Altr is an e-commerce startup that specialises in male grooming and cosmetics. It is a brand that is committed to helping men look and feel more confident. The company adopts a B2C business model with the aim to reconstruct male cosmetics from a niche into a mass-market essential. The company retails through its own website and supplies across the UK, the US, Italy, and Spain through Amazon. In December last year, the company recorded a monthly turnover of £45k, doubling sales month on month (Oct-Dec). The funds raised will be used to increase product range and expand internationally.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£103,530
Sauce Shop is a craft condiment brand which offers customers a variety of fresh-tasting, innovative and punchy flavoured sauces. The company's products have received 2000 5-star reviews on their online shop, and total revenue is over £340k (EBITDA -£13.5k - July 2019). The revenue growth of the company is over 100% YOY. The brand is now stocked in Sainsbury's, Harvey Nichols, Whole Foods Market and many independent food retailers across the UK. Its Tomato Ketchup won a 2-star Great Taste Award. The company will use the funds to expand operational capacity, grow its team and to facilitate a move in premises to ensure that they can continue to meet demand.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£254,270
Nusa Caña Rum (NCR) produces a white rum, a spiced rum, and a range of ready-to-drink cocktails that reflect the spirit of Bali, Indonesia where the brand was conceived. NCR asserts that it has sold over 34,000 4.2-litre cases since its inception and aims to be a contender in the rum market that is forecast to be worth £1.2 billion by 2025. NCR has partnered with award-winning distributor Kingsland Drinks. The company has also partnered with specialist distributors to maximise its reach to target customers, including notable names such as Coles and Woolworths in Australia, Marriott Group in South East Asia, and Amazon and Master of Malt in Europe. It won two gold medals at the 2020 Spirits Business Rum and Cachaça Masters respectively. NCR will use the investment to support its existing business and increase its presence in the UK and EU.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£563,910
Loupe London is a jewellery company that aims to join London’s £42 billion-a-year creative industries market and set a new benchmark into the art of jewellery making. It plans to create an experiential destination in the heart of London’s heritage-rich 'Jewellery Quarter', and connect UK artisans and discerning consumers who share an appreciation for craft, creativity, and unique design. Loupe's team strives to celebrate UK's famous 'Hatton Garden' heritage, protect artisan skills by offering business support, and establish a workspace for artisans and future talent to build their careers. The company estimates that 80% of consumers prefer independent brands, are mindful of sustainable purchases and attracted to 'Made in UK' products. Loupe aims to target this cater to this segment. The company will use the investment to build creative utilitarian immersive space and a website with integrated social channels.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£77,738
Beija London (BL) is a digital lingerie brand for cup sizes AA-H with a flagship store at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. It argues that women have suffered because of the over glamorisation of the intimates sector. BL intends to solve that problem. It asserts that every single bra it makes caters to different cup sizes and different needs. The company has received an investment of £1.8 million in equity finance to date. BL witnessed +1300 fittings being completed on its online bra fitting service portal since its launch in April 2020 and garnered a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 57. BL was approached by Victoria's Secret US in 2019 to help the latter expand its offering and be more inclusive of different body shapes. It states it will use the investment to ensure that it has a sufficient stock of fast selling fashion lines to boost cash flow and increase the lifetime value of its loyal customer base.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£478,013
Aqua British (AB) manufactures and sells premium English spring water in its patented 100% biodegradable water bottles. It asserts that millions of plastic bottles are ending up in landfills. AB aims to be at the forefront of the fight against plastic pollution, offering an alternative to PET, RPet, cartons and cans. It argues that its water bottles, caps and labels are made up of 100% sugarcane residues, are 100% recyclable and 100% compostable. AB also points out that its spring is fully equipped with solar panels to keep carbon emissions neutral. The company supplies water to renowned entities such as Hotel De Paris Monaco, Hotel InterContinental and South Kensington Club, West Ham United Women Football Club, Thermes Marins Monte Carlo, GreenBay Supermarket, and Compass Group Airbus France, amongst others. It will use 80% of the investment towards expanding its brand and distribution inside and outside of the UK, and 20% towards marketing and distribution channels.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£216,195
1854 Media is a multi-award-winning media brand powered by a global community of 2m+ creatives including many influential creators, media & arts institutions. It has been designed to discover and showcase the most talented, established, and emerging photographers, helping brands create imagery that cuts through the noise of 3 billion photos taken daily. Its exhibitions are seen by tens of millions with 90,000+ paid image entries. The company's mission is to become an essential platform for photographers by providing the vital tools they need to succeed. 1854 Media has 70% recurring customers since the last raise, and the company is now raising capital to accelerate growth.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£379,280
YurOn is a video platform that cultivates authentic interaction between prominent personalities and their fans. The portal allows people from different walks of life–drag queens, mountaineers, activists–thirty seconds to ignite a conversation, start an Ask Me Anything or co-create a skit. YurOn shuns away filters, anonymous commenting, vanity metrics or validation-driven algorithms and endeavours to bring to the public an unadulterated conversation between stars and their fans. The portal soft-launched in Q2 of 2020 and has seen over 5000 downloads, 2000 active users, and 32% of users retaining over a month. The company will use 80% of the investment to grow its tech team and cloud infrastructure, and 20% towards marketing and partnerships to accelerate growth.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£222,110
Ustar is a specialist in digital imaging technology. It works with visitor attractions to provide movie, image and photo souvenirs. Owing to its unique, fully automated system, Ustar has become the go-to supplier for high rope courses and zip wire attractions. Moving away from traditional photographs in cardboard frames, Ustar’s Digital Delivery System allows today’s tech savvy customers to access their media from anywhere, anytime. Zip World, Hangloose and Historic Environment Scotland are some of the sites where Ustar’s automated imaging systems are installed. With an average conversion rate of 20%, Ustar has a solid scalable growth strategy and is ready to take on more clients and installations.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£31,190
trükl is a web-based, integrated and automated parcel delivery booking platform for small businesses. The company argues that on average, 5% of all UK deliveries don’t go as planned, which amounts to over 50 million dissatisfied customer experiences. trükl intends to change this and become a contender in the parcel delivery industry that is expected to double to £21 billion by 2024. The company monitors orders for issues and alerts retailers in real-time to ensure satisfied customers across the supply chain. It has successfully monitored the delivery of 4,500+ shipments since August 2020. The company also processed 330 orders earning revenue worth £1,800 on a single day in December 2020. trükl is a member of SETsquared, an award-winning business incubator. The company will use the investment to develop its integrations further, platform features and acquire and support new retailers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£357,477
