Witco: building UK revenue from zero
This is Alper Yurder's own career experience, not a Forte Growth client engagement. Before founding Forte Growth, Alper was CRO at Witco, a French company that had grown at home and had no revenue in the UK. As CRO he took Witco's UK revenue from £0 to £1M, starting with a 90-day market-entry play. Forte Growth's approach to UK market entry is built on what that work taught him.
The starting point
Witco had grown in France through relationships and PR. The same approach did not convert in the UK: UK buyers had never heard of the company, its customers or anyone who could vouch for it, so the trust built at home did not travel.
What changed
The UK motion was rebuilt rather than copied. Three things carried it:
- A smaller, named market. The rebuild targeted 1,000 key buyers instead of 10,000 strangers.
- Short test cycles. Message, channel and ICP were tested every two weeks, and what worked was kept.
- One market-entry motion. UK positioning, outbound, LinkedIn, PR and events were run as one motion rather than as separate activities.
When the motion worked, the permanent UK team inherited it.
The result
Witco's UK revenue went from £0 to £1M. That figure is revenue, not ARR, and the 90 days describe the market-entry play that started it, not the time it took to reach £1M.
What it means for a company entering the UK now
The same order applies: local proof before volume, a named set of buyers, and a motion tested in short cycles before anyone is hired to scale it. Forte Growth's version is in what has to exist before a B2B company enters the UK market and which market to enter first. Alper talks through building Witco's UK market, and how UK buyers differ, on the podcast page, with the full transcript.
Forte Growth builds and runs go to market and marketing for B2B startups and scale-ups, from strategy to sales. For its client results, see the case studies page.
Frequently asked questions
Was Witco a Forte Growth client?
No. Witco is Alper Yurder's own career experience: he was CRO there before founding Forte Growth. It is shown because it is the UK market-entry work Forte Growth's method is built on.
How did Witco build UK revenue from zero?
By rebuilding the motion for the UK rather than copying the French one: 1,000 key buyers instead of 10,000 strangers, message, channel and ICP tested every two weeks, and UK positioning, outbound, LinkedIn, PR and events run as one market-entry motion. UK revenue went from £0 to £1M.
Did Witco reach £1M in 90 days?
No. The 90 days describe the market-entry play that started the UK motion. The £1M is UK revenue reached over the course of Alper's time as CRO.
Last reviewed October 2026.