Akin Onal, founder and CEO of the award-winning baby and childrenswear brand MORI, has been recognised in this year’s New Year Honours for his services to entrepreneurship. The honour highlights Onal’s contribution to British entrepreneurship, marking his role in building and scaling the brand over the past decade.
Founded in London in 2015, MORI was born from Onal’s desire to create the softest baby essentials, inspired by his family heritage in textiles and a clear opportunity to build a modern, digital-first brand for families. Ten years on, what began as a passion project has grown into a globally recognised omnichannel brand, trusted by parents around the world.
Today, MORI supports over half a million families, operates across D2C, retail and wholesale, and partners with leading retailers including Marks & Spencer, Next, John Lewis, Harrods, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.
The brand continues to scale thoughtfully, expanding its product offering from newborn through to eight years, growing its retail footprint across London, including the opening of its Hampstead store, and welcoming like-minded brands into the MORI family.
Commenting on the recognition, Onal says: “As someone who chose to make Britain my home and later became a proud British citizen, this recognition means a great deal to me personally. Building MORI over the past 10 years has been the privilege of my career.
“This recognition reflects not just MORI’s journey, but the broader commitment to building businesses grounded in care, craft and quality; values I believe matter in entrepreneurship. This honour belongs to the exceptional team, partners and families who’ve supported that mission.”
The honour comes during a landmark year for MORI, as the brand celebrates its 10th anniversary and builds on a decade of sustained growth.
Over the past year, MORI has completed two strategic acquisitions – KIDLY and Storksak, including its sister brand Babymel – expanding its reach into preschool and parenting accessories, and reinforcing its ambition to become a one-stop destination for modern families.
Building on this momentum, MORI has appointed Janette Delaney as chief commercial officer. Following the acquisition of KIDLY in April 2025, Delaney has worked closely with the MORI leadership team on integration and now takes on a permanent role to help shape and lead the brand’s commercial strategy.
A decade on from its launch, MORI has evolved into a multi-channel childrenswear business with a growing international presence, making the honour a timely recognition of both the founder and the business itself, with 2026 set to be another significant year. For further information on MORI, please click here.