HOT 50: ONLINE RETAILERS

When it comes to online retail entrepreneur Brent Hoberman knows a thing or two. In 1998 along with Martha Lane Fox, he founded Lastminute.com, which proved a triumph during the dotcom boom and survived it when the bubble burst.

When it comes to online retail Hoberman knows a thing or two. Over the past decade he has had a profound affect on the success of several sites by investing in them. Two dotcom sites stand out in particular to the Hot 50 selectors: Mydeco.com and recently launched Made.com.

Just as Lastminute.com changed the travel industry, Hoberman and Fox aimed to transform the home decorating market, launching Mydeco.com in 2008. The website allows home-owners to design their ultimate living room in a 3D environment, with more than 1.5 million products available from the likes of John Lewis and The Conran Shop.

Last year, Hoberman and Bebo co-founder Michael Birch pumped £2.5m into Made.com, the brainchild of 28-year-old entrepreneur Ning Li. The online furniture retailer offers 70 per cent off high street prices by sourcing furniture directly from the manufacturer. Online retail sites such as Made.com are becoming more popular, revolutionising how customers can buy quality products at a fraction of the cost.