Sofa Club CEO Louis Rose passes away after fighting cancer with 'grit, determination and bravery'

Sofa Club co-founder Louis Rose has passed away at the age of 35, after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Earlier this year, Rose revealed that he was undergoing treatment for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL). This came after a fight against cancer that began in November 2023, when he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer.

Following months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he was initially told this had gone. However, in October 2024, he received the news that it had returned. Rose then underwent a 13-hour operation with Professor Paleri and his team at the Royal Marsden in London. The surgery was declared a success, but then came the APL diagnosis.

Speaking in January, he said: "APL is a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, but I am determined to overcome this challenge. I am incredibly grateful for the support of my team at Sofa Club, who continue to work tirelessly to drive our success. Their dedication and motivation inspires me to fight every day. This is a fight I am determined to win, not just for myself and my family, but for everyone who believes in what we are building."

In an online post, Sofa Club, a UK company that was founded in 20212, said: "Louis fought cancer three times with grit, determination and bravery. The fight he showed was nothing short of incredible. He refused to give up and kept defying all odds - his mentality, courage and spirit were beyond inspiring and we’ve never seen strength like it."

"Louis leaves behind his beautiful family – Hannah, Harper, Leo and Lebron, who were his absolute world. Our love, thoughts and prayers are with them at this incredibly hard time. His story is the heart of Sofa Club.”

“Back in 2012, he and Tom (O'Neill) - just two entrepreneurial best friends with a dream - took a massive leap of faith. With £5,000 and a game-changing business plan, they took on one of the most competitive consumer markets in the UK. Fast forward to 2025, we are now one of the fastest growing sofa companies, changing the game when it comes to sofa shopping."

It concluded: "Louis leaves Sofa Club in the best possible hands, with a record breaking year, and a dedicated team ready to take the business to the next level. We will continue his legacy, embody his determination and emulate his strength, because we know that is what he would want us to do."

Social success

Speaking to RTIH last year, Rose discussed how social media had always been an instrumental part of Sofa Club’s business strategy.

“We were one of the first furniture brands on social media and have always tried to be trailblazers within our industry. We were accidentally doing influencer marketing before there was a name for it and we have always had a strong following,” he said.

“We now work with some of the biggest content creators in the UK and our customers enjoy tagging us in their homes. We also try to provide as much value as possible back to our followers in terms of styling tips and inspiration. It’s a big deal purchasing a new sofa, so we try to help people as much as possible.”