BEEN London is a next-generation sustainable accessory brand which converts waste into beautiful products, for customers all around the world. They aim to change the way people make, perceive and buy beautiful things and want to make everyone part of the solution, involving local artisans and people with learning disabilities in the growing economy of sustainable fashion. Till now, they have successfully shipped orders to 18 countries worldwide, achieved profitability from Year 1 and launched 17 different products including backpacks, laptop cases and tote bags. BEEN is a UK FUTURE 20 startup, a finalist at the Sustainable Lifestyle Awards, and a profitable company looking to scale up into a global, game-changing sustainable brand. BEEN have been approved for investment by London Fashion Fund. With the funds, they want to accelerate sales, increase margins and turn other streams of waste into new incredible products.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£325,589
Something & Nothing (S&N) is a premium non-alcoholic and alcoholic seltzer brand sold in the UK and Europe. The company's Yuzu, Cucumber and Hibiscus, and Rose seltzers are made with a combination of natural extracts, juices and botanicals. S&N has sold over 250,000 cans via retail outlets and its online webstore. In the UK, the company's products are available in premium outlets such as Whole Foods, Ace Hotel, Holland & Barrett, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Hawksmoor. It has partnered with leading US 'Better-for-you drinks' distributor, Iris Nova. S&N's Direct To Consumer (DTC) business has grown by 200% during COVID and, it aims to sell over 400,000 cans by the end of 2020. The company will use 50% of the investment to meet stock requirements needed for customers in the US, UK and Europe, 25% to invest in its DTC business, and 25% to launch its range of premium alcoholic seltzers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£305,200
Nix & Kix creates and sells a range of drinks low in calories, completely natural and without any added sugar. It asserts that its products are stocked across 3,000+ shops, restaurants, bars and offices. It also claims that its products are housed across 7,500 distribution points such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Nando's, BP, Morrisons, and Holland & Barrett, to name a few. Nix & Kix has sold over 5 million of its cans to date. It has also secured a listing with Matthew Clark, the biggest distributor of restaurants, pubs and bars in the UK. The company has applied for a B-Corp accreditation. Nix & Kix has also won numerous awards and has been called 'Addictively tasty' by the press (Time Out 2019). It will use the investment to expand into the convenience channel, grow its e-commerce platform, boost brand awareness, and scale operations.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£830,760
Fancy Dress Worldwide is a fancy dress online retailer founded in March 2016 and has already achieved more than 380,000 orders in 80 countries, with revenues over £1.6m in Year 2 and growing rapidly. The company carries out software processes in-house and has grown from 1 staff member to 25. They have also increased their product range from 1 item to 20,000 products, which has resulted in moving to larger premises twice in two years.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£313,557
Oxford Nanoimaging (ONI) is an offshoot company, born from the biological physics lab at Oxford University, that specialises in super-resolution microscopy. Its innovation, Nanoimager, is a super-resolution fluorescence and portable microscope that is capable of real-time 3D localization analysis and rendering. It has multiple applications in a variety of fields such as viral particle imaging, quantitative cellular imaging, epigenetic mapping, and many more. ONI states that the Nanoimager can align and analyse samples, and then upload the results onto a computer for deeper graphical and data examination. ONI is also supporting the global effort into research and diagnostics to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and finds the Nanoimager uniquely suited to this task. The company plans to use the investment to grow its business and ensure more institutions and researchers adopt its technology.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
HOMETHINGS, a UK B Corp that has received awards, is revolutionizing the home care sector by introducing refillable products using tap water. Their mission arose from the realization that most cleaning sprays contain over 90% water, leading to unnecessary transportation of heavy water in disposable plastic bottles worldwide. They initially launched effervescent tablets for surface care sprays, which are manufactured in the UK and certified as Vegan and Cruelty-Free. By refilling with these tablets, customers can potentially reduce carbon emissions by up to 94% compared to conventional spray products.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£529,818
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
The Cheeky Panda (TCP) is a B Corp that offers a range of sustainable bamboo tissue and hygiene products available across Europe, the USA, China, and the Middle East. It asserts that its products are on the shelves of some of the World's top retailers including, Waitrose, Boots, MonoPrix and Carrefour. The company has sold over 12 million products across 25 countries and aims to become a contender in the overall hygiene market that is valued at over $200 billion a year. TCP featured in Sunday Times 'Fast Track – 'Ones to Watch' list, won Ocados rising stars best plant-based product in 2021, and launched with Waitrose in over 200 stores. TCP will use the investment to strengthen its management team in the run-up to IPO, focus on marketing and brand awareness to grow D2C sales, and oversee product launches with major retailers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£2,400,550
Alphagreen is Europe's largest online marketplace for Cannabidiol (CBD) healthcare products listing over 150 brands and more than 2,500 products on its portal. It claims that it is backed by high-profile cannabis investors like Enexis, West Creek Investments, and others. It aspires to become the leader in the CBD market that is expected to be worth over £900 million in 2025 in the UK alone. Alphagreen aspires to build a trusted ecosystem for customers with Sleep, Pain and Anxiety problems, enable them to access alternative healthcare, and distribute medical cannabis from Q3 of 2021. The company has featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Prohibition Partners, The Financial Times, and The Grocer. It will use 31% of the investment for sales and marketing, 25% for team expansion, 16% for general corporate affairs, 15% for international expansion, and 13% for technology up-gradation.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£2,039,375
Healthier Brands is a family business which provides innovative, fun and healthy snacks for kids and is loved by health-conscious adults as well. Its sales have doubled, and it has over 1000 retailer across the UK. Its current strategy is to provide natural products to the jelly market. Furthermore, its aim is to become a national family brand and to find its place in all the major multiple grocery stores by 2020. Healthier Brands has been featured in The Telegraph, Metro and countless local titles. The company will use the fund to drive growth, scale up sales and trade marketing supports with retailers.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£244,583
