Robert Greene.
What song or artist is currently on repeat for you?
Chris Stapleton has been there for a while or Toots & Maytals if I need a lift.
One piece of advice you’d give to early-stage founders?
Most answers come after you start, not before.
What’s next for Cacto?
We have just announced our EIS raise to fulfil demand and opportunity in the UK and over 12 European countries. We have built an incredible foundation we just need to scale properly now. More markets, more people discovering prickly pear, and continuing to build Cacto as the category leader for this remarkable fruit globally. The vision is big, and with the right people and support we can make it happen.
