Sophia Technologies is an Education Technology (EdTech) company that has launched an on-demand mobile application for hiring private tutors. All tutors on the portal are scrutinised by Sophia's education team as per industry standards to ensure quality teaching. Sophia allows clients to book sessions via its app and avail online classes at any location the client finds convenient. The company is working towards getting accreditation with the U.K. Department of Education (DOE). It has also received press coverage from organisations such as Telegraph, iNews, TechRound, OpenGov, and Just Entrepreneurs. In April 2020, the company launched SophiaX, a learning feature where parents can book classes focusing on extra-curricular activities for their kids. The company will use the investment raised to focus on technological development, and support customer acquisition & retention.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£571,581
SaigolEd is a subscription-based Education Technology (EdTech) company that aims to make quality teaching available to millions of 7-18-year-olds across the UK at an affordable price. It is developing an app to combine immersive videos with charismatic teachers from leading schools, rich visual effects, leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tests to inspire learning. The company points out that its teaching courses will be available to students wherever or whenever they wish to access them. SaigolEd also intends to cover the full student curriculum to enable its users to excel in their exams once the company's app development is complete. The company argues that there is no dominant UK EdTech player in a multi-billion pound market. It aspires to fulfil that gap. SaigolEd will use the investment to build a prototype that would be overseen by its team including a star teacher from a top UK school, initiate rigorous user group testing, and target General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs) as its core market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£271,975
Feed is a platform that automates digital advertising for musicians and creators by enabling them to grow an audience and build their businesses. The creator needs to connect their social media accounts to the Feed portal and set a budget. The portal will then create ads that reach new people and convert engaged audiences into loyal fans over time. The company asserts that existing ad generation platforms are too complex, time-consuming and expensive for creators. Feed argues that its portal caters to a variety of budgets, requires no marketing knowledge and takes minutes to get started. The beta platform is integrated with Facebook's & Instagram's ad network and has 500 creators on board. The company will use the investment to launch the paid version of Feed in Q4 2020.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£146,117
planarTECH is an engineering company founded in 2014 as a provider of process equipment for the growth and characterisation of graphene and other emerging 2D materials. Its core product line is the planarGROW Chemical Vapor (CVD) system. The company has the ability to deliver scalable production systems that allow lower-cost production of graphene in comparison to other options currently available in the market. Moreover, from 2014 to 2019, the company’s cumulative revenues exceeded £5 million. The company's products have been installed and used by faculties and students at prestigious universities like Stanford University (USA), IIT- Bombay (India), Deakin University (Australia), and many others. From the investment, the company will utilise 45% as working capital, 30% in Capital Expenditures (CAPEX), 15% in R&D and 10% in hiring additional staff.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£425,061
YurOn is a video platform that cultivates authentic interaction between prominent personalities and their fans. The portal allows people from different walks of life–drag queens, mountaineers, activists–thirty seconds to ignite a conversation, start an Ask Me Anything or co-create a skit. YurOn shuns away filters, anonymous commenting, vanity metrics or validation-driven algorithms and endeavours to bring to the public an unadulterated conversation between stars and their fans. The portal soft-launched in Q2 of 2020 and has seen over 5000 downloads, 2000 active users, and 32% of users retaining over a month. The company will use 80% of the investment to grow its tech team and cloud infrastructure, and 20% towards marketing and partnerships to accelerate growth.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£222,110
PopUp Painting (PUP) is an art company that aims to be the leader in organising experiential social painting events in the UK. The company endeavours to bring art out of the classroom and gallery into the places people meet on an everyday basis, thereby, unleashing creativity. PUP has hosted over 45,000 guests to date. Total revenues to date are £1.1 million. In the last financial year, the company generated revenues of £373,000. The COVID-19 pandemic in March led to PUP launching its online art sessions which was met with positive feedback. The company resumed hosting in-person COVID-secure events from July 2020 onwards. PUP is seeking £175,000 at a pre-money valuation of £1.3 million to launch its own Central London experiential events space and to expand its current services to reach a new product market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
SeedStream is a digital content platform that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to combine articles, videos and podcasts into personalised feeds based on user interests. The company has built a prototype focussing on Formula 1 motorsport that aggregates free-to-access news articles and YouTube videos alongside social media posts from the drivers and teams to cover stories from every angle. SeedStream aims to be a disruptor in the 580 million subscription services market. The company will use the investment to develop its prototype into a complete platform, produce original content based on trending topics, and accelerate into different markets.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£40,843
Nikalyte is a specialist in nanoparticles research and development (R&D) as well as commercialisation in various application areas such as cell binding, cell separation, drug delivery, catalysis, nano-photonics, and electrochemistry. The company is developing a nanoparticle generator, which will enable researchers to produce nanoparticles of almost any metal or alloy on almost any substrate via a user-friendly interface. Nikalyte is offering free nanoparticle samples to researchers investigating antiviral materials, such as Copper and Silver, towards developing a vaccine for Covid-19. The company also offers a consultancy service that provides advice on nanoparticle applications and ultra-high vacuum systems. The company aims to use the investment to scale its business.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
HighCandi is a drone services business that specialises in providing operational support to large companies, for example, in telecommunications and renewable energy sectors. It brings together independent drone service providers under one brand and uses these drones to inspect infrastructure, providing photo analysis, video inspections, and 3D digital models of facilities to help clients manage their assets in an affordable manner. HighCandi’s app, which can memorise and automate inspection regimes, makes sure that each drone delivers consistent imaging and data. The company's aerial videographers are Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licensed and adhere to legal restrictions wherever they film. The company's strategy is to target 10% ($520 million) of two key sectors, namely The Global Industrial Inspection market and European Real Estate market, by 2021. HighCandi is a potential disruptor in the drone sector which is expected to boost the UK economy by £42 billion. With the investment, the company will start recruitment to drive sales, pilot engagement, and brand marketing.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
Open Energy Labs is an education technology company that teaches students in Africa how to build and maintain renewable electricity supplies. The company is developing an educational application along with a hardware kit that facilitates the 'learning by making' approach. This teaches students electronics, enabling them to build a renewable electricity supply, and provide reliable power for lighting and mobile-phone charging. The company's current technology setup is being utilised by Zambia’s two top technical colleges, and it has Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) under discussion with the nation's Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Energy to roll the programme out to a further 3,000 students. Open Energy Labs has received more than £184,000 from Innovate UK through the Global Challenges Research Fund. It has previously raised £67,000 from backers such as Bethnal Green Ventures and Energy4Impact. The company will use the investment to develop its technology and roll its programme across Zambia.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£119,835
