YoungPlanet enables parents to put their children's unused things to use with new families and away from landfills for free via its app. The company cites PwC data estimating the UK’s sharing economy to be worth £9 billion by 2025. It aims to be a contender in this segment. The company argues further that 10-year-olds in the UK will own on average 238 toys at any one time and yet play with just 12. This leads to UK households wasting over 25 million tonnes a year, with one-fourth of this number ending up in landfills as per the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). YoungPlanet aims to change this. It has onboarded 36,000 users on its platform to date and featured in press publications such as BBC News, Vanessa Feltz, and LadBible. YoungPlanet will use the investment to scale nationally, begin generating first phase revenue via brand sponsorship of events, branded gamification, and Business-to-Business (B2B) subscriptions for semi-closed communities via its app.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£547,103
Equipsme is a company that aims to democratise health insurance by making it affordable for businesses. The company offers flexible fixed-price packages to employees while giving them the option to upgrade their package to avail more features upon payment. Members can speak to a general physician round the clock, have physiotherapy sessions, avail regular health checks and, if necessary, be quickly referred to a consultant for diagnosis and treatment. Members can access these features through a simple-to-use application. Since February 2018, the company has secured an exclusive 5-year insurance capacity deal with AXA PPP Healthcare and grown its members by 130.5% Year-on-Year (YoY) (to May 2020) with a 95% broker renewal retention rate. The company will use the investment to enhance its user experience and scale its marketing as it announces its partnerships with organisations such as Starling Bank and Simply Business.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£879,204
Small Robot Company (SRC) aims to integrate its patented 'PerPlant' farming with agricultural practices worldwide and disrupt the $240 billion per year agriculture industry. SRC claims that PerPlant farming uses lightweight and smart robots that make food production more accurate, sustainable and profitable. SRC's three small robots, 'Tom', 'Dick' and 'Harry' coupled with AI brain 'Wilma' can plant, monitor and treat arable crops autonomously. SRC argues that it has successfully commercialised its PerPlant monitoring service for farmers in Wiltshire using its 'Tom V3' robots, built by leading robotics manufacturer, Tharsus. SRC stresses that it will equip its robots to kill weeds autonomously using electricity and perform trials with customers next season to demonstrate product readiness. SRC points out that it has raised more than £400,000 from willing farmers who want to embrace change. SRC has featured in WIRED, Economist and CNN. It has onboarded customers, including Waitrose and National Trust. SRC state they will use the investment to commercialise its patented R&D.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£3,996,978
Njori is a company that has created an accurate, multi-functional cooker that can be stored on a bookshelf alongside cookbooks. The cooker uses integrated sensors and accessories to monitor and regulate the cooking process. It's built-in scales helps a user measure ingredients before and during the cooking process. The scale function also enables the user to reduce food by a set weight or percentage. The company aims to be a disruptor in the global portable induction cooker market that is set to be worth £4.5 billion by 2022. Njori has filed UK patents & is building its supply chain in China. It will use the investment to finish development and bring the final product to market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£236,797
buyfair intends to be a premium variant of ebay for businesses. It is powered by features like multi-lot algorithm that enables huge volumes to be sold in smaller quantities and a brand safe atmosphere preserving premium brands. The company has over 500 live auctions every day, and 150 brands have already signed up across 18 countries. buyfair has also been featured in Forbes, Cosmetic Business, The Independent. buyfair is planning to use the funds for buyer acquisition, tech development and marketing.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£316,160
L.A Brewery (LAB) produces non-alcoholic kombucha made from health-boosting teas, fruits, and botanicals. LAB argues that 25% of drinkers consider themselves semi-regular consumers of low and no alcohol in the UK and aims to cater to the demands of this category. LAB asserts that it has already produced and sold one million drinks and achieved listings with entities like Amazon, Selfridges, Leon, Farmdrop, Wholefoods, Planet Organic, Ocado (March 2021), and 300+ independent stockists across the UK. It has also featured in Vogue, GQ, Tatler, Hello!, Elle, and Glamour, to name a few. LAB points out that its feature on ITV's 'Love Your Weekend' with Alan Titchmarsh resulted in £1,000+ worth of online sales in 10 minutes. It will use the investment to expand its microbrewery, increase production 4 times to meet future demand, and increase brand awareness.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,349,997
Love Ocean (LO) is an ocean-inspired bathroom product brand. It is on a mission to make natural marine ingredient products, eliminate single-use plastic in the bathroom and drive a 'Reuse & Refill' (R&R) culture. LO aims to become a contender in the adult and children's toiletries market worth £750 million in the UK alone. LO is launching a children's product range that consists of a whale tail-shaped bottle made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, designed to be reused and refilled via a quarterly subscription. LO asserts that it contributes part of its profits to the Plastic Bank that endeavours to remove 1 kilogram of ocean-bound plastic in Haiti, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The company is planning to launch a baby range in 2022, an adult range in 2023, and a youth range in 2024. LO will use the investment to create educational editorial content to eliminate ocean-bound plastic, build an engaged community, and scale its business.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£296,156
Fightback is a beer and cider brand on a mission to save music venues with support from across the live music industry. The company claims that every pint sold contributes to Music Venue Trust (MVT), a UK-registered charity, which acts to protect, secure, and improve Grassroots Music Venues. It argues that it has sold 10,000 pints and 10,000 cans in 61 venues before the COVID-19 lockdown. Fightback asserts that it has agreed on a new national distribution deal to make the brand more accessible amidst the lockdown. It intends to supply 900+ venues affiliated with MVT when venues reopen. Fightback will use the investment to roll out beer and cider to help secure the long-term future of the venues that ensure that the music culture is kept alive.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£52,596
FinOptix is an innovative FinTech company that solves real business problems. FinOptix’s objective is to become a significant player in a rapidly growing FinTech market by developing systems that provide financial clarity to decision-makers. FinOptix has a well-established user base, as well as a sales pipeline that covers multiple geographies and sectors. Their verification and validation procedures applied during the development process and operational trials have led to engagement with commercial partners. With the proceeds, they will design an Evaluator for the future, apply AI techniques to solve complex problems, develop their skill set and framework and hire a team of data scientists based on the assessment.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£125,000
Lucy Choi has created an affordable luxury footwear brand that comes with a unique heritage, having learnt her craft from her uncle, the great shoe designer, Jimmy Choo. Lucy Choi London has been featured consistently at London Fashion Week and in the elite fashion press. The brand has been featured in platforms such as The Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Grazia, and The Telegraph. It has been worn by A-list celebrities including Hailey Beiber and Sharon Stone. From 2018 to 2019, there has been a 40% increase in the number of shoes sold. Lucy Choi London has also been sold to various UK stockists and wholesaled internationally. Around 5,800 subscribers have subscribed to its website since 2016 (41% CAGR). With the proceeds, the company will refocus on wholesale globally, design a new website, hire new employees, and increase marketing spends.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£182,770
