Annabelle Cole spent two years working hospitality shifts to fund a freelance career she wasn’t sure would work. One mindset shift later, she’s running one of Wales’s most recognised new creative businesses – and she’s only just getting started.
Astrik Studio, a branding and social media agency based in Wrexham, has been named a regional finalist at the UK StartUp Awards 2026 in the Marketing & Advertising StartUp of the Year category – one of over 2,000 entries in the UK’s largest independent startup awards programme.
Hard Work Paying Off
The road to the shortlist was anything but straightforward. After graduating from Loughborough University in 2022 with a BA Hons in Graphic Communication and Illustration, Annabelle moved into pharmaceutical design in Cambridge before returning home to Wrexham. She spent two years freelancing alongside a part-time hospitality job – rebuilding her portfolio from scratch, since all her pharmaceutical work was confidential, and teaching herself the fundamentals of running a business: invoicing, tax, pricing, and client acquisition. Nine months passed before she landed her first paying client.
In January 2025, she decided to go all in. She spent three months rebranding, building a new website, and writing a business plan between late-night shifts and launched Astrik Studio in April 2025. By December 2025, she had left her hospitality job for good. The studio is now her full-time occupation, with growth accelerating month on month since September 2025.
“I decided to stop surviving and start really focusing. If younger me knew that I run a creative business, she would think I was so cool.” – Annabelle Cole, Founder, Astrik Studio
Astrik Studio creates brand identities, social media strategy, and content, including video production and UGC, for wellness, health, beauty, and events businesses, with a specialism in reaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.
Local and National Clients
The studio works with clients across the UK, from London-based founders to local Wrexham businesses, including Ragazzi Clothing. Annabelle has recently begun working with freelancers and is working with a business coach to build the foundations for the next stage of growth.
It hasn’t always been easy. Having navigated an education and early career that didn’t always make things simple, Annabelle knows from personal experience what it means to work harder than most just to get to the same starting line, and is passionate about building a studio where people with neurodiverse backgrounds receive value for the way they think.
Long-Term Vision
Her longer-term vision is to work at the intersection of design and human well-being, an interest rooted in a genuine passion for biology and healthcare that has found its fullest expression in the health and wellness sector.
Astrik Studio will compete at the Wales regional final of the UK StartUp Awards, with winners progressing to the national final in September 2026.
Visit astrikstudio.com.
We hope you enjoyed reading “Wrexham Creative Hotshot Gaining National Recognition”. Click here for more of our creative and design-related articles.
