Peckwater Brands (PB) is a company engaged in the growing cloud kitchen/delivery business that runs virtual restaurant brands from the kitchens of existing restaurants. It argues that restaurants need to pay high street rents and staff wages no matter how many diners visit. Nearly 5,000 restaurants have closed in the UK since 2015 due to not being able to fulfil these tasks. PB aims to change this scenario. It helps restaurant partners use their existing staff and kitchen capacity better, and help keep struggling businesses running. The company received more than 10,000 customer orders through Deliveroo and Uber Eats. It witnessed more than £250,000 in customer sales since June 2020 and is spread across London, Manchester, Leeds, and Coventry. PB has launched four brands with four more in the pipeline. It will use the investment to get more partners, launch more brands, and acquire more customers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£232,208
MusicGurus is an e-learning platform that offers video courses, interactive sheet music and online tests/exams. The company argues that conventional music learning is archaic consisting of lessons in either paper or PDF formats. MusicGurus aims to change this. Its portal features celebrity artists and pro musicians teaching all instruments and styles allowing users to avail the scrolling sheet music option and even "Play with a live band". MusicGurus asserts that it has 40,000+ users worldwide. It aims to become a contender in the $18 billion music learning industry. The company has raised £700,000+ to date from Venture Capitalist’s (VCs) such as Ascension Ventures and business angels such as the founder of Caffè Nero. MusicGurus has also partnered with music establishments such as Rockschool, Sony ATV, Hal Leonard, and Schott, amongst others. It will use the investment to develop new celebrity and partner courses, increase its sales, and prepare for a Series A round in 2021.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£176,336
StanMe aims to be the first community marketplace to enable collaboration and co-selling between independent creators. It asserts that the majority of creators have to continuously learn techniques to market themselves, adapt to social platforms’ ever-changing algorithms, and grow and maintain a large community to generate a sufficient amount of sales. StanMe claims that not all can do so and intends to address this situation with its services. It launched its public beta in July 2020 with more than 1,000 users and has processed over 130 transactions since its beta launch. StanMe claims it has more than 1,900 pre-registered users on its waiting list and aspires to become a contender in the creator economy valued at $11 billion in 2019. It will use the investment to accelerate its growth, invest in technology, and boost marketing initiatives.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£164,080
Stark is a blockchain connected software application that allows businesses to accept digital currencies peer-to-peer via online and instore routes. The application supports same-day settlements supporting 30 international currencies and endeavours to make acquiring a 'Merchant Acquiring Account' (MAA) an effortless task for business owners and entrepreneurs. Payment companies, gateways and financial technology providers can integrate with Stark to offer new solutions to their business clients. Stark's goal is to build a team that is passionate about technology and helping businesses succeed. The company will use the investment to enter the market with an effective sales-focused marketing campaign.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£182,366
Simple Health Kitchen is inspiring healthy eating by changing the misconception of health food as unappealing and tasteless. They are on a mission to make London a healthier place. They have three quick-service restaurants & two delivery hubs based in central London and has been continuously growing revenues at 50% per year. The company is supported by Private Equity and Venture Capital professionals and has been awarded the "BEST HEALTHY RESTAURANT IN THE UK" by Deliveroo. With the proceeds, they are planning to open 8-10 delivery hubs around London and launching an innovative meal subscription plan that will be directed primarily to nutritionists, doctors & personal trainers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,027,500
Drinkly is an award-winning tech platform that delivers chilled beers, spirits, wines, and more in one hour. The company has increased by 400% in sales since its launch, delivering more than 14,000 orders in Edinburgh, London, & Glasgow. Moreover, it has won the 2019 Online Business of the Year at the Scottish SME Awards. Drinkly has also worked in collaborations with global drinks brands including Asahi, Heineken, and Tito's Vodka, introducing new products to market and gathering invaluable customer insights. With the proceeds, the company will recruit staff and grow sales; it will also invest in and execute its marketing strategy to fuel customer acquisition and retention.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£262,496
Prepaired is a global platform for university students to learn from and teach each other via video calling. Students can post a study request on the portal with the questions they have regarding a subject, and others can offer to explain it via a one-on-one video call. The company asserts that its technology is an ideal platform in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic allowing students to share notes and chat on classroom syllabi. Prepaired has tied up with GlobalExam, an e-learning content provider, to further its mission of remote teaching. It will use 67% of the investment in product development, 12% in sales and marketing, and 21% as operations cost.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£115,209
JiveBird allows users to create and send a greetings package that consists of a personal voice message, music, eCard, a photo or selfie, and a gift to their loved ones or acquaintances. The company asserts that its package can be sent at the last minute or in advance. Jivebird claims that for the millions of people who send greetings and gifts every year, its portal provides a personal, cheaper, and convenient way to send greetings. Jivebird argues that it has no direct competitors. Its exit strategy is to sell the company when it achieves the growth metrics in the business plan, projected to be within five years of consumer launch.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
GENEROUS APE is an online shopping destination for the style-led conscious shopper. The company asserts that the word 'APE' is an acronym for 'Animal, People and Environment' and is targeted towards sustainable shopping. GENEROUS APE argues that it has completed eight weeks of beta-testing with an average of 450 visitors showing interest in its website and 47.62% being returning customers. The company asserts that the average basket value was £89 with partnerships signed with 80 style-led sustainable brands. GENEROUS APE onboarded 'DHL GO GREEN' as its primary delivery associate and partnered with World Land Trust on the 'Buy an Acre' scheme to facilitate wildlife protection in perpetuity. The company will use the investment for optimising marketing, boost organic growth channels and paid media, improve the consumer experience, and develop a personalised dashboard for each customer.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£208,525
HUN Wines sources premium quality wine from Stellenbosch, South Africa, to create the UK's first Fairtrade, wine in a can. It aims to become the largest canned wine brand in the world. The company asserts that its products are fully recyclable and vegan friendly. HUN Wines claims that it is backed by industry titans including James Bailey, current Waitrose CEO, Andy Shaw, previously Brewdog Beer CEO and RedBull MD, Formula racing legend David Coulthard and RedBull executives. The company has successfully canned 300,000 units of its products consisting of flavours like Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and Rosé Bubbles (one of the lowest-calorie wines in the UK). It accepted its first order via a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) site in May 2020, launched nationwide in Tesco Supermarkets in June and expanded onto the e-commerce platform, Amazon, in July. HUN Wines will use 15% of the investment towards staff expenses, 40% towards marketing, 25% towards festival activations and listings, and 20% towards New Product Development (NPD).
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£600,761
