Qardus is an ethical and Sharia-compliant financing platform for social impact Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and investors. Qardus asserts that the 3.8 million Muslim community in the UK, and 25 million in Europe, is massively underserved when it comes to accessing interest-free (Sharia-compliant) structures. It intends to change this. Qardus offers up to £200,000 in innovative interest-free business financing to eligible SMEs for tenors of up to 24 months and is Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved. Qardus points out that it has provided over £250,000 in financing to some high social impact SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintained a 100% track record with a 0% default rate to date, and featured in media entities like Sifted, Islamic Finance News, Peer-to-Peer Finance News, and Fintech Futures amongst others. It will use 30% of the investment on marketing costs for acquiring SMEs and investors on its platform, 60% on growing its team, and 10% on obtaining additional licenses to expand its services.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£313,009
E-RIDER sell electric bikes and scooters and is a new concept in personal travel. The E-RIDER bikes and scooters glide over the road with all the convenience of a silent motorcycle. All of the E-RIDER bikes and scooters come with a brake light, audible indicators, wing mirrors and motorbike suspension and these all allow for a more comfortable, safer ride.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£4,550
Zona is a retrofit product using patented technology that fits any helmet or motorcycle worldwide. With pre-sales from 19 countries, the company is now looking to accelerate growth in this global arena and further expand into the larger cycle market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£84,730
Magway is a sustainable and reliable transport solution that aims to improve air quality and congestion. It is the winner of Innovate UK grant and has been recognised as a top 100 Global Startup. Magway is planning initial revenue opportunity from short routes around airports. Moreover, the company has an agreement in place with a leading engineering firm to plan implementation. It is a high-impact investment opportunity that plans to generate revenues by expanding internationally, transforming delivery around urban centres in the UK, and providing secure goods handling solutions for airports. With the proceeds, Magway aims to accelerate development, register further patents, and build the team.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,344,460
QFinds is a purpose-built hiring tool that enables employers to easily and efficiently pre-screen candidates, conduct interviews and generate employment contracts. The company asserts that it is a UK government vetted 'Kickstart Scheme' representative and can get small businesses grants to hire interns having already processed over 100 job applications. QFinds claims that its app has been downloaded 2 million+ times garnering 24,000 reviews averaging 4.8/5 stars. QFinds also points out that bad hirings cost the UK up to £6.7 billion in turnover, productivity, and training. It seeks to change this and disrupt the £39 billion recruitment market. The company has partnered with notable entities like University College London, Kings College London and Brunel University London, intending to use them as strategic partners to increase job seekers signing up to and using its app. QFinds will use the investment to grow its business across different verticals.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£222,866
Cloud-based SaaS software with the purpose of efficiently generating corporate management reports to reduce operational costs and improve data quality. Synapse's service can be implemented into pre-existing financial reporting systems to produce automated reports, even in large companies. Customers include Lloyds Bank, who have signed a 2-year term and the Bank of England have contacted Synapse to potentially integrate the system.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£894,056
Curiosity Club is a unique curriculum enrichment programme for both primary and secondary schools. Traditionally in schools, all pupils learn the same thing at the same time. Curiosity offers a unique way to engage children by allowing them to choose their own individual journey through the history of time and through that they are developing their skills of literacy, numeracy, research, memory, presentation and communication.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£42,350
Findr aims to automate the creation of business partnerships by providing easy access to hyper-targeted opportunities in minutes. The company asserts that its platform allows any business, regardless of its size, to sign up, post its partnership requirements, and explore opportunities for free. The company's portal allows users to request a 1-hour 'Discovery' call with a potential partner when the said user spots a relevant opportunity. Findr argues that it has made 'Discovery' for free for the first few months to build its user base. The company has onboarded 140 business users ranging from early-stage to global brands such as Mastercard, Uber and Visa since November 2020. Findr has featured in Forbes for helping businesses navigate COVID-19. The company will use the investment to develop two new price plans – Unlimited and Enterprise, introduce new platform features, hire a machine learning expert, and undertake digital activity to grow its user base.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£396,288
Growth Capital Ventures (GCV) is a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved fintech company. GCV's mission is to back the game changers, innovators and value creators. It is operating at three different levels namely, G-Ventures, a specialist software development division; Quva, a private investor network; and G- Labs, an innovation lab. The company aims to provide investors with access to well researched alternative investment opportunities that are selected for their potential to deliver better returns than traditional mainstream investment products. GCV has structured property transactions worth £14.7 million, has 5000+ everyday investors, and seen 500+ jobs created by portfolio companies. GCV will use the investment to grow its business across different verticals.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,295,410
Husky is the UK’s only open, SaaS platform for workplace pensions. For employers, the platform deals with legal and compliance burdens of auto-enrolment while helping reduce pension costs. For individuals and company directors, the app is instrumental in bringing profitable and responsible investments with the Husky for Everyone app. And for advisers and accountants, it ensures strong client relationships amidst transparency and efficiency. Close to 1.4 million employers & 22.6 million workers are affected by the UK’s automatic enrolment (AE) legislation. Within this market, a conservative estimate of fees charged on employees by pension providers is £2 billion a year; Husky aims to disrupt this market & is ready to scale. Its method of operation has led to it achieving important milestones. With more than 1000 firms onboarded, a 92% renewal rate, and an average annual fee of £438, Husky charges its onboarded firms (including Crowdcube) with monthly recurring fees laid out as part of a 3-year subscription model. With the funds received, the company aims to disrupt the relatively stagnant workplace pensions industry with innovative products and empower its customers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£417,338
