Simba Sleep

Building a High-Growth D2C Team from Scratch

Overview

Simba Sleep is a disruptive direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, redefining the mattress and sleep industry through innovation, data, and digital-first growth.

Cranberry Panda partnered with Simba Sleep at an early stage, becoming their first recruitment partner, supporting the build-out of key teams during their initial growth phase.

The Challenge

As a new entrant in a highly competitive market, Simba Sleep faced several hiring challenges:

Greenfield build

Required building teams from scratch, including a full Product function

Startup environment

Needed talent comfortable in a fast-paced, high-growth setting

Competitive landscape

Competing with established brands for top digital and product talent

Scaling quickly

Hiring needed to support rapid business growth and brand launch

Our Approach

We partnered closely with the founders as a trusted early-stage hiring partner, supporting the business across multiple functions.

This included:

Building out the Product team from the ground up
Delivering talent across digital, performance marketing, and design
Targeting candidates with experience in high-growth and D2C environments
Acting as an extension of the business during a critical scaling phase

Results

30+

hires delivered across product, digital, and marketing functions

28

placements in the first 12 months

Successfully

supported the build-out of core business teams

Established

a long-term partnership during early growth

Roles Placed

Head of Product

Senior Product Manager x2

Digital Designer

PPC Specialists

Paid Social Specialists

Additional digital and product roles

Impact

Cranberry Panda played a key role in building the team behind Simba Sleep’s early success, supporting the transition from startup to established D2C brand.

By delivering high-quality talent across product and digital functions, we helped lay the foundations for scalable growth, enabling Simba Sleep to become a recognised player in the competitive mattress market.