Nick Jenkins
Cranfield University · Moonpig
The Business Student Who Reinvented the Greeting Card Industry
22 March 2026
Nick Jenkins had the idea for Moonpig while studying for his MBA at Cranfield University in 1999. He noticed that the greeting card market was massive but had barely been touched by the internet.
The Name That Stuck
"Moonpig" was Jenkins' childhood nickname. The personalised card concept was simple: let customers upload photos and write custom messages, printed and posted directly to recipients.
Building Through the Dot-Com Crash
While other internet companies folded during the dot-com bust, Moonpig grew steadily because it had a clear revenue model from day one — every card sale made money. Jenkins invested £160,000 of his own savings.
£1.2 Billion IPO
Moonpig became the dominant online greeting card platform in the UK. It IPO'd on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 at a £1.2 billion valuation. Jenkins appeared on the BBC's Dragons' Den as an investor, bringing the journey full circle.
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