Your Favourite Teacher (YFT) is a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) supported online teaching and learning platform that offers students access to high quality and engaging courses. The portal allows students, particularly disadvantaged ones, to navigate through subject areas and courses. Lessons take place through videos, interactive quizzes, development resources, and tested via exam practice sessions. The platform has a pupil dashboard where students can track their progress and celebrate their achievements. In the UK, schools are spending c.£0.9 billion on EdTech per annum. The Covid-19 lockdown is expected to boost the demand for e-learning platforms. YFT offers more than 50 published courses (15 more in production) covering English, English Literature, Maths, and Sciences etc. It has won multiple customers including secondary schools, alternative provision sites and sports academies (including Premier League Football clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal). YFT is seeking an investment of £550,000 to further the growth and reach of the company.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
pluumo makes sustainable thermal packaging material from waste feathers. The company asserts that fresh food deliveries need thermal packaging to keep ingredients frozen and prevent spoilage. pluumo claims that plastics such as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) are used in this process, leading to 141,000 tons of plastic waste generated in the EU in 2019. pluumo asserts that its patent-pending material matches the performance of EPS, keeping items chilled for up to 40 hours. The company has secured £450,000 in grants/awards, including £140,000 via InnovateUK. It aims to be a contender in the $137 billion online food delivery industry. pluumo argues that 74% of consumers would pay more for green packaging, with e-commerce sustainable packaging predicted to be worth $65 billion by 2023. The company will use the investment to scale production and expand into the wider UK market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£511,325
envoPAP is a company that specialises in manufacturing printing and packaging materials from agricultural waste. Started in 2015, the company has achieved £7.3 million in revenues across 45 countries. The European packaging market is valued at over £100 billion and the European Union (EU)are looking to ban some single-use plastic products with effect from 2021, envoPAP aims to capitalise on these developments. The year 2019 saw envoPAP introducing its product 'envoBarrier’- a material resistant to oil, water, and grease which won the 'Packaging Innovation of the Year' at the Business Green Technology Awards. In 2020, envoPAP became a certified B Corporation rendering it a business that balances purpose and profit. The investment will be used to protect its Intellectual Property (IP) and expand its team.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£381,128
Uni Compare is a cross-platform student to university marketplace that acts as an enabler for undergraduate, postgraduate and international students. The company is targeting a £35 billion+ course advisor market. It displays university statistics, student reviews, and personalised choices to help students decide which course to choose when applying to university. Uni Compare raised £250,000 from Seedrs in 2018 and has witnessed 189,143 student registrations till date. It is now working with more than 14 partnered universities to create a new product line suited to connect postgraduate students with universities that are offering postgraduate courses. Uni Compare will use the investment to open up new markets, invest in scaling current revenue streams, and supercharge the business to meet client demand.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£248,476
Almond provides businesses and consumers with a method to understand their carbon footprint and use the company's proprietary offset tools to become carbon neutral. Consumers can earn Almond Tokens when purchasing products from Almond's partnering sustainable brands. The Almond Tokens can be spent on their website The Almond certification label on products enables them to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment, consumer health and building a better society for all. The core idea is to build a market that's geared towards sourcing and selling sustainable products. The green economy market is worth $4 trillion. The offset market was $300 million in 2018, having grown over 140-fold in 10 years. Almond seeks to be a market leader in this domain. It has also partnered with reputed institutions such as the World Wildlife Fund, and the Stockholm Environment Institute (carbon analytics). With the investment, the company aims to further the popularity of its existing Almond App and have more people join its ecosystem.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£522,540
Sol-Gel Materials and Application (SGMA) is a sustainable technology company that is using its new sol-gels to create sustainable solutions to plastic environmental waste. The company has researched and developed a non-plastic, non-toxic coating for products, from food packaging to electronics, that is water and oil resistant yet recyclable. Its product is the world’s only biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable (BCR) solution. The company's founder and CEO, Dr Fanya Ismail, has won the award 'Women in Innovation 2019' by Innovate UK and the company's work has been covered by BBC South East Today. The company plans to function as an IP management company, sub-contract manufacturing to chemical firms moving from bulk to advanced materials, and outsource distribution to partners, whose packaging customers serve brand owners.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£611,040
DMD has made its digital content distribution enterprise in the last two years. Along with that, it has developed a global cinema TVOD (Transactional Video On Demand product). The company has built a long-term distribution partnership with OTT companies, telephone/IPTV and major cable that lead the wealthiest portion of the Pay TV market, providing service to 17 million two-way homes in 19 nations in Latin America. DMD's revenue has increased by 93% YoY 2017-2018, which will help the company in reaching EBITDA breakeven in Q3 of 2019. DMD has established relationships with distributors and leading sales agents in Europe and the USA. With the proceeds, the company will acquire bigger commercial films, increase its global footprint by launching the company in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and supplement its current output with classic titles.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£145,000
Elemental is an agricultural food technology company that converts 78% of beef processing waste into sustainable fertiliser. The company claims that its technology can potentially reduce global beef CO2 emissions equivalent to 50 million cattle. Elemental asserts that its technology has been developed through extensive R&D and protected by patents in 60+ countries. The company raised £1.5 million on Crowdcube in late 2019, signed agreements for 14 projects in the UK and Europe using its technology, built a demonstrator plant and agreed to install its technology on commercial terms at 6 UK abattoirs. The company states they will use the investment to operationalise their first plant by December 2021 and grow their business across different verticals.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,395,801
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
Polysolar specialises in manufacturing photovoltaic windows capable of generating electricity, which can be used in buildings to generate clean renewable energy whilst also meeting planning regulations. Its technology is already in-use by major organisations such as Network Rail and Sainsbury's.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,311,180
