For nearly three decades, Raphael Ogunrinde has built his expertise across food science, microbiology, brewing and food quality management. Today, as Founder of United Canning Limited, he is using that experience to help food and beverage brands bring innovative drink products to market while maintaining the highest standards of quality and sustainability.
As a participant in Foundervine's Immerse Early Stage Accelerator 2025, Raphael joined the programme looking to strengthen his entrepreneurial skillset and gain the support needed to scale. Since then, United Canning has secured six-figure investment, expanded its team, won new customers and accelerated its international growth ambitions.
We caught up with Raphael to hear more about his journey.
United Canning Limited is a contract packing company that manufactures liquid products for third-party food and beverage brands. The business supports companies looking to launch and scale natural beverage products by providing reliable manufacturing expertise and production capabilities.
For Raphael, the inspiration came from a challenge he repeatedly observed throughout his career.
"Over the years, I saw a growing challenge for smaller and emerging drinks brands struggling to find reliable manufacturing partners for natural beverages," he explains. "That motivated me to create a manufacturing business that could support brands properly while maintaining quality and integrity throughout the process."
Like many founders, Raphael recognised that growing a business requires far more than technical expertise.
"What really drew me to the programme was the opportunity to better understand how to navigate the entrepreneurial journey and access the right support," he says.
The programme provided practical guidance on investment readiness, stakeholder communication and business growth, while also connecting founders from different industries who were navigating similar challenges.
"The programme gave us the opportunity to learn how to communicate more effectively with stakeholders, improve how we present the business, and understand investment readiness in a much deeper way."
One of the most valuable elements of the accelerator was the tailored support around pitching and investment readiness.
Raphael worked closely with facilitator Camila to refine United Canning's pitch deck and sharpen the company's messaging.
"She really helped us tailor our messaging towards the right audience and improve how we communicated the business overall," he says.
The learning extended beyond fundraising. Raphael also credits a mentoring session with Tahani for helping him think more strategically about growth and investment.
"She gave me valuable guidance around building strong foundations for growth and thinking strategically about how to use investment properly as the business scales."
Beyond the practical business support, the accelerator transformed how Raphael viewed both himself and the company.
"Before joining, we still saw ourselves as a small company trying to grow," he reflects. "Through conversations with mentors and seeing the journeys of other founders, I realised we were much further ahead than we thought."
That perspective shift helped Raphael recognise the value United Canning had already created within the industry.
"We now confidently see ourselves as one of the leading companies in our space within the UK drinks industry."
Since completing the programme, United Canning has achieved several significant milestones.
Most notably, the business secured a six-figure investment that Raphael describes as transformational for the company's future.
"The accelerator had a huge impact on the business. One of our biggest milestones was securing a six-figure investment, which has genuinely changed the trajectory of the company."
The business has also:
At the same time, United Canning continues to strengthen its international presence, with growing activity across the United States and UAE.
Looking ahead, Raphael's focus is firmly on international expansion.
United Canning recently joined an export programme to support its global growth ambitions and is actively exploring opportunities across the US, UAE and African markets.
A key part of that vision is building stronger supply chains that create value closer to source.
"We're creating a circular economy with African suppliers and farmers, sourcing ingredients such as hibiscus, ginger and clove while creating more value within those supply chains before products are exported globally."
The long-term goal is clear: to become a globally recognised manufacturing and innovation partner within the drinks industry.
When asked what advice he would give founders considering an accelerator programme, Raphael's message is simple: commit fully.
"Be open-minded, communicate well, and make the most of every opportunity the programme offers."
For Raphael, the greatest benefits came not only from the workshops and learning sessions, but from the relationships built along the way.
"A lot of the value comes from being present, listening to others, collaborating with fellow founders, and taking advantage of the mentorship available. If you engage properly, you'll gain far more than just business knowledge. You'll gain confidence, relationships and opportunities that can genuinely transform your business journey."
