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
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
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
Beija London (BL) is a digital lingerie brand for cup sizes AA-H with a flagship store at Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross. It argues that women have suffered because of the over glamorisation of the intimates sector. BL intends to solve that problem. It asserts that every single bra it makes caters to different cup sizes and different needs. The company has received an investment of £1.8 million in equity finance to date. BL witnessed +1300 fittings being completed on its online bra fitting service portal since its launch in April 2020 and garnered a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 57. BL was approached by Victoria's Secret US in 2019 to help the latter expand its offering and be more inclusive of different body shapes. It states it will use the investment to ensure that it has a sufficient stock of fast selling fashion lines to boost cash flow and increase the lifetime value of its loyal customer base.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£478,013
Aardvark is a company that manufactures dry kibbles for dogs and cats using insects as the source of protein. It has partnered with VC backed insect farm NextProtein. The company claims that its products meet the nutritional needs of pets while creating a smaller environmental footprint than pet food that uses animal meat. It also asserts that insect protein is endorsed by the British Veterinary Association. The company has developed its kibbles to be grain-free, consist of seaweed and other natural ingredients with no fillers. The UK pet food market is poised to grow to £2.9 billion in 2020, and the company aims to be a sustainable manufacturer in this segment. The company requires investment to assist in manufacturing its first batch of pet food, help market its products to pet owners across the UK, and expand into Europe by 2021 and the U.S by 2024.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£300,290
A menswear fashion company that saves time and hassle by using their modular clothing system. L'Estrange London clothing is designed to be versatile and can be combined in any way desired that will look great in any setting. L'Estrange is already available across 30 major stores from NYC to Tokyo and has seen YoY growth of more than 140%.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£371,660
Hemspan states that it designs bio-based building systems and products for construction by combining modern methods, technology and hemp to produce net-zero carbon solutions. The company argues that every time an average house is built, the CO2 emitted by the manufacture, transport and assembly of the materials used is around 50 to 60 tonnes. Hemspan says that one hectare of UK-grown industrial hemp can absorb 11 tonnes of CO2 each year with regeneratively farmed hemp capable of sequestering a further 6 tonnes per hectare of CO2 into the soil each year. Hemspan intends to activate significant demand for hemp farming in the UK and develop processing technologies to reduce reliance on imports and enable large scale manufacturing of bio-based cladding and insulation products that spin out of R&D programmes. It asserts that the global industrial hemp market is expected to grow at 25% CAGR reaching US$ 27 billion by 2028. It aims to be a contender in this segment.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£200,000
GP Nutrition is a nutrition company that creates products meant to deliver sustainable weight loss. This award-winning company was created by Gabriela Peacock, a celebrity nutritionist. It has 13,000 global customers who have bought more than 30,000 packs. In June'19, the company reached trading of £50k per month. It has produced 22 products that are now sold in 30 countries. GP Nutrition has delivered revenue of £377k and an EBITDA of £813,389. Nutrition's vision is to solve the 95% failure rate of diets in the USA and the UK.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£309,890
Deciwatt develops renewable energy solutions and its new product (nowlight), creates instant power and light from the pull of a cord. This company created 'nowlight' leveraging on the success of its first product ‘GravityLight’, which had secured media coverage from around the world, won many awards and was sold by major retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. Additionally, it has been awarded a new £173,788 grant from Innovate UK to integrate Pay-As-You-Go technology into nowlight. Further, this company has a pending registered trademark on the nowlight name and a patent pending on the manual power generation mechanism. It will invest the fund raised in implementing its marketing plans, further product development, and scale up its marketing activity and develop its business.
days to go:
Expired
investment:
£519,607
