Vertically Urban (VU) is a horticultural lighting specialist that produces high-tech LED lighting solutions for indoor industrial farms, glasshouses, medicinal growers and onsite Pod farms, who in turn, supply to supermarkets, restaurants and the medical market. The company aims to be a segment leader in the global vertical farming market that is projected to reach $12.7 billion by 2026. VU asserts that vertical farming has been tipped as the future of food production and supported by early investors such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. The company has witnessed £30 million+ worth of sales to date. It will use the investment to increase brand awareness via horticultural trade shows, market its products on online and offline portals, develop new technologies, and recruit senior personnel to oversee growth in key markets.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£335,040
Get Set Pet (GSP) is a pet supply challenger brand on a mission to build a community of like-minded dog and cat owners that take pride in their relationships with their pets. The company aims to arm pet parents with the information they need to make better nutrition decisions regardless of whether or not they shop with GSP. GSP has acquired over 15,000 customers, generated over 20,000 orders, and delivered £800,000 in total sales. The company has 4.97 out of 5 'Excellent' ratings from over 1,100 verified customer reviews. GSP will use 25% of the investment towards Research and Development (R&D) of its products, 25% on salaries, technology investments and working capital, and 50% on marketing and promotional activities.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£386,375
The Cheeky Panda is a manufacturer of sustainable bamboo tissue and hygiene products which are available across Europe, the Middle East and on the aisles of some of the world's top retailers including Boots, EkoPlaza, Monoprix and Carrefour. Its innovation and stress on sustainable hygiene has led to the mass-adoption of its products. The company has been rewarded with hundreds of 5-star reviews across multiple platforms including Amazon, Morrisons, and Ocado. Its proprietary Baby wipes was ranked the highest-selling new product launch of 2019 by the Grocer and Nielsen Data, and its monthly sales exceeded £500,000 for the first time in 2020 in just four years of the company's inception. Keeping in mind its drive to deliver sustainable products, the company supports the Charity patroned by Sir David Attenborough: World Land Trust. With the funds received, the company aims to channelise that into working capital to support the purchasing of ever-larger quantities of products to get sales to £20m a year and enhancing its brand identity.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£2,434,752
Flatout is a platform which makes buying bicycles, gears and parts easier and hassle-free. This platform allows consumers to compare and find their next bicycle from third party dealers at the best price anywhere in the UK. To ensure smoother operations, it has partnered with stores across the UK. In 2019, the company is planning to launch and run its first Exchange store. The company will use the proceeds in commencing opening its pilot franchise store.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£50,265
Ruby Violet (RV) creates ice cream flavours, vegan sorbets and iced delights. It asserts that it has grown from a market stall in 2011, to two parlours and an accompanying vintage van, tricycle and trolley, almost doubling its revenue from 2016 to 2019. RV aims to become a contender in the ice cream industry that is worth £1.4 billion in the UK and £44 billion worldwide. It asserts that 90% of the packaging used by the company is either recyclable or compostable. It has featured in press entities like The Times, The Guardian, Vogue and the BBC, to name a few. RV has also collaborated with noted gin company, Gin Mare, creating gin ice cream and sorbet specific to their infused botanicals. RV's clients include Costa Coffee, Nike, McVitie's, and Moet & Chandon. It will use 75% of the investment for capital expenditure, 15% for marketing activities, and 10% for hiring key personnel.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£357,173
A fashion brand in the contemporary luxury accessories market ethically producing handbags to be sold directly to the consumer through e-commerce. Hill & Friends's handbags are manufactured from high quality materials in Western Europe. All leather used is ethically sourced and is a by-product of the food industry. The company sells its products via their own website, through wholesalers and at retailers such as Selfridges, Barneys, Harvey Nichols and Fenwick.
Hill & Friends are raising funds to invest in three initiatives. Firstly, they are seeking change in their manufacturing process to utilise more scalable and agile methods that will reduce total expenditure and shorten lead times when reordering high-selling products.
Secondly, the company intends to re-platform from Magento to Shopify due to the latter's greater impact on the market. This will result in an improved customer experience and better integrations with affiliate sites.
Finally, with the rapid increase of online shopping, Hill & Friends will use the funds raised to invest further in digital marketing by increasing the number of social ads and working alongside a diverse range of online influencers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£773,059
Propelair is a company that has developed the world’s lowest water-flush toilet system. The toilet uses air to propel 1.5 litres of water per flush, saving water when compared to 6-9 litres per flush for conventional toilets. The company has installed nearly 4,000 units in the UK and South Africa. They were awarded the prestigious Horizon2020 grant in 2017 to develop new innovations. It has also been featured in publications such as The Daily Telegraph, London Evening Standard, and The Times. The company will use the investment as working capital and stock acquisition funds to enable growth, in the UK and South Africa and launch into other water-stressed markets like the Middle East, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and introduce its 'Smart Connected Toilet' to the market.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,236,245
Analog Motion (AM) manufactures and sells electric bicycles. The company argues that its bikes are lightweight, have a removable battery, and are IPX6 rated. AM affirms that its business model has significant prospects given that €1 billion has been spent on cycling-related infrastructure in Europe. AM has sold 2000+ bikes across 400+ cities in 30+ countries. The company points out that it has successfully manufactured and shipped 100% of all pre-ordered bikes in 2020. It has featured in The Times, Grazia, Gizmodo, Stuff, and Electrek, to name a few. The company will use the investment to accelerate the development of new products and technologies, scale-up its support and after-sales team, build its marketing and advertising campaigns, and enhance its operational and retail capabilities.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£369,003
Ember Snacks (ES) is a sustainable meat snack brand that aims to end factory farming in the meat industry. It works directly with farmers committed to using high welfare and regenerative practices to improve soil health and encourage wildlife on their farms. Since its launch in 2017, ES's products have been stocked in over 2,000 distribution points across the UK, including Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. It also argues that it is the most reviewed meat snack brand on Amazon across the UK and Europe, with nearly 4,000 reviews. The company asserts that its products are stocked in 200 Stonegate pubs, supported by field activation. It earned over £1.75 million in sales in 2020, won a medal at the Charcuterie Live Awards 2021, and received over 35 pieces of press coverage in 2021. ES states it will use the investment to discourage factory farming, build its team, grow distribution channels in major UK supermarkets, launch a campaign to highlight factory farming practices, reach out to new customers, and launch new products.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£1,420,578
Fitbakes is a low sugar and high protein baked snacks brand. The company claims that its products have 90% less sugar, 80% less fat, 60% fewer calories and 200% more protein than leading cakes and chocolate brands with no artificial sweeteners, flavourings or colourings. Fitbakes claims that its products are compliant with the UK government's 'Non-HFSS' policy. The company has sold over 1 million cakes via the 'Direct 2 Consumer' channel, experienced 25% repeat purchase in-store, onboarded retailers such as Coop and Selfridges, and planned a launch in 1,000 Tesco Express stores in Q3 2021. The company is also working with over 1,000 micro-influencers and over 50,000 Instagram followers. It was also a winner at the 'Best of Health Awards' and a finalist at the 'MidCounties Good Food Awards'. The company has received press coverage in BBC1 News, The Times, Forbes, The Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Grocer. It states it will use the investment to support its digital growth and retail launch with major retailers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£523,184
