MusicGurus is an e-learning platform that offers video courses, interactive sheet music and online tests/exams. The company argues that conventional music learning is archaic consisting of lessons in either paper or PDF formats. MusicGurus aims to change this. Its portal features celebrity artists and pro musicians teaching all instruments and styles allowing users to avail the scrolling sheet music option and even "Play with a live band". MusicGurus asserts that it has 40,000+ users worldwide. It aims to become a contender in the $18 billion music learning industry. The company has raised £700,000+ to date from Venture Capitalist’s (VCs) such as Ascension Ventures and business angels such as the founder of Caffè Nero. MusicGurus has also partnered with music establishments such as Rockschool, Sony ATV, Hal Leonard, and Schott, amongst others. It will use the investment to develop new celebrity and partner courses, increase its sales, and prepare for a Series A round in 2021.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£176,336
Oyako is a distance-control application that aims to reduce the stresses and strains on children's eyes. The company asserts that an increase in mobile technology usage has led to an increase in myopia (nearsightedness) in children. It also leads to parents incurring a cost by way of purchasing spectacles along with a cost to the National Health Service (NHS) and medical insurance companies. By 2050, half of the global population will be short-sighted if current trends continue. Oyako aims to solve this issue through its application. Oyako's prototype app uses a simple traffic light design to signify safe or damaging scenarios, intelligently controls the phone camera without compromising battery usage, and is available on the App Store and Google Playstore. Oyako will use the investment to finalise its application and take it to market at £6.99 per download.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£131,641
Planks Clothing (PC) is a British clothing brand that creates eco-conscious outerwear for skiers. The company is an omnichannel brand that sells Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) via its website, through its Val d’Isère store and other retailers like ASOS, Surfdome, EVO, and Ellis Brigham. PC uses 'bluesign' approved fabrics and incorporates 'REPREVE' recycled yarns into 68% of its products having recycled 1.5 million waste plastic bottles. The company had a turnover of £1.85 million between May-June 2020. PC has a growing community of 27,000+ customers that are a part of its Grassroots Tour initiative. Its loyalty platform, 'The FUSS', allows the brand's best customers to complete missions, create content and become brand advocates. The company will use the investment to continue international DTC expansion by improving customer experience in target markets via website localisation and digital marketing and sustain Business-to-Business (B2B) growth via integrated marketplaces.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£939,427
Troubadour is a London-based menswear brand specialising in designing minimalist bags & accessories by combining performance design with a clean & modern aesthetic feel. The company has delivered its products to 60+ wholesalers. It is backed by Pembroke VCT, a luxury-focused venture capital firm based in London. Troubadour is planning to work with non-traditional retailers including Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Equinox. It has also collaborated with many world-renowned brands such as British tailors 'Thom Sweeney' and British essentials brand 'Sunspel' that is famous for clothing James Bond. The company has also been a case study for classes at the Harvard Business School. With the investment, the company will support sales growth to its customers and retail partners and also fund working capital requirements from its forecast growth plan.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£621,240
ClickMechanic offers car repairs, servicing, Ministry of Transport tests (MOTt), diagnostics and pre-purchase inspections through its nationwide marketplace of vetted mechanics. The company cites research group Mintel's data stating that 50% of drivers got ripped off by car service centres. ClickMechanic wants to change this and become a leading contender in the £23 billion UK automotive servicing industry. The company takes a 20% commission on every completed booking and has secured a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 85+ for its services. Their exit strategy is via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or trade sale.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£100,000
Care Messenger is a personal, direct means of communication delivered through our televisions. The mobile app gives you a simple message template to fill out that then displays directly onto the recipients television.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£26,871
Blind Cupid (BC) is a disruptive personal matchmaker that uses systematic philosophy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help users find their long-term partners with the very first match. It does this by asking its users high-quality, short, and introspective questions that reveal what the company calls a user's ‘Sense of life’. The AI system then comes up with potential matches by analysing the above data along with the user's communication style. BC asserts that the global matchmaking market has 91 million users and is currently worth £4.65 billion (2020) with a projected value of £7.68 billion by 2026. It argues that 4 out of 5 beta users met their potential partner on its portal. The company aims to patent its AI and licence it out to eager organisations. It will use the investment to offer investors the opportunity to be a part of the next generation of matchmaking and artificial intelligence.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£354,989
BitcoinPoint is a financial technology entity that allows anyone to buy Bitcoin easily. The company remarks that registration on crypto exchanges and the extremely high fees non-tech savvy users encountered with Bitcoin ATMs made Bitcoins unviable. BitcoinPoint aspires to change this by creating an ecosystem of agents, Point of Sale (PoS) machines and ATMs to make it easier to acquire cryptocurrency and even use it for remittances. The company has developed a 'Bitcoin Online Wallet' with zero network fees for its clients. It has overseen 21,500+ transactions, registered 2,500+ accounts, and signed an agreement to connect and provide services to 320,000 locations globally in Q1 2020. The company argues that its platform was supporting a network of 25 agents reaching over £200,000 in monthly transactions before lockdown. BitcoinPoint will use the investment to build a remittance service leveraging its crypto expertise via Bitcoin and the Stellar blockchain with stablecoins, allow cross-border instant transfer, and increase its UK network of agents.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£410,580
Bedlam Brewery is a beer manufacturer. It relaunched in 2015, with award-winning beers brewed at its eco-focused craft brewery at the foot of the South Downs National Park in Sussex. The company's revenue has grown over 250% since then. Between April 2019- March 2020, it sold over 655,000 pints to its customers with 95% coming from sales of draft beer to pubs, both directly and via national pub chains or wholesalers. Post COVID-10 lockdown, the company sold its products to over 200 separate trade outlets, including bottle shops, over 100 free houses, restaurants and pub companies such as the Ei Group, Wetherspoons and Laines in Sussex. The company will use the investment to become the number one craft brewery in Sussex, as well as, a major player in Greater London, Surrey and Kent.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£662,184
Bambooloo is a sustainable consumer products company that creates, manufactures, and sells earth-friendly, modern brands. It has set up its base of operations in Singapore and is endeavouring to enter the UK market soon. Bambooloo launched to high acclaim both online and offline in Singapore with its 100% plastic free packaging product line. It is now on the verge of launching its other product lines; The Nurturing Co-brand focused on care and cleaning products with zero one time use plastics; and Wipeless, an environmentally focused bidet brand. Bambooloo argues that the global hygiene paper sector alone is valued at over $84 billion per year. It aims to be a segment leader in this sector. Bambooloo was the inaugural winner of the Sustainable Business Award Winner 2019. The company will use the investment to establish a beachhead business in the UK, hire internal and external teams for marketing, and set up its website for procuring more orders.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£187,013
