Staark makes cycling clothing that aims to cater to all body shapes. The company argues that current premium cycling and spin brands are cut to a single shape, optimised for the top 20% of cyclists. Staark intends to change this and bring its products to 80% of cyclists with high disposable income who are not ‘elite’ shaped. It delivers a fit based on specific body shapes using Dimensioning Technology (DT). Staark asserts that its innovative designs target cycling and indoor/spin for both men and women, with future diffusion into the wider Athleisure market, which is set to be worth $517 billion by 2025. The company has indicated that Spring 2021 is when it expects to launch its products. Staark will use the investment to enable the company to run its first productions, fueling the initial product launch.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£161,035
BEEN London is a next-generation sustainable accessory brand which converts waste into beautiful products, for customers all around the world. They aim to change the way people make, perceive and buy beautiful things and want to make everyone part of the solution, involving local artisans and people with learning disabilities in the growing economy of sustainable fashion. Till now, they have successfully shipped orders to 18 countries worldwide, achieved profitability from Year 1 and launched 17 different products including backpacks, laptop cases and tote bags. BEEN is a UK FUTURE 20 startup, a finalist at the Sustainable Lifestyle Awards, and a profitable company looking to scale up into a global, game-changing sustainable brand. BEEN have been approved for investment by London Fashion Fund. With the funds, they want to accelerate sales, increase margins and turn other streams of waste into new incredible products.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£325,589
ClearWaste is a price comparison website for waste removal and a provider of enforcement services to councils across the UK. The company argues that the cost to local authorities and taxpayers for cleaning up fly-tipping in England in 2016/17 was £57.7 million and is now thought to exceed £100 million. ClearWaste is on a mission to combat it through its app and web platform utilising reporting and prevention methodologies. The company links consumers with govt-registered waste removers backed by a £1k no-fly-tipping guarantee. ClearWaste argues that the UK waste industry is worth over £6.8 billion and supports more than 103,000 jobs. It aims to be a contender in this segment. ClearWaste has featured in press entities such as BBC, ITV, Channel 5, Sky, Times, and The Guardian. It was also a finalist at the National Recycling Awards 2020. ClearWaste will use the investment to develop its sales and marketing functions and further raise brand awareness.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£199,599
Little Earth Baby is an eco brand offering a range of baby products that are synthetic-free and natural. It aims to become a global market leader in the eco baby space by redesigning synthetic products to develop high-quality alternatives made from plants, not plastic. With the patent-pending designs and a growing loyal customer base, the company is well-placed to serve rising eco-conscious consumer trends. Additionally, Little Earth Baby appeared in the Telegraph's recommendations for Meghan & Harry's royal baby. The company also became a finalist in the Sleeping Bag category at the Australian non-toxic awards.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£147,010
Doc2UK is a specialist UK medical recruitment and candidate support platform. Based in London, the platform places qualified doctors in the National Health Scheme (NHS) roles around the United Kingdom. The British Medical Association (2018) reported that patient care is at risk due to a critical shortage of doctors across multiple medical disciplines. At present, the UK only has 24 medical schools to fill this gap, whilst India, in comparison, has 468 medical schools, with 68,000 doctors graduating each year. Moreover, uncertainty about the status of EU nationals after Brexit, changes to immigration policies, and the impact of changing language testing requirements for international nurses have made this crisis worse. This situation necessitates recruiting doctors from overseas an important endeavour. This is where Doc2UK aims to become a key player and ensure that lack of medical personnel doesn't disrupt any medical services. The company is seeking an investment of up to £300,000 which will be used to develop the platform with more features, expand the team, marketing and sales.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
PANTSANDSOCKS.COM is an online retailer and subscription service that helps men buy branded underwear and socks. They state their mission is to be a convenient, one-stop-shop for top brands in the market. PANTSANDSOCKS.COM argues that it is an ‘Authorised Stockist’ of 16+ leading brands including Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. The company claims to have fulfilled over 2,000 orders, welcomed over 100,000 unique website visitors to its site, achieved a 4.6/5, ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating, and signed up over 4,000 people to its database. The company has integrated with Amazon and Google Shopping to provide additional revenue streams. They state they will use the investment to achieve 100,000 unique visitors per month by the end of Q3 2021, meet its business targets, and continue to develop its internal capabilities at a sustainable rate.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£205,504
GiftRound is a hassle-free and secure online platform that comes with 250 successful gift collections with nearly 3000 contributions. This platform allows a cash-free solution where there is a hassle of sharing your personal banking information. GiftRound is 100% free to use and generates its revenue when customers purchase gifts, gift vouchers or experiences from quality retailers that GiftRound has a relationship with. GiftRound aims to change the way people collect money for gifts both in the workplace and with friends & family. With the proceeds, the company aims to integrate a GiftRound Store to give customers a seamless experience. The company will also grow its brand presence and reputation for quality service for everyone that wants to group collect money for a gift.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£30,670
GIBIE combines ancient Indian dying methods with modern weaving technologies to produce sustainable and luxurious homewares. The company argues that the textile industry uses an astonishing 9 trillion gallons of water annually, as well as, releases harmful gases and chemicals in the air and water. GIBIE aims to change this scenario by bringing forth sustainable linen that has superior qualities to chemically enhanced and dyed linen. It has come out with an industrial-scale production proposal of its linen. The company is a PETA-approved vegan brand and a member of the Color Ashram Foundation that promotes the usage of herbal dyes around the world. GIBIE will use the investment to launch its essential sales programs, boost marketing initiatives and scale production.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£158,571
Nooro makes cannabidiol (CBD) snack bars. Company founder J.D. Furlong asserts that blending CBD and certain nootropics lead to better cognitive functions in individuals. Nooro also argues that it is the UK's first CBD snack bar seller that is plant-based and gluten-free. The company's products are stocked across 250 retail outlets, cafes, gyms, and delis across the UK. Nooro pivoted to Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) sales during COVID-19 to get better margins. It invested in creating a business model with four distinct revenue streams with 60% earnings coming via e-commerce D2C sales, 15% via digital affiliate sales, 15% via direct sales to partners, and 10% via wholesalers. The company will use the investment to launch an additional three new flavours by February 2021 and grow its business across different verticals.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£235,819
Sendit.Money is a remittance entity. It argues that individuals sending or receiving money in emerging markets can face insecure processes, slow transaction times and incur high costs. Sendit.Money asserts that this is because non-fiat currencies are changed multiple times before they are received. The company aims to change this. Its prototype application for African markets was received amidst positive feedback. It is now building a cost-effective mobile wallet providing a secure and inexpensive way to send and receive money that also allows users to compare transfer fees of different remittance agents in real-time. Sendit.Money was shortlisted as Best Global start-up at the 2020 Wales Startup Awards. The company will build and launch its Most Valuable Product (MVP) in Q3 of 2021. It will also use the funding to begin work with an authorised entity to become an approved representative.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£182,732
