PULMOBIOMED is addressing the failings of current lung tests, which are expensive, infrequent, and invasive. Their so-called "clinically proven" solution claims to offer non-invasive liquid samples from deep within the lung, promising affordable tests for lung diseases. They assert that their product can empower clinicians to diagnose and treat conditions like lung cancer and infections, even though there's limited evidence to support these claims. With a few customers in the USA and Australia, and vague partnerships in the EU, PULMOBIOMED hopes to disrupt the asthma diagnostics market by introducing what they call a comprehensive diagnostic test for asthma, despite the skepticism around their capabilities.
days to go:
Extended
investment:
£295,000
Carocell Bio is innovating by developing patented anti-inflammatory peptides delivered via nanoparticles to address severe inflammatory conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Their primary peptide, JEL0305, not only halts inflammation but also prevents its initiation, as evidenced by its effectiveness in reducing inflammation in human AD biopsies and burn tissue. With AD impacting a substantial population and costing $21 billion yearly for unsafe treatments, Carocell Bio's safer peptide remedy has the potential to avert AD recurrence. Additionally, their pioneering approach to skin-related inflammation involves topical peptide products that target mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a crucial element in inflammation. This breakthrough offers promise for managing and forestalling AD and mitigating skin aging.
days to go:
Extended
investment:
Withheld
Optimise BP, the debut product by Optimise Health, introduces an innovative digital solution that offers secure and efficient semi-automated blood pressure management within primary care, focusing on hypertension. This advancement is projected to lead to substantial appointment savings in the range of millions.
days to go:
TBC
investment:
£127,001
Stroli – the shopping trolley reimagined for modern needs. The shopping trolley, often associated with a particular image, is an untapped category ready for innovation. The market is flooded with generic, budget-friendly options that lack charm, with the exception of Rolser, which is pricier and claims the green niche. Stroli steps in as the go-to brand, offering a unique approach, positioning, voice, and eco-friendly credentials. Say goodbye to sore hands and plastic bags – Stroli makes shopping a pleasure with its high-quality, stylish trolley bags designed to enhance your convenience and style
days to go:
Extended
investment:
Withheld
Loopster is a D2C platform that aspires to make selling and shopping for secondhand clothes an easy and sustainable lifestyle process. It argues that fashion is one of the most polluting industries on the planet projected to use one-fourth of the world's carbon budget by 2050. It argues that secondhand shopping offers a way out of this crisis. The company aspires to dominate the secondhand fashion industry projected to be worth $64 billion by 2024. Loopster has processed over 4000 garments and sold over 1900 in June 2021 earning revenue worth £122,000 as of May 2021. It allows sellers to order a Loopster Clear-Out Bag, send in discarded clothes, and the company does the rest, paying them for everything it accepts. For shoppers, Loopster offers hand-checked quality clothes at a quarter or less of high street prices. Loopster has featured in press entities such as The Sun, The Guardian, The Telegraph and Drapers Magazine. It has over 23,000 social media followers and 15,000 newsletter subscribers. Loopster states it will use the investment to continue scaling and building out a service for brands, hire a marketing manager and further optimise its processing technology to scale rapidly.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£393,149
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
Riversimple is a car manufacturer and service provider that is spearheading ‘next-generation’ Hydrogen electric vehicles. It sells mobility as a service and retains ownership of its cars. Their pricing structure allows customers to pay a single monthly fee that covers the vehicle, fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs. It's proprietary offering, Rasa, is a two-seat local commuter vehicle that can achieve a 250mpg equivalent fuel figure with a 300-mile range from a 3-minute fill. The company has recently been awarded two new grants from The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for £1.25 million to support the build of its first low volume production run, and another from InnovateUK worth £0.5 million to support the deployment of cars in the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project. The company has also been featured in several prominent publications such as The Guardian, CNBC, BBC Wales, Reuters and CNN to name a few. The company will use the investment to expand its engineering team and start volume production to reach product commercialisation by the end of 2022.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£504,000
HOWND is an award-winning brand of healthy and natural pet care products. It is one of very few pet product manufacturers in the world to be accredited by the Ethical Company Organisation and certified by Cruelty-Free International. The range includes various products such as vegan dog grooming products and vegetarian Hemp Wellness Treats which are sold in many stores including Pets at Home and Musti Group. The company has signed new distribution agreements in China, America and South Africa. HOWND has won Double Gold for Product Innovation and Marketing Awards in 2017 & 2018 and, it has been featured in the Sunday Express, Daily Mirror and many more. The funds will be used to scale up and expand the team.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£192,390
Aguulp innovates and curates liquid formulas using liposomal technology. The company asserts that vitamins in pill form have an absorption rate as low as 5% which is further eaten by stomach acid upon consumption before a person gets a chance to absorb it. Agullp aims to resolve this. Its product, NutriProtect, shields nutrients from corrosive stomach acid and helps 98% of nutrients reach the small intestine for absorption. The company estimates that over 3 million people in the UK and more than 10 per cent of the world’s population is malnourished for a variety of reasons, including environmental pollution, unhealthy diets and stressful lifestyles that block nutrient absorption and compound deficiencies. Aguulp aims to change this with its product line that includes Aguulp for Gut, Aguulp for Brain, and Aguulp for Immunity. The company will use 55.6% of the investment for marketing purposes, 44.2% for paying their staff, and 0.2% as other expenses.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£317,993
Kirk & Kirk produces a distinctive range of glasses and sunglasses, handmade in France from a particular grade of acrylic, providing a variety of colours. The company aims at earning a unique position in capitalising on a rapidly-developing market with opportunities to grow in wholesale, fashion and online sales. Till date, the company has developed its core markets in the UK, Europe, USA, and Australia. Many celebrities such as Naga Munchetty, Prue Leith, Morcheeba, Morrissey, and Sharon Stone are clients of this fashion brand. The company intent on using the investment for new retail collection, enhancements to the IT infrastructure and the recruitment of key personnel.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
Withheld
