What Project D does

Project D, legally registered as Project Doughnut, is a UK-based artisan doughnut brand operating as a direct-to-consumer food business. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Derby, the company sells a single line of premium doughnuts through its Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront at projectdoughnut.co.uk, serving individual consumers in the UK market seeking specialty baked goods beyond mass-market alternatives. The product offering is intentionally narrow, with no modular product lines or add-ons disclosed, and the business model is one-time product sales rather than subscriptions or licensing.

Customer acquisition is driven primarily through social media engagement and brand collaborations, which have built a UK following and are cited as the company's main marketing channel. Revenue is generated exclusively through online DTC orders, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The company has stated plans to extend its reach by opening a physical flagship store and broadening nationwide UK accessibility, supported by a £458,533 seed round raised via Crowdcube in 2023 earmarked for production capacity, sales channel expansion, and the flagship store.

As of the most recent website observations, the storefront is in a transitional state, displaying "A New Chapter is on it's way" and "New Era, Same Doughnuts" messaging with the checkout disabled, indicating a rebrand or strategic pause. The company operates with a small team of 1-10 employees, has no disclosed management team, no patents or trademarks, no certifications, and no AI, technology, or integration components disclosed. The combination of a single-product niche offering, social-media-led acquisition, and a paused storefront positions Project D as an early-stage consumer brand with explicit but unexecuted expansion ambitions.

Name

Project D

Legal name

Project Doughnut

Website

https://projectdoughnut.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project D (Project Doughnut) is a UK-based artisan doughnut brand founded in 2018, selling premium doughnuts directly to individual consumers through a Shopify e-commerce storefront. The company pursues social-media-driven customer acquisition and plans to expand via a flagship physical store and broader UK distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Doughnut Product Sales: Project D generates revenue through the sale of doughnuts directly to consumers via their e-commerce platform. The company is a UK-based artisan doughnut brand with plans to expand production capacity and sales channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Project D is a UK-based artisan doughnut brand that manufactures and sells premium doughnuts directly to consumers through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront. The company focuses on a single core product line of artisan doughnuts, plans to expand into physical retail via a flagship store, and has built brand awareness through social media engagement and collaborations.

Product overview

Project D operates as a single-product artisan doughnut brand sold through its Shopify-based e-commerce platform. The company offers its doughnuts directly to consumers online and has plans for physical retail expansion through a flagship store. The product offering centers on the core doughnut line, with no separate modules or add-ons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project D Artisan Doughnuts The core product offering of Project D, consisting of premium artisan doughnuts sold directly to consumers in the UK via the brand's e-commerce platform, with delivery options. Targeted at individual consumers seeking specialty baked goods beyond mass-market alternatives.

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Longboys: UK gourmet long-doughnut brand operating through DTC and physical retail. Direct peer to Project D given shared category (gourmet doughnuts), UK focus, and digital-first customer acquisition.
• Donutelier: UK bespoke/artisan doughnut brand focused on premium, design-led doughnuts for gifting and events. Comparable to Project D on product format, UK customer base, and premium gifting occasion.
• Crosstown Doughnuts: UK-based artisan doughnut brand selling premium doughnuts through its own stores, wholesale, and DTC channels. Closest direct competitor to Project D in the UK artisan doughnut category, with a similar brand-led, craft-positioned go-to-market.
• Doughnut Time: UK-focused doughnut chain known for colourful, Instagram-led branding and DTC/retail doughnut sales. Highly comparable to Project D on product, customer demographic, and social-media-led marketing approach.
• Bread Ahead: London-based artisan bakery with a strong doughnut and pastry line sold through flagship stores and DTC. Comparable to Project D on artisan baking positioning, premium product mix, and UK customers.

Broad incumbents

• Dunkin' UK: International doughnut and coffee chain with limited UK presence. Comparable on core doughnut category and QSR-adjacent retail model, but differs sharply on price point and positioning versus Project D's artisan focus.
• Krispy Kreme UK: Global doughnut chain with a UK retail and DTC footprint. Comparable to Project D on product category and UK geography, but operates at much larger scale with broader mass-market positioning rather than artisan.
• Cinnabon: Global bakery brand specializing in cinnamon rolls and adjacent sweet baked goods with mall/travel retail distribution. Comparable to Project D on indulgent sweet-baked-goods category and gifting occasion, but differs in scale, geography, and product mix.

Emerging players

• Cutter & Squidge: London-based artisan bakery producing premium baked goods and desserts, including doughnut-adjacent products, via DTC and a physical store. Comparable to Project D on artisan positioning, London-centric premium customer, and DTC-led model.
• Gail's Bakery: UK specialty bakery chain offering artisan baked goods including doughnuts and pastries. Comparable to Project D on the UK artisan baking category and premium consumer, though operates a broader bakery assortment at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project D