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16-year-old wins Alibaba competition, beats 15 thousand competitors, and earns R$ 1 million with towels that provide a cooling effect for up to two hours.
Harrison Nott, a 16-year-old, caught international market attention by turning a simple idea into a million-dollar business. Creator of the CoolTowel brand, he won the CoCreate Europe 2025, a global competition by Alibaba.com, with over 15 thousand participants, and received a prize of about R$ 1 million. The product developed is innovative towels designed to maintain a refreshing sensation for up to two hours.
Product development and fabric functionality
The idea arose from sports practice and the young man’s interest in fitness culture. He noticed that the UK market had a limited supply of fabrics aimed at body cooling. According to the Good News Network, the teenager researched solutions on his own and, in 2023, developed a polyester fabric structured in three layers.
The product’s differential lies in its ability to retain moisture for up to two hours, generating a cooling effect when used correctly. The use is simple:
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- wet the towel with water
- remove excess liquid
- shake the fabric to activate the cooling effect
What started as a small operation in the student’s room quickly scaled up. Today, the company has already shipped over 30 thousand orders. Sales are mainly made through TikTok and a store on the Shopify platform.
In 2025, the business reached about 100 thousand pounds in annual revenue (approximately R$ 700 thousand). The highest revenue peak occurred on a single summer day when the brand recorded 15 thousand pounds in sales (about R$ 105 thousand).
School support and balance with studies
To handle the high demand without compromising education, the young man received support from the school, which adapted his schedule to part-time.
This allowed him to balance studies with business activities, such as strategic meetings and customer service.
Teenager serves as inspiration for other young people
The contact with entrepreneurship began at home. Son of businessman Matthew Nott, 42, the young man found in his father’s professional journey an important source of inspiration to enter the business world.
His first attempt in digital commerce was through a resale platform, a project that did not achieve the expected results but served as a learning experience. Looking to the future, he intends to pursue a career in management, studying Business Administration, and use the acquired knowledge to support the growth of new ventures.
