The Funky Appliance Company is the manufacturer of electronic appliances like irons, toasters and kettles. They give popular small domestic appliances a funky twist by designing them in a new stylish and smarter way. The company is working on a new product which will launch in the UK in 2020, and will be sold on its website and dedicated Amazon and eBay stores. They have also finalised arrangements with at least two large UK retailers which will see the new product range go into over 100 stores and online. Funky Iron has got the Good Housekeeping Institute Approval in 2019. The company will use the funds for the tooling and moulds of new products including their certification. The balance of capital will be used as working capital.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£171,359
Oyako is a distance-control application that aims to reduce the stresses and strains on children's eyes. The company asserts that an increase in mobile technology usage has led to an increase in myopia (nearsightedness) in children. It also leads to parents incurring a cost by way of purchasing spectacles along with a cost to the National Health Service (NHS) and medical insurance companies. By 2050, half of the global population will be short-sighted if current trends continue. Oyako aims to solve this issue through its application. Oyako's prototype app uses a simple traffic light design to signify safe or damaging scenarios, intelligently controls the phone camera without compromising battery usage, and is available on the App Store and Google Playstore. Oyako will use the investment to finalise its application and take it to market at £6.99 per download.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£131,641
KegTracker is a company that has launched an innovative Internet of Things (IoT) enabled device that turns kegs into smart containers. The device tracks real-time location, volume, temperature and motion for each keg in order to create reports & insights that enable a sustainable supply chain. The company asserts that a lack of transparency in managing kegs has led to annual industry losses of £1.4 billion+ in theft and spoilage, £1 billion+ in poor distribution, and £500 million+ in suboptimal production and lost containers. KegTracker argues that its device can reduce these losses significantly. The company has developed a working prototype, filed a patent and received letters of interest from leading UK breweries, coffee roasters and Wales National Health Service (NHS). In 2019, the company featured in Startups Magazine and were finalists at FutureFood Awards, London & Partners BGP, and Pitch@Palace. It will use the investment to bring its product to more markets.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£511,428
Troubadour is a London-based menswear brand specialising in designing minimalist bags & accessories by combining performance design with a clean & modern aesthetic feel. The company has delivered its products to 60+ wholesalers. It is backed by Pembroke VCT, a luxury-focused venture capital firm based in London. Troubadour is planning to work with non-traditional retailers including Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Equinox. It has also collaborated with many world-renowned brands such as British tailors 'Thom Sweeney' and British essentials brand 'Sunspel' that is famous for clothing James Bond. The company has also been a case study for classes at the Harvard Business School. With the investment, the company will support sales growth to its customers and retail partners and also fund working capital requirements from its forecast growth plan.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£621,240
Planks is a British clothing brand that creates eco-conscious outerwear for skiers. The company is an omni-channel brand that sells Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) via planksclothing.com, through its Val d’Isère store and other retailers. Planks uses 'Bluesign' approved fabrics and incorporates 'REPREVE' recycled yarns into 68% of its products having recycled 1.5 million waste plastic bottles, in the process, so far. The company had a turnover of £1.85 million between May - June 2020. Planks has a growing community of 27,000+ customers that are a part of its Grassroots Tour initiative. Planks's loyalty platform, 'The FUSS', allows the brand's best customers to complete missions, create content and become brand advocates. The company will use the investment to continue international D2C expansion by improving customer experience in target markets via website localisation and digital marketing and sustain Business-to-Business (B2B) growth via digital wholesale accounts and integrated marketplaces.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£847,154
ClickMechanic offers car repairs, servicing, Ministry of Transport tests (MOTt), diagnostics and pre-purchase inspections through its nationwide marketplace of vetted mechanics. The company cites research group Mintel's data stating that 50% of drivers got ripped off by car service centres. ClickMechanic wants to change this and become a leading contender in the £23 billion UK automotive servicing industry. The company takes a 20% commission on every completed booking and has secured a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 85+ for its services. Their exit strategy is via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or trade sale.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£100,000
Lemonade Dolls (LD) is the UK's first subscription underwear brand that aims to make hassle-free and comfortable underwear for young women. The company's revenue has grown 550% since January 2020. The Lemonade Dolls brand is sold in Topshop, New Look, and ASOS Marketplace. LD has 2,600 subscribers, 15,000 Dolls on its database, and over 70,000 followers across LD and Lemon's on Instagram. It also aims to bring audiences different brands like Candy Kittens, Frank Body, Dr Paw Paw, Mooncup, and Oh K!. The company has been praised by fashion magazine Grazia as having 'Broken the mould'. The company will use the investment to develop the technology behind its subscription platform, grow its product offering, strengthen its virtual presence, and drive brand awareness.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£258,328
EMERGEiQ is a cloud-based platform targeted towards Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and large corporate organisations. The company plans on having an extensive suite of algorithms that simplifies Data Science (DS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at low cost, across all sectors. EMERGEiQ asserts that its analytics can help businesses improve operational productivity, cut costs, and eventually generate more revenue. It has worked with companies across a variety of sectors such as finance, medicine, stock market, and insurance. The company will use will 30% of the investment for R&D, 25% to purchase software and hardware to improve platform capabilities, 25% to market its new product line, 10% as working capital, and 10% as miscellaneous expenses.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£150,000
NOQ aims to solve the issue of queuing at events by digitising the process and bringing increased sales and profit for event management companies, coupled with data-driven insights. It aspires to capture the UK market share through partnerships with event management companies, food concession groups, PoS (Point of Sale) systems, and WiFi providers. NOQ offers a three-step solution for event-goers namely, pre-order ahead of time, click and collect or deliver to a location within the event. The company also claims that it provides a bespoke solution specific to suit the needs of each event and ensure seamless execution of the same. NOQ has overseen transactions worth £275,000+ on its platform, onboarded 13,000+ active users across iOS and Android, and covered 190+ events in 2020. It will use the investment for hiring key personnel, marketing and operational expenditures.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£214,393
Aloha is a barrier-free WiFi hotspot and data-sharing platform. The company estimates that 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide pay to access the web with many unable to access the internet daily due to technical or financial constraints. Conversely, 67% of smartphone users do not consume all of their mobile phone data available to them each month. Aloha aims to change this scenario. It enables users to get paid for sharing unused data and be rewarded with 'Aloha Tokens' that can be exchanged for cash, bitcoins and exclusive offers from Aloha's partner companies. Business users and advertisers can use the advertising tools in the Aloha application and broadcast offers and promotions directly to a targeted audience within the Aloha community. The company will use 20% of the investment to list the Aloha Token with one or more key Crypto exchange platforms, 15% to expand the application development team, 17% to complete development of the Aloha Marketplace, 20% for marketing and PR, 16% for running monthly costs, 3% for Aloha app upgradation, and 10% as contingency funds.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£307,707
