Chilean Entrepreneurship in the UK: The Stories of Forest Bike & Mareida

The event Chilean Entrepreneurship in the UK: The Stories of Forest Bike & Mareida was a great success, despite the tube strike and the heavy rain. We guess many used Forest Bike to get to the Embassy! We welcomed a great audience with strong interest throughout the evening, and it was wonderful to see so many new faces who we hope will join the Society in the future.

The event kicked off with welcome remarks from Francisco Bartolucci, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Chile, followed by Fiona Clouder, Chairman of the Anglo Chilean Society. Nicolás Poblete, Director of ProChile London, then offered a presentation of the work ProChile does in London before we heard from our mains speakers.

Representing Forest Bikes, CEO Agustín Guilisasti and CMO Michael Stewart spoke about the company's growth, explaining how it has become the second-largest operator in the sector in the UK capital behind Lime, a company partnered with Uber. Forest currently employs more than 70 people, has over 1.5 million registered users, and facilitates more than one million e-bike rides each month through its fleet of more than 20,000 vehicles.

Representing Mareida, co-owners Benjamín Figari and Prenay Agarwal explained how they identified an opportunity to showcase the flavours and ingredients of Chile and the Andes, reimagining them for the British palate and elevating them into a high-end dining experience. Chile—its landscapes, colours, and ingredients—inspires and is reflected in every aspect of the restaurant, from its brand design and typography to its wine list, the materials used in its interior design, and the artwork that decorates its spaces.

The session concluded with a lively Q&A moderated by Fiona Clouder, and the evening closed with a warm wine reception that encouraged conversation and connection.

A big thank you to the Embassy of Chile in the UK for always supporting us, the speakers, the UCL and ProChile for all the help and support!