Fightback is a beer and cider brand on a mission to save music venues with support from across the live music industry. The company claims that every pint sold contributes to Music Venue Trust (MVT), a UK-registered charity, which acts to protect, secure, and improve Grassroots Music Venues. It argues that it has sold 10,000 pints and 10,000 cans in 61 venues before the COVID-19 lockdown. Fightback asserts that it has agreed on a new national distribution deal to make the brand more accessible amidst the lockdown. It intends to supply 900+ venues affiliated with MVT when venues reopen. Fightback will use the investment to roll out beer and cider to help secure the long-term future of the venues that ensure that the music culture is kept alive.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£52,596
Lucy Choi has created an affordable luxury footwear brand that comes with a unique heritage, having learnt her craft from her uncle, the great shoe designer, Jimmy Choo. Lucy Choi London has been featured consistently at London Fashion Week and in the elite fashion press. The brand has been featured in platforms such as The Times, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Grazia, and The Telegraph. It has been worn by A-list celebrities including Hailey Beiber and Sharon Stone. From 2018 to 2019, there has been a 40% increase in the number of shoes sold. Lucy Choi London has also been sold to various UK stockists and wholesaled internationally. Around 5,800 subscribers have subscribed to its website since 2016 (41% CAGR). With the proceeds, the company will refocus on wholesale globally, design a new website, hire new employees, and increase marketing spends.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£182,770
Nourish is a company that makes snacks free from refined sugar, gluten, and dairy. The company's mission is to become one of the UK's most popular free-from brands. It aims to provide a range of delicious treats and snacks to consumers, athletes and those with specific dietary needs, ensuring that they possess sustained energy. The company's products are stocked by retailers including, Ocado, Wholefoods, Planet Organic, and Daylesford. Its online sales grew by 740% in April 2020. The company has featured in publications like Ooh Magazine, VeganLife, and Natural Health. It became 'Organically Certified' in 2017 and 'Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) Certified' in 2018. Nourish will soon launch its new product line in the next 12 months. The company will use the investment received to build the team, continue to raise brand awareness by investing in more price promotions in stores, and undertake geo-marketing campaigns.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£133,207
Perfino designs natural scent infused artisan jewellery. The company argues that one-third of humans are intolerant to synthetic chemicals and that up to 60% of these chemicals may be absorbed into the bloodstream. Perfino wants to change this scenario and provide fragrance lovers access to natural scents with no skin contact. Perfino pendants come with six super-absorbent lava stones and a bottle of expertly blended natural essential oils. Users need to simply add a drop to a stone, put it in the pendant, and enjoy a wonderful scent all day long. The company aims to disrupt the $310 billion global jewellery/perfume market with its products. Perfino's CEO has featured in the BBC’s CEO Secrets and Radio 4 Business Matters. The company will use the investment to grow its team and product range, boost sales and set up a membership service.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£74,268
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
The Sports Edit (TSE) is one of the UK’s fastest-growing eCommerce retailers that sells activewear brands and products, as well as, produces content and events, centred around inspiring movement and mindfulness. It is among Europe’s foremost curators of premium activewear, partnering with 50+ leading brands. The company aims to become a major contender in the womenswear market, forecast to grow 7.7% per annum to $216 billion, by 2024. The company has >45,000 social media followers, a leading gym retail partnership, and seen its online revenues grow over 145% in the first five months of 2020 Year-Over-Year (YoY). For its timely response to customers' queries, TSE was validated by the Feefo Gold Service Award 2020 & garnered a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 72. The company will use the investment to widen its brand & product range, hire staff for marketing and merchandising, ensure customer acquisition & retention, and launch its deal with Nike in the third quarter of 2020.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£930,307
Gively is an online marketplace where users can give and get secondhand items for free. The secondhand clothing market will double in value to £50 billion annually by 2023, and the company finds itself as a suitable contender in this domain. They aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions and minimise landfill sites through its portal. The company has reached over 5,000 users, 70% of which came from unpaid channels. Gively won an SME (Small and medium enterprises) grant worth £10,000 of television advertising and has received rave reviews from its users through the App Store, social media, and in person. They will use 50% of the investment for marketing purposes, 25% for technology up-gradation, and 25% for hiring human resources.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£105,207
The Wild Curl (TWC) makes custom-formulated and plant-based curly hair products. The company chooses its ingredients based on research that centers around the composition of curly hair across different demographics. TWC argues that it supports and fights for inclusive beauty standards by empowering women to adopt their naturally curly hair since 65% of women in the world have textured hair. The company claims to have changed the hair journey of 5000 customers globally. TWC has 5,000 customers, 5,600 email contacts and 6,000 followers on social media. The company has earned £100,000 in revenue since its launch and shipped over 5,000 orders to customer’s doorsteps worldwide. TWC will use the investment to expand its product range focused on conditioners.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£95,689
Catipilla designs, manufactures and retails a range of high quality, functional, wall-mounted climbing frames, resting points, and scratchers to create unique living spaces for cats. The company asserts that the cat segment of the pet market is worth an estimated £5 billion in the UK alone. It wants to become a contender in this segment. Catipilla has sold 2,000+ products across 16 countries, listed at retailer Pets at Home, and became a finalist in the PetQuip '2018 Product of the Year' in the past three years. Catipilla's products are situated in vet practices, catteries, and cat rescue centres. The company claims that it is endorsed by International Cat Care and has a partnership with IAMS, a global pet food giant. After a 5.36 times increase in orders during the 2020 lockdown (compared to Q2 and Q3 2019), Catipilla requires investment to scale up sales, distribution, manufacturing, and export capability.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£196,702
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
