The Cambridge Satchel Company to receive $21 million investment As The Cambridge Satchel Company receives $21 million investment from US backers Index Ventures, we talk to founder, Julie Deane, about what this means for business The Cambridge Satchel Company is the kind of success story that can't fail to warm even the hardest hearts. Apologies if you've heard the story of its genesis 100 times before. For those who haven't, it bears repeating. Back in 2008 when mother of two Julie Deane was looking for a way to raise money to move her six-year-old daughter away from a school where she was being bullied, she and her mother, Freda Thomas, hit upon the idea of creating a bag. Their inspiration was fictional wizard Harry Potter, more specifically a satchel that Harry and his friend Hermione would have used at Hogwarts school. From Julie's kitchen table on a budget of just £600, The Cambridge Satchel Company was born, a phenomenon that exploded almost overnight with their designs now stocked in over 80 countries worldwide; making frequent appearances on the arms of hip celebrities and fashion editors; starring in TV shows including Girls, The Good Wife and Gossip Girl; and even becoming the subject of collaborations with major designers including Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garçons. Today it has been announced that Deane's entirely British based and manufactured brand is set to receive a $21 million investment boost from US firm Index Ventures - backers of global brands and fashion retailers including ASOS, Moleskine, Net-a-Porter and Nasty Gal - to enable Deane to develop TCSC's global presence, pushing into new markets including China, further strengthen her management team and recruit specialist digital talent to boost the company's profile as an internationally-recognised online brand. We caught up with Deane for a brief chat about what this means to her personally and what the future holds for TCSC: Hi Julie, firstly, congratulations on your investment . Thank you - today it's finally hit home that this is real and I can talk about it! How important is the Made In England factor? With a huge global expansion plan, do you think this is sustainable? Creating manufacturing jobs in the UK is a big part of this brand - I know the people that make these bags, my connection to the product is very real and that fuels the ambition. Global expansion with British manufacturing is sustainable. We are a British brand, made in Britain from start to finish. How many new jobs will you be creating? Our first step is to double our capacity over the next six months - we will create around 50 jobs in the next 12 months, that's 50 families, 50 mortgages - I take this very seriously. How do you see the product line developing? Any plans to diversify your offering? We have introduced small leather goods - luggage tags so bright that your black case will never feel lost in the crowd - passport holders, notebook holders, bag charms. The clutch, the day bag and more new shapes will follow - but all with the Cambridge Satchel signature, and yes, made in the UK. You've come so far, so fast against the backdrop of the worst financial crisis in almost a century - what would you say is the secret of your success? A great product and honest pricing - our customers are very important to us, we want them coming back time and time again and so we try to offer them something brilliant, something to be proud of carrying. Our business attracts the best, Comme des Garçons, Vivienne Westwood and the most loyal following; it's our job to keep delivering and not to disappoint. Thanks Julie, we wish you all the best and congratulations