Olly Watts
Olly (Law with Business and Management 2019) is the Founder of Backstreet Company, a university kit supply company.
Olly’s story
After graduating in 2023, Olly quickly established himself in the entrepreneurial space — securing initial investment, scaling operations, and building a recognised personal brand.
In 2024, he was named Sussex Business Awards’ Future Talent of the Year and was a recipient of the Santander Universities Elevate Grant. He now frequently guest lectures across Law, Marketing and Entrepreneurship departments at Sussex.
Having worked with top-tier mentors, including former CEOs of British Athletics, Under Armour and Gymshark, he's heavily involved in and interested in the UK sport market. Beyond business, Olly has competed as a triathlete on the British circuit, winning across numerous races in the duathlon.
What made you choose Sussex and your course?
I love Brighton’s beach and independent shops. Sussex was also one of very few places which offered the chance to study Law with Business and Management.
How did the idea for Backstreet Company come about?
I started by selling t-shirts out of the back of my dad’s car when I first went to university, simply because I was so fussy with the fit and design of clothing. I began by sourcing my own tops wholesale; a few t-shirts and a WIX website later, I had started Backstreet.
I was able to utilise funding, expertise and insight which would have been incredibly hard to reach had I not chosen to study at Sussex.” OLLY WATTS
Law with Business and Management
What are the key challenges and opportunities of starting a business whilst studying?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was funding my business alongside my degree – I worked various roles to support both myself and the growth of the business.
However, the biggest benefit I found during my studies was the access to grant funding and opportunities that Sussex offered. Luke Mitchell and the Entrepreneurship team, along with colleagues at the Sussex Innovation Centre, helped take me from bootstrapping and shipping t-shirts from my dorm room all the way through to being able to raise investment and win awards. Through schemes such as The Elevate Grant, Startup Sussex and Accelerators and Incubators I was able to utilise funding, expertise and insight which would have been incredibly hard to reach had I not chosen to study at Sussex.
The financial support and advice and the way the team catered to my needs as a student entrepreneur was second to none and something I’ll forever be grateful for.
Which extracurricular activities did you take part in during your time at Sussex?
I threw myself into both badminton and the track and field team. This grew into a passion for Triathlon, and I became a member of Brighton & Hove Athletic Club.
What do you enjoy most about running your own company?
The flexibility is unparalleled, which may seem strange since you’re still working 90% of the time. However, the feeling of having real impact and creating a product and service people are willing to purchase is one of the greatest feelings.
Why do you think it is so important to reinvest back into student athletes?
The current cutbacks to university funding, national governing bodies and grassroots sport has the potential to erode the influence and support that team sport provides for young people. Personally, sport has always helped keep me motivated, grounded and on a positive track. Being able to help with funding and reinvestment fills me with a great sense of pride that we’re having a real-world impact on young students.
You specialised in sports law during your studies. How has your degree helped in your career and business to date?
The critical thinking element is something which has served me well and has led to us to create far more informed choices as a business.
My experience of contract law and my elective of sport law has helped us draft, bypass and tender for certain contracts with suppliers and clients in a way which would otherwise have to be outsourced, allowing us to keep a lot of our work in-house.
Most importantly, it was during a guest lecture talk for my Sport Law elective that I met with and spoke to our now Chair, Ian Braid, who is the former CEO of The British Athletes Commission.
Having real impact and creating a product and service people are willing to purchase is one of the greatest feelings.” OLLY WATTS
Law with Business and Management
Your Chief Operating Officer is fellow Sussex alum Josh Rondel. What brought you together?
I met Josh at a pitch battle in Hove back in 2022 and we connected over our love for sport. It’s a great example of being able to build relationships, which is essential when scaling a business. I was always taught that every conversation was worth the price of a coffee and that continues to serve us well.
What top tips would you give to any students or recent graduates looking to start their own company?
Entrepreneurship as a young student isn’t something you should take lightly, despite what you see on social media. It’s filled with some amazing highs, but also some incredible lows. Had I not had the passion for sport and for what we were building, the burnout, lack of finance and fear of missing out of what my peers were doing would’ve halted the business on countless occasions.
Before getting serious about a venture, the main piece of advice I would give is to ask yourself, why are you pursuing this business?
Do you have any standout Sussex memories?
Graduating and signing investment for the business on the same day was by far the best highlight of my Sussex experience – an amalgamation of years of hard work in both areas paying off.
Quickfire Q’s
What’s your favourite sport?
Triathlon, both watching and competing.
Favourite place in Brighton?
Pelicano Coffee Houses, best coffee in Brighton by far.
Which book are you currently reading?
Vulture Capitalism by Grace Blakeley. An amazing read for anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship but who wants to do it in the right, ethical way.
What would be on the soundtrack to your time at Sussex?
- Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond – Sports Wednesdays out in Brighton
- Jimmy Cooks, Drake – Training over at Lewes Track for Sussex Athletics
- Cigarettes & Coffee, Otis Redding – Revising for exams
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