Academy of Robotics is a company that specialises in combining artificial intelligence to create task simplifying machines. Its proprietary invention, Kar-Go, is one of the world’s first AI-controlled autonomous vehicles that aims to remove the need for human intervention in last-mile deliveries reducing labour costs by as much as 90%. Last-mile delivery is a £78 billion business, and e-commerce customers increasingly expect cheap and fast deliveries. This is where Kar-go aims to establish itself as the market leader. The company utilises 'Platform-as-a-service' business model where last-mile autonomous delivery is sold as a service that consists of sale or rental of vehicles & infrastructure, operators and maintenance services, and other verticals. For its innovation, Academy of Robotics has been cited by British business magnate Richard Branson & Virgin as one of the companies to make a serious impact in the autonomous car space. It has also been featured on TV and in over 200 publications including The BBC, Wired, Mail Online, Guardian amongst others. The company will use the investment to finance the building of 10 vehicles which will be used to facilitate on-road-trial.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
Coconut automates bookkeeping and tax for sole traders. The company argues that in the next 24 months, 3.5 million sole traders in the UK will be required to complete 4 tax submissions a year instead of 1, in light of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC's) Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative. Coconut aspires to become the leading sole trader finance and MTD product in the UK targeting the aforementioned audience. Coconut asserts that its total revenue grew by 174% in 2020 despite COVID-19. It also claims to have onboarded 8,000 paying customers, registered a 174% revenue growth in 2020, and signed 2,800 accountants on its portal to date. Coconut connects with over 25 banks, giving automatic tax insights using banking data based on the principles of 'Open Banking'. The company will use the investment to target 100 million+ self-employed businesses in Europe and North America and grow its business across different verticals.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£2,006,334
Aura aims to make the journey towards death an approachable one for users via its portal. It aspires to become a contender in the estimated £73 billion global death services industry. Aura allows users to leave important messages for their loved ones, avail guides and resources on topics related to death and ways to prepare for it, enter safe spaces to get answers to their queries, and access curated end of related services hub via affiliate links. Aura argues that its platform is empowering 80,000+ individuals and their families to deal with death and live fuller lives. It has partnered with companies such as Dead Happy, Pure Cremation, St James’ Place and MND Association to increase its brand presence. Aura has featured on media entities such as BBC, Channel 4, Telegraph, Vice, Mirror and more. It will use the investment to help millions of people deal with death humanely.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£712,226
GivePenny is a digital toolkit for creating charity fundraising events. The company allows charities to create and promote fundraising campaigns via subscription and 'per donation' fees. GivePenny's proprietary platform allows supporters to join one of these campaigns and personalise their fundraising pages via apps like Spotify, Strava, Twitch, YouTube, and Fitbit. GivePenny asserts that the content and data from the aforementioned apps, coupled with its pledge-based payment options, drives donations. GivePenny has hosted 72 virtual events since March 2020 and processed over £700,000 in donations. Its customers include the world's largest research charity, Cancer Research UK. The company is hosted on Microsoft Azure. It has also featured in publications like The Guardian, Sky News, and BBC. The company will use the investment to scale its business and recruit personnel across sales, marketing, and software development portfolios.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£118,228
Swipii connects users to local brick-and-mortar businesses in their vicinity via its app. It allows users to earn cashback on every transaction done through the app via a debit/credit card and allows local businesses to reach more customers and run their business profitably. Swipii has 26,500 registered users on its platform and has witnessed £440,000 spent at 212 businesses nationwide. The company argues that despite the COVID lockdown, 33% of Swipii users made >1 cashback transaction each month in 2020. It aims to become a contender in the £60 billion global cashback market. Swipii has featured in The Guardian, BBC, and Wired. It won the 2016 UK Digital Experience Awards and its founders were mentioned in Forbes '30 under 30' winners. The company will use the investment to scale up user and business acquisition in new cities across the UK before going global.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£921,643
TiPJAR is a global cashless tipping platform that allows users to tip hospitality staff, buskers and hairdressers using 'Open Banking'. The company points out that tipped workers are earning less each year as cash transactions reduce, with Covid-19 having furthered this problem. It claims to have a powerful distribution engine empowering staff to control and share tips fairly and transparently. TiPJAR argues that its portal has been approved by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as an alternative to the traditional tronc system. The company asserts that its app is already live in over 1650 venues, with over 100,000 users using the platform. The company aspires to dominate the estimated global tipping market worth a combined $100 billion per year. TiPJAR stresses that it is also the world’s first multi-currency, scalable solution that works in multiple countries. They state they will use the investment received to prepare the business for rapid scale-up growth.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,346,659
The Noo aims to redefine the delivery space by facilitating the delivery of anything, anywhere, anytime from a single application. It argues that between February-April 2020, online food delivery weekly sales skyrocketed by 840% amidst a boom in e-commerce sales. The Noo points out that with every innovation in the name of convenience, people seem to expect more. It intends to deliver just that through its community platform allowing anyone to request anything at a price set by the requestor and finally, facilitate earning by simply owning a smartphone. The company also aspires to create a space where the local high street can compete with today's delivery giants. It will use the investment to enhance and launch its app, fund marketing campaigns, hire key personnel, and make The Noo visible across more cities.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£149,388
The Smart Container Company (TSCC) has come out with an Internet of Things (IoT) device, Kegtracker, a first-to-market product that measures volume, location, temperature and motion of each keg in real-time. TSCC claims that the UK has over 2000 breweries with an estimated market worth of approximately £10 billion. It further points out that, unlike single-use cans and bottles, kegs are reusable containers that can last for over 25 years. TSCC asserts that Kegtracker ensures that kegs deliver the beer or other beverages in the freshest condition possible. TSCC points out that its AI-driven platform, BeverEDGE, uses data collected from the device to empower breweries, distributors and retailers alike with actionable insights for a more efficient and sustainable supply chain. The company asserts that it raised £475,000 from nearly 1300 investors in 2020 and secured pilot partners across the globe, notably, Brewdog, the UK's fastest-growing alternative beer brand. TSCC has featured in press entities such as BBC and Lion Cage. TSCC states it will use the investment to purchase Kegtracker inventory to service clients and accelerate its marketing efforts across Europe and North America
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£659,602
42Genetics is a biotechnology company that endeavours to unlock genomic data for health organisations by providing data-driven solutions for diagnostics and discovery at scale. It argues that 1 in 17 people, or about 3 million people in the UK, will be affected by a rare disease such as different types of cancers, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease. 42Genetics seeks to address this crisis. The company completed a validation project with Cambridge University, hosting and processing 15,000 whole genomes. 42Genetics also claims to reduce the size of a digitised human genome from the current 500 GB to less than 5GB in size making it easier to transfer via cloud and store alongside large population groups. Its work was published in 'Nature' journal along with NIHR and Genomics England in February 2020. The company intends to become a contender in the genomics industry that is projected to grow to $82.6 billion by 2027. 42 Genetics will use the investment to progress precision medicine programs, enable fruitful diagnostics, and boost its research process.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£854,001
Founded by Glen Elliot, 2005 in the early days of the professional video gaming industry, Esports Gaming League (EGL) has since helped shape esports into a fast-growing phenomenon. The brand aims to be at the forefront of esports starting in Europe before expanding globally into Asia, South America, and the Middle East. It has worked with clients such as KFC, Science Museum, Activision among other brands. The esports industry is valued at $1.1 billion globally for 2019, and EGL has positioned itself to be at the heart of it. The platform has 315,000 registered users engaging in regular tournaments online. With the funds raised, EGL aims to enhance its tournament platform and make the process of playing and competing easier. It will also work with major game developers across multiple platforms and make their titles esportable.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£189,540
