Company B 01/12Back to top

Company B is developing a business to business software application targeted at the U.K. residential installers of energy products within the £16.5 billion domestic maintenance & repair sector. The application will cover a wide range of technologies allowing it to identify and prioritise the most appropriate changes to maximise the energy savings in most UK homes. The business opportunity is to provide a tool with which a professional user, without needing detailed knowledge of every technology, can provide accurate quotations across multiple technologies within a ‘sensible’ time frame, offering a potential saving to the installer for each fully installed technology of between £360-1200. The software and training will be given away for free. Primary revenue will derive from two sources, a ‘per click’ usage fee will be levied for each quote and secondly, a margin from suppliers when purchase orders are generated. The break-even point is reached with 850 active users based on ‘pay per click’ charges ranging from £0 to £15 per technology. The supplier agreements with distributors will initially generate a margin of 2% of the purchase order value. Initial seed funding has come from directors with four components of this application now needing start-up funding of £600K to breakeven in Q6. Profits will be diverted to complete all the remaining technologies necessary for a Smart Home.

Company C 01/12Back to top

A century ago, expertise was required to drive an automobile. Today, however, many car owners are only concerned that their vehicle works and are not keen to maintain it themselves. Instead, they take it to a mechanic, who has the interest & expertise that is required to keep it running. Similarly, most of today’s computer users simply want their machine to work and are not interested in backing up, defragging or otherwise maintaining it. Consequentially, since the manufacturer often takes minimal responsibility once the sale is made, the computer becomes increasingly slow and unreliable. Company C's product will remove the need for the user to worry about their technological nuisances, by producing a system that replaces the existing “stand alone” computer with one that users can log in to through the internet. It will be fully featured, giving all the standard functions, such as word processing and media manipulation, that one expects from a modern computer. It will also be social, allowing contact relationship management as well as the collaborative production and sharing of any form of content. The marketplace will be an integral feature, giving the user the platform to distribute their content for the price they choose. Company C will take a 10% commission from any sale, undercutting that of other online content distributors. Users will also be able to place advertisements in their content to allow them to profit from its free distribution. Company C's product is social networking with a difference. It is a complete service, one that can be used for all aspects of life, not just socialising. Company C is seeking an investment of £200,000.00 in order to establish their product and expects to make a significant return for investors over 3 to 5 years.

Company D 01/12Back to top

Launched in 2011, Company D is a new, technology driven, online travel business. It is the first UK travel business to dynamically filter the widest range of mainstream sustainable holidays and hotels powered by unique, competition protected, search technology. Sustainable travel no longer means niche or expensive holidays offering no consumer choice or protection. Company D is the first, and only, UK B2C and B2B sustainable travel business that offers ABTA and ATOL protection with access to buying rates of a £1bn travel group and is, therefore, price competitive. Companyd D is the only UK travel business with signed partnerships with all the world’s largest independent sustainability certification programmes. Research proves sustainable tourism is growing at three times the rate of the overall market and is one of the fastest growing sectors in a travel industry set to double, by volume, by 2020. Company D is at the forefront of this market opportunity. Key performance indicators show rapid growth in website traffic and sales, demonstrating the strong consumer appeal of the brand and market competitiveness. The company is looking for investment of £100,000. This investment will support recruitment and performance marketing to accelerate existing early growth.

Company E 01/12Back to top

Company E is an online marketplace for the exchange and delivery of foreign currencies. Market makers on our system ensure competitive pricing which affords customers the option of either converting money immediately at a competitive price or specifying a rate at which they would be willing to convert funds should the market move there. Company E charges both parties of the transaction a fair and transparent commission. What separates us from the competition is superior pricing, flexibility, convenience and overall service. Our initial target market is the underserviced UK importer market and then gradually building out to enter the consumer travel money business. We plan on passporting our services into the EU shortly after launch and taking our business worldwide starting in year 3. Our target market size in the UK and Europe alone is £425billion per annum. This proposition aims to be self-financing from year 1 with a large proportion of investment going into the acceleration of marketing and company expansion goals. The Company E founding team has over 40 years of combined experience in the financial markets across several asset classes and disciplines. We are seeking an investment of £500,000 to be utilised as a combination of FSA regulatory capital and marketing.

Company F 01/12Back to top

Company F is an operational and revenue generating Software-as-Service (‘SaaS’) business targeting a niche that has been historically underserved by IT. Company F is an online food and drink pre-order service that simplifies group bookings for the hospitality industry, using web technology to solve a problem that restaurants all over the world currently solve using pen and paper.

Company F saves on wastage and personnel costs and improves the customer experience. It costs the restaurateur pennies and saves them pounds, and that is before any potential marketing value is unlocked. Company F is the market leader and has processed more than 35,000 pre-orders, serving premium companies such as Malmaison, Hotel du Vin; the Royal Opera House; and Compass group – the world’s 2nd largest catering company. The real value in Company F will be the exploitation of the data that a massive number of pre-orders will create. Company F is seeking £500k as an ‘A’ Round. The ‘A’ Round will allow the business to become cash flow positive. Management intends to return 10x to ‘A’ Round investors by a trade sale targeted for 2015.

Company G 01/12Back to top

Overview: The Company operates an online spa/wellbeing marketplace, connecting consumers to spa/wellbeing service providers. Proven Business Model: Company G operates a similar business model to the one in the US (a c$50m turnover, profitable business) 1. Spa/Wellbeing gift experiences are sold direct at the website ; through high street retailers; and to the corporate incentive/reward/employee benefits markets. Accounts for 87% of revenues and Company G is the UK market leader. 2. Online marketing fees from partners (hotel and day spas, gym/fitness facilities, yoga/pilates studios, makeover and beauty salons) and online advertisers. Accounts for 13% of revenues.

Existing Customers: Company G is the spa/wellbeing gift card provider for all 17 major retailer gift card programmes including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Morrisons, ASDA and Clinton Cards. Customers in the corporate markets include Coca-Cola, AMEX, Grass Roots, P&MM, Sodexo, Starbucks, Personal Group, Asperity and others.

New Opportunities: wellbeing programme targeted at the employee health market; a new packages/daily deals sales channel; new mobile/SMS gift solutions; plus expansion into Germany and France.

Investment Summary: Company G has a turnover of £1m, is close to breakeven and is EIS qualifying. A realistic exit strategy is a trade sale in 3-5 years.

Company A 11/11Back to top

Company A provides online protection against identity theft, fraudulent transactions and rogue impersonations. Company A’s patent-pending application combines 3-factor security with a multi-image password that can be deployed so that end-users can easily access websites subscribing to theeir service without the risks of internet crime that have now become rife. Uniquely Company A’s solution positively identifies the user by interfacing with a credit reporting agency’s database. Company A's first partnership is with Equifax, deploying their database of 455 million individuals in the UK, USA and Canada, with plans for access to 13 other countries in Equifax’s network. Company A has now identified several business sectors where managers recognise the value of its product in improving their Know Your Customer (“KYC”) compliance in a cost-effective manner, avoiding any demand on users for complex password recall. The product avoids any need for the complex supplementary layers of security currently being introduced by banks and others in an effort to combat fraud. Company A’s elegant solution requires no electronic security card readers, tokens or dongles to be sent to users physically. Company A has been developed to the point of acceptance by Equifax’s rigorous security requirements. Company A now wish to complete further development so that its range of products can be utilised not only on all PC/Mac platforms but also with emerging internet technologies such as Mobiles (including Near Field Communication) and Tablets (including Facial Recognition).

Company B 11/11Back to top

Company B is an online retailer selling high quality print on demand personalised greetings cards and gifts to the general public throughout the UK. Launched in May 2010, the business has now grown to a point where further strategic funding is required to support further site development, partnership development and marketing. The business has focussed to date on selling direct to the consumer. This comprises mainly of personalised cards and gifts which are purchased online at their website. In addition an affiliate business is being developed which is based on either a finder’s fee for purchases coming from affiliate sites or revenue sharing partnerships with other ecommerce sites based on iframe technology. A strong pipeline of potential partners has already been developed. To date solid progress has been made in attracting customers to the site with more than 35,000 registered users. Metrics for judging site performance are strong with bounce rates very low, conversion rates high and average basket sales growing. An equity investment of £400,000 is now being sought to provide sufficient funds to realise the huge potential of this business. The money will be used for marketing, additional in-house human resource, partnership programmes and development of the site.

Company C 11/11Back to top

Company C’s range of ultra-lightweight seats for passenger aircraft offer more knee and leg room than is possible with any other construction through a unique double cantilever design, marking a radical departure from conventional seat architecture. The company is planning a market launch at Hamburg in March 2012 after completing Certification trials, in order to capture a share of an annual market of 320,000 seats worth £3.6-£4bn. The concept of maximising space in the tight confines of Economy won British Invention of the Year’s top Diamond Award. Company C also won Aviation Week’s global Supplier Innovation Challenge for the ability to seamlessly alter the ratio of Premium to Economy seats on any flight according to passenger demand without physically changing the seat pitch, described by one analyst as ‘the most exciting development in aviation in over thirty years’. Lightweight seats will reduce fuel costs and CO² emissions by 3%, create options for enhanced uplift or extended operating range and improve passenger yield. But by focusing on the seat for the first time as a driver for enhancing Ancillary Revenue, airlines will also easily make an additional £1.6-£2m per aircraft, per annum from simple, affordable, comfort upgrades. Company C is looking for circa £500K, to be spent on the commercialisation programme, building two new pre-production models for show and for testing a new and exciting manufacturing process currently being pioneered by Bentley, for which our manufacturing partner has the rights for aviation.

Company D 11/11Back to top

Company D is an EIS Company seeking up to £1.65m to produce a slate of films for Worldwide release - it is targeting a minimum potential return of 165%. The UK youth audience is currently starved of "homegrown" feature film product. This is an opportunity to invest into an ‘end to end’ development, finance, production & distribution business. The Company has been constituted for the purpose of raising funds for a slate of 4 -5 ´homegrown´youth films, and have already secured funding for their first film. The company will benefit from its partners expertise in producing and distributing films for a youth audience - these films are made for a defined market and have a focused distribution strategy already in place. The films are reverse engineered, conceived from the market backwards and are not just passion projects! One of the partners is a leading all rights distributor who in 2010 sold circa 2,000,000 DVD and Bluray titles in the UK. With a turnover in excess of £13m they will guarantee distribution of each film made. There have been three films produced and distributed since 2010 - The first two have over £5m in sales to date, the average budget per film around £550k. The company has already attracted cornerstone investment for film number one, a retribution thriller, which will be shot in January and released Summer 2012. International interest in film one has led to £150,000 sales from its first film market in LA last month. Company D is now finalising investment for the second and third films in the slate.

Company E 11/11Back to top

The company is a technical sales sole agency with two shareholders concentrating on Sustainable Surface Materials in Architecture & Interiors from German suppliers holding IP. Last 5 years Company E established and captured sales from the construction industry's mandated need to conform to the green agenda on flagship new and refurbishment projects. Prior to 2009, the company acted as a sole distributor, but it has evolved towards an agency sales role with proven sales capability. Having achieved 110 completed projects, Company E has now heard confirmation of a large City of London 3440Msq façade which will alone double our sales figures and to add to this we have a long pipeline of over 100 similar and smaller interior projects in the UK and beyond. As the company is small and lean it will benefit quickly from its profitability from low overhead, low risk and low cost of sales. The company's key markets are surface-oriented sustainable sheet materials, mainly types of recycled glass sheet. It has allowed the business to expand in an organic fashion but it is the right time to move from previous approach, to a more structured and planned approach which may benefit also from the Govt’s Green Deal. Early track record and prestigious projects’ visibility means the company can take its new sustainable products forward to maximise market penetration and increase sales conversions with no similar surfaces competitors to push aside. Company E is seeking £100,000 to secure and consolidate its position and to support enhanced web and marketing activity for its new lines. This is not a typical EIS investment proposition as the company is forecasting a significant and growing yield on investment from surplus income generated. Personal investment has been £140,000 to date and for funding the company is open to Non-Exec investor positions. Example Clients: AXA/EuroHyp, Gordon Ramsay Holdings, Network Rail/Hines/Balfour Beatty, British Land/UBS, Sofitel, MASDAR, Saudi Royal Family, Sony, Land Securities, ING, Standard Life, Tishman Speyer, Cathay Pacific, Trinity Zurich, Wellington and Christie Hospitals.

Company F 11/11Back to top

Company F has solved a problem that many consumers face when booking travel online. Flight search websites, whether they are Online Travel Agencies or Aggregators, are not able to accurately pick up every possible flight option in their results, especially to or from nearby airports, on different dates, or on smaller / budget airlines. Company F has developed a unique flight search that searches for prices from hundreds of travel websites, and displays every alternative route alongside the results, with over 95% accuracy, so that the consumer is shown all of their options. Company F has also developed an interactive Route Finder map that enables travellers to search which airports they can fly to or from, within any given city, region or country worldwide, and displays all possible airline options on those routes, as well as to airports nearby. The travel industry is worth £3.7 trillion globally, and is growing by 6.7% annually. Company F plans to generate £3.1 million in turnover from sale commissions and advertising by Year 4, with a £1.7 million profit. Company F has already invested £400,000 to build the product, which costs very little to run. It is seeking a £250,000 investment in order to market the website to consumers.

Company A 10/11Back to top

Company A was established in 2006 to produce advanced tracking product for the retail market. Our first product, the tracking and anti-theft dog collar, was launched in 2009 and is recognised as the market leader in its sector. We have successfully trialled a belt version of our technology in the French health service aimed at protecting vulnerable people. The belt addresses all of the significant problems associated with this type of technology in this sector, combining welfare, location and RFID technology in a unique format. It provides live data to the carers of patients using a smart phone application. The Safety Belt will enable patients to live at home safely for longer and significantly reduce the stress and worry for carers. There are an estimated 750,000 dementia sufferers in the UK with associated annual costs of £20billion. Company A has been wholly funded by the founders with approximately £1million invested so far. Turnover has doubled each year and is expected to be c£300,000 in 2011, jumping to c£1.7m in 2012 with entry into the US market and the launch of the Safety Belt product. We anticipate a funding requirement of £250,000 to deliver the Safety Belt successfully into the market.

Company B 10/11Back to top

Company B was set up in 2010 to enter the growing pay-per-bid lowest unique bid auctions market. The structure of the lowest unique bid win auctions enables winners to buy brand new products such as iPad, designer goods and cars for up to 98% below RRP (average is around 95% below), a strong USP. As well as dealing direct with customers with a high retention rate, the company will also be providing a white-label solution of the auction platform to brands and charity fundraisers. In revenue since the website went live in November 2010, the company was funded with £30k from the founder and a small business loan. Wholly owned by the founder who has 10 years experience working in financial derivatives and marketing for an ex-FTSE 100 company. To take the company forward an attractive equity stake is available for £250k investment. This will be used for customer acquisition through online and live marketing. Expected exit is 5 years through a listing on the AIM market to facilitate global expansion.

Company C 10/11Back to top

Company C develops and markets innovative, nutritious and tasty children’s snacks that are all 100% natural. The current range is packaged in the company’s exclusive anti-spill packaging, ensuring fun, convenience and appropriate portion size. The company recently won the top award for Most Innovative Product (Practical Parenting Awards 2011-12). Company C’s range offers tastes and textures children enjoy with ingredients that supply age-appropriate nutritional value. The company’s mission is to make parents lives easier and children’s diets better. Since launch, distribution has extended threefold, including nationally with Waitrose, Amazon and wholesaler Tree of Life, whilst negotiations are on-going with all major supermarkets and Boots. Further innovative product lines are ready for development. Funding of @£940k has come from two institutions as well as the founder & various business angels (EIS registered). £350k of growth funds is sought ahead of a trade exit (2015/16).

Company D 10/11Back to top

Company D brings a fresh, vibrant and engaging brand of high quality, healthier and natural impulse ice creams and fruit ices to consumers. Conceived in 2009 by a branding consultant to leading consumer brands for over 10 years, the company's product range now comprises of2 lines (6 SKUs), national coverage in the UK with a rapidly expanding network of distributors, export capability to 21 European countries as well as advanced negotiations with a leading US supermarket for 2012. With much of the initial groundwork complete, the brand is now at a crossroads – with negotiations for supermarket and high street listings in 2012 ongoing. We are now seeking to grow the brand into a household name. The company is seeking development funding of £250,000. This will be used to build the sales team, develop and launch new products and promote the brand. The clear exit strategy is to sell within 5 years to an existing major manufacturer that wishes to include a more natural range into its portfolio. Rather than setting up its own new range, a manufacturer is more likely to respond to changes in the market by buying out/into a newer competitor brand. (e.g. the sale of Greens & Blacks to Cadbury’s or Innocent Drinks to Coca-Cola).

Company E 10/11Back to top

Company E has developed a technology solution for liquidity management and distribution in the foreign exchange markets. The product has been designed explicitly with ease of integration in mind, avoiding barriers to entry due to a client’s existing or envisaged technology choices and provides a low latency highly scalable technology foundation for a variety of trading systems. It can be used by liquidity providers or distributors such as brokerage firms, bank trading desks, and liquidity seekers such as hedge funds and asset managers. In the aftermath of the financial crisis there is a huge amount of regulation being developed that is designed to change the way the financial system operates with respect to securities trading. There is an explicit focus covering every way in which an agent participating in the financial system may put other participants at risk. There is strong demand for technology-based solutions to this, particularly from a number of banks looking to build and manage their own private liquidity platforms. Our system takes into account the impact of these and other likely regulatory changes on trading system infrastructures. We have specified and now wish to develop at a cost of £300,000 our complex event processing (CEP) platform which will be bolted onto our messaging hub and enable users to continue to use their existing scripts. This will form part of this funding round of £750,000, with funds being used to bring the products into the market-place with a target launch of end Q2 2012.

Company F 10/11Back to top

Company F is a social video application that allows people to easily create video stories they can broadcast to their friends across social networks. Company F’s focus is on its Facebook app that allows people to turn their Facebook photos into a video. Company F aims to monetise its Facebook app by leveraging Facebook Credits to charge users for premium services and content on a micropayments basis. Company F is a spin-out of BBC Worldwide and was founded in July 2008. Company F is underpinned by a 10 year agreement with BBC Worldwide for access to their entire video archive, giving Company F an unprecedented library of premium video content to monetise through Facebook Credits. Facebook Credits will generate $500m from digital content in 2011, a 300% increase from 2010, and is projected to reach $8bn per year by 2016. Company F is currently raising an investment round of £350,000 to capitalize on initial excitement generated by the release of the Facebook application and further develop the product and expand the team to execute its product roadmap. The company already has commitment of £175,000 of investment from NorthStar Equity Partners and angel investors. Any investment in Masher is EIS compliant.

Company A 09/11Back to top

Company A is an innovative enterprise that produces specially market focused publications, which aim, at every step of the way, to incorporate their readership – at Company A, the Reader is Part of the Team. Our primary and first example of this method is Produc X: a free student/youth magazine that gives the journalists, photographers and editors of tomorrow their first step into a professional online and print magazine. We have created a strong online and real-life community through this magazine, linking students through shared causes, writing and opportunities: a step into journalism.

With our first magazine, we are communicating, via web and print, with the student and young adult (17-29 year olds) sector in the capital, which currently numbers over 400,000. This population is growing and is becoming more and more wealthy thanks to increased bursaries, loan possibilities and an increase in higher net worth families choosing London for the children’s further education. Revenue is realised through good online advertising, which is already present, subscription sales for those outside of London (already revenue producing) and print advertising (our key revenue source).

Investment required at this stage is £200,000 to £250,000 to be used as working capital. Estimated exit will be in Year 4/5.

Company B 09/11Back to top

Company B provides software and services to businesses for the mobile internet. We provide Apps, mobile web sites, consultancy on mobile strategy, and digital communications services.

In less than 4 years, the Mobile App Industry has grown from almost nothing to over $100bn globally, and internet usage on mobile has now surpassed desktop usage. Apps and digital communications are vital elements of successful marketing campaigns, yet there are still significant barriers of cost and complexity for most SME size businesses.

Our core product provides a low barrier to entry and contains modules that generate revenue on an ongoing basis. Clients already include the top 2 SuperLeague Rugby teams and a Fitness chain of a major hospitality group. There is a growing pipeline of business, and of innovative new modules and services to sell, such as PUSH+REMIND, an exciting tool that is set to dramatically increase the success of marketing communications, along with SMS, MMS and Email campaigns.

Company B is in its second year, and requires investment of £200k to speed up development and increase sales and marketing activity.

Company C 09/11Back to top

Company C, the ‘eBay for expert knowledge’, is an automated, online marketplace to buy and sell expert knowledge by the hour over the phone. The concept is that we all have valuable expertise and experiences that would benefit others. Company C incentivises us to exchange this ‘tacit knowledge’ using both financial and social incentives. We structure the market place to create efficiency, transparency and trust.

Company C has developed a proprietary on-line trading platform which will go live as a Beta in October 2011. By 2013, Company C will be the leading marketplace for on-demand sale of Expert Knowledge to UK SMEs.

The Global Expert Network and “Ask the expert” market size is in excess of $1bn p.a. and continues to exhibit strong growth although there is a strong bias towards the US market and large multinationals. Company C will focus on an automated “fractional service” offering to the UK SME market.

Company C seeks GBP 0.5m to take the Beta product to a full production version and establish a cash-flow positive UK business prior to international expansion. Probable exits are a trade sale to US expert networks seeking to grow internationally and professional network sites such as LinkedIn. The industry leader’s valuation is x5 revenue, which implies a return greater than x10 for Company C's investors on current forecasts.

Company D 09/11Back to top

Company D has developed a patented process for reclaiming aluminium from flexible plastic/aluminium laminated packaging (e.g. toothpaste tubes, pet food and fruit juice pouches). Many companies are replacing heavy cans or glass jars with this lighter form of packaging, which is currently unrecyclable. The multi-award winning process, already demonstrated on a pilot plant at one third of full commercial scale, converts this waste into valuable oils and gases and clean aluminium ready for recycling in the usual way.

Company D is closing a round of funding of £1.2M to support the construction of the first commercial scale plant of its technology, which already has the financial backing, at no equity cost to shareholders, of Nestle and Kraft. The Company is already backed by several members of Cambridge Angels and Cambridge Capital Group with pledges of over £850k from current and new shareholders. The current funding round is expected to take the business to a point at which it has an order book for several plants and debt finance facilities in place to provide the necessary working capital requirements. Such is the interest in this technology, Company D is already in negotiation with several parties including major waste handlers interested in purchasing a plant even before the construction of the first full scale unit.

Company A 06/11Back to top

Company A's website will be the only online self-publishing resource that promotes organic sport development and democratic coaching.

Access to suitable facilities is often the major cause for people not engaging in sport. Company A's product will resolve this issue by enabling users to become creative in video posting and be given the freedom to browse different styles of learning a chosen sport.

They envisage that the choices of coaching videos for each available sport will eventually be in the tens of thousands, creating the ultimate multi-media sport reference library. Their aim is to build relationships with sport related businesses interested in promoting their latest products. Advertising space on their website will be contracted and sold at competitive prices reflective of the website’s traffic.

Commercial opportunity:
• Access to market segment that is under penetrated and estimated at $1.95 billion for 2012 in USA alone
• Huge potential for advertising London Olympics and sporting brands
• With sport participation increasing and no competition in this field there is a prime opportunity to attract traffic.

Company B 06/11Back to top

The Opportunity – Company B is the only corporate dental plan provider in the UK to settle claims directly with dentists. According to market intelligence specialists, Laing and Buisson, the dental plan market accounts for 3m patients. Based on population growth and the increase in private dental care, they believe the potential for this market to be 10m patients. They identify corporate dental plans as providing the strongest potential for growth as people increasingly seek to combine self pay with dental plans.

The Service – Cost savings are achieved by all stakeholders through the use of online scheme administration. Using dental practices to process claims online is extremely attractive to employers in terms of 1) enhanced access to dentists, 2) less time off work and 3) reduced absenteeism by removing the financial barriers to seeking treatment sooner.

Management Team & Achievements – Company B's team have c.40 years combined insurance experience within competitors and large insurers. Development capital raised to date has been used to reach the point of being ready to trade. A bespoke web based business critical system has been completed (they own the IP). They have secured an underwriting contract with an insurer and FSA authorisation. The combination of dental claims experience, underwriting capacity and FSA authorisation creates an extremely high barrier to entry.

Investment, Exit & Returns – Company B are seeking £250k to serve both working and FSA capital adequacy. Exit in 3 – 5 years, at a point when the business will be ready to use its’ established network of dentists to launch consumer products (PE interest already). Insurance attracts a 7 – 10 p/e, a competitor was recently sold at a 12 p/e. They can deliver an 8x multiple on investment. They are EIS approved.

Company C 06/11Back to top

Company C was established in 2008 with founder investment of £700k and first presented to TVIN in 2008. Since then they developed a best-of-breed mobile data security solution in the form of a managed service that deploys software and mobile data security services via a patented hardware device, safeguarding against the biggest problem with laptop data security – human error. It has secured international patents, been recognised with national awards and has built around it key partnerships to provide an end-to-end breakthrough in mobile data encryption and device security. The clear market lead that the product gives will mean that the company will very likely be viewed as an acquisition target, providing investors with a strong investment return.

The product is now a production item and is undergoing evaluation trials across many sectors including Local and Central government, a global bank, major petrochemical company and a Formula 1 racing team. The business model is one of indirect sales through selected System Integrators. Company C is also in close discussion with a global PS and IT services company.

Company D 06/11Back to top

Company D have confirmed locations of a large number of steel wrecks, lost between 50-100 years ago. These wrecks contain large quantities of valuable commodities including copper, lead, nickel, bronze, tin and silver for which Company D have developed a low cost and relatively straightforward means of recovery.

Recoveries are subject to a clear legal process of reporting to HM Receiver of Wreck, with Company D receiving either a salvage award in the event that the owner is located (usually 90% of the value), or if the owner is not found within one year, full title passing to Company D for disposal via the commodity markets.
The business is backed by a strong management team with significant experience in this sector. They are looking to raise £225k in loan and equity funding to cover initial set up costs of £75k and the initial operational cash flow gap that arises from the one year salvage award delay.

Predicted recoveries are estimated at £900,000 for the first year of operation, with a substantially more valuable programme of around £10m being prepared for 2012-2013. Maximum cash outflow of £480k is forecast to occur by August 2012, with break-even achieved by July 2013. The minimum investment is £25k per investor, with loans forecast to be repaid in 26 months, and with an ongoing equity share so as to benefit from future dividends.

Company E 06/11Back to top

The company is creating a 4-part interactive digital comic for downloading and purchasing from the Internet.

Production started on Episode 1 at the beginning of April. The Production Team is now finalized: Rolf Mohr, ex-Head of Conceptual Design for Disney Games – design and all artwork. The animated appisodes of the comic – filmed and animated by Ricardo Fearon, Feature Film Special FX Operator. Sound FX – Alex Joseph (feature films included Harry Potter and the Bond Films); Music Producer – Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider theme and incidental music composer).

Drawings, animation, music and sound will be complete for Episode 1 by August with Episode 2 ready by the end of November.

Episode 1 and the website will be launched on the internet in October with Episode 2 being released in December in time for Christmas. The interactive comic will be available primarily on Steam - the online game distributor – and iTunes at a cost of £1.49. Net profit to Company E- £1.34.

£40,000 has been raised in cash and £96,400 through deferred fees by the creatives. The remaining £23,600 has been underwritten by Company E in order for the project to commence. New cash investors are sought to cover this shortfall and additional investment would be considered to reduce the deferrals.

Company A 05/11Back to top

Company A provides online protection against identity theft, fraudulent transactions and rogue impersonations. Uniquely, the Company’s application combines complete security with a multi-image password that can be deployed to access websites that subscribe to the service, thus providing simplicity for end-users.

Recent press reports illustrate both the personal trauma associated with identity theft and the staggering and escalating cost to the global economy yet 73% of the UK population use the same password on multiple sites while 46% use one password for everything.

Company A’s patent-pending solution incorporates a 3-level authentication system that verifies the ID of the user. Their range of products can also be adapted to emerging technologies such as Mobiles (including Near Field Communication), Tablets (including Facial Recognition). The application can accommodate the specific requirements of any website operator as well as socially sensitive online environments such as children's social media and online dating.

Company A operates in partnership with Equifax, deploying their Credit Reporting database as a means of authentication. The comapny's application interfaces with the Equifax database for the UK, USA and Canada, with additional plans for access to up to 13 other countries in Equifax’s network.

Revenues are anticipated to rise from £0.25m in Year 1 to £350m in Year 5.
Company A seeks £650,000 of private equity investment to complete development and preparations for high-profile marketing.

Company B 05/11Back to top

Company B is a new digital download music store. The company developed a geo-location search mechanism that allows customers to search not only popular Anglo-American, but also local, national and ethnic music. $9 billion worth of this music is currently sold on CDs. It is around 64% of the global music market. Converting this market segment to the internet presents a significant opportunity.

Company B is focused on serving the needs of 25 million immigrants in the European countries, who are underserved by the existent digital music stores and are the primary buyers of CDs with local repertoire. The unique functionality and target market allow Company B to negotiate direct deals with music suppliers, providing the company with a 10% to 60% price advantage versus its competition.

The company also offers record labels analytical and marketing services. These services form a distinct high-margin revenue stream for the business.

Company B has licensed the complete catalogues of four major labels (Universal, EMI, Sony and Warner). It has a beta-version available online and is in the process of negotiating a marketing deal with one of UK’s major banks.

Company B is EIS eligible and is looking for £500K for additional technical development, market roll out and operational expenses.

Company C 05/11Back to top

Company C is the only UK wide web based accommodation services company which markets privately owned properties; castles to cottages, self catering apartment to stately homes, for rental by visitors attending major events. Company C is building a sustainable business focused around over 300 major events and sought after destinations, providing properties where multiple events occur, and which would also be ideal to host the unquantifiable number of personal events (family reunions, wedding anniversaries etc). Events and weekend breaks attract premium rentals.
Company C has already received good national press coverage since December 2010 which is supported by the constantly tuned and optimised website.

Company C is seeking funding to enable the growth of the business; to secure more properties for rental and to support its ‘go-to-market’ strategy. Comapny C needs £190,000 to grow the business. Company C has secured Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) status. Company C aims to achieve a turnover of £2.3M by the end of Year 5 with a profit of £1.7M.

Company D 05/11Back to top

Company D's film is a science fiction feature film staring Dougray Scott, Neve Campbell, Jamie Draven, Paul McGann and world champion freerunner Chase Armitage who has an online fanbase of 15 million.

The team is made up of Donall McCusker (Co-Producer of the multi-Oscar winning Hurt Locker), Bafta nominated writer-director Suzie Halewood and the crew behind the company’s previous film Bigga Than Ben (staring Ben Barnes), which made money back for investors and the Times Top 100 Films of 2008.

The film budget is £1.35M of which £630,000 of the £900,000 required equity has been raised. They are looking for the remaining £270,000 in order to go into production by July. The film will be delivered in November and sold at all major festivals worldwide.

Risk outlay is mitigated to 30% of the original investment using EIS and a ring-fenced amount from the tax credit.

Sales estimates are between 0.93M and 3.3M. For a £100,000 investor, this would give a low return of £61,898 and a high of £181,597 against £30,000 risk outlay. This does not include box office wherein the sky is the limit.

Perks for investors include cameo roles, set visits, premiere cars and festival flights..

Company A 03/11Back to top

Company A is a provider of online booking services to trades-people. The company delivers simple appointment software through a software as a service (SAAS) business model over the internet.

Trades-people subscribing for an online diary are given a website link to it to use with their advertising and to provide to customers. Customers can click through to the site at any time and see times as available or unavailable. Appointment booking is free.

Each tradesperson has a unique diary, username and password thereby preventing unauthorised accessing to their customer appointment details and ensuring their compliance with the Data Protection Act.

The potential market size is enormous (>500,000 trades-people in the UK). Once installed and being used by customers, barriers to exit are high. Barriers to adoption by contrast are low in that the system is easy to set-up, the subscription price is just 16p per day + VAT, use results in fewer interruptions at work and the capture of customers that might otherwise have been lost through not answering the phone.

The software and website have been completed; the company is now seeking £100,000 to invest in marketing to trades-people (sales-push) and property managing agents to stimulate demand (sales-pull).

Company B 03/11Back to top

Company B identifies problems that cyclists experience and develops technology led solutions. More people are cycling than ever before, there are 17 million bicycles in the UK. However more cycles are being stolen with 540,000 cycles being stolen in 2009 which is 22% up on 2008.

Company B have developed a unique GSM/GPS tracking device, which can be retro fitted to any cycle and that allows the cycle to be tracked when stolen, with pin point accuracy, so that the police can recover.

When the cycle is left the device is armed and if then moved the device sends a text alert to Company B's control centre and the owner. The control centre confirms with the owner that the cycle has been stolen and then tracks its position and liaises with the police so that the cycle can be returned.

The company’s business model is similar to mobile phones in that Company B will supply the tracking device to the consumer at cost in return for an annual tracking contract paid in advance. By the end of Year 4 Company B will have over 50,000 subscribers paying an annual subscription of £96.

The tracking service can be enhanced, for an extra monthly fee, so that the cyclist can download comprehensive details of his/her cycle rides including speed, distance, route taken etc. The device can also be used by parents to track, on their smart phone or computer, the whereabouts of younger children when cycling.

The product will be initially marketed on line via the companies dedicated web site and subsequently through the major cycle retail outlets.

Company B is a virtual company based in Hampshire. To date the Directors have invested over £60K and are looking for £150K to purchase mould tools and launch the product. The company is EIS registered.

Company C 03/11Back to top

Company C has developed is a new transport model for the £2bn airport transfer market providing all the benefits and comforts of a door-to-door service at half the cost using the latest scheduling software.

The strategy is to become the recognised brand for door-to-door transfers in the UK through a combination of excellent service, a modern GPS-guided fleet of vehicles, easy-to-use online booking and tracking, and strategic partnerships with airports and airlines, delivered by an experienced management team.

There are over 110,000 transfers daily to and from London’s major airports. UK air passengers are forecast to grow from 215m to 455m by 2030.

The market suffers from lack of innovation and is ripe for this game-changing service which makes better use of resources and technology to lower costs.

Company C's team has the proven expertise in transport and marketing to deliver the results: revenues of £13m within 5 years to produce £2.4m net profit and a valuation of £11m. The service is highly scalable with margin per trip increasing with volume.

Now is excellent timing for this launch as they are reducing costs and improving efficiency. Their customers are “the squeezed middle” – economy passengers looking for value and good service.

Company D 03/11Back to top

The company is a unique web based platform promoting car sharing to sports and music events. Through annual subscription member identity is verified. Destination and event organisers are given a platform to offer incentives to attendees in return for travel and personal information.

The initial target is the 92 clubs of the Football Association who generate approximately 200 million car journeys per season. They are engaged with the football League which represents 83 of these clubs and QPR in particular with whom our first event will be launched.

Platform development is currently underway with our IT service provider and scheduled for launch at the beginning of May. Progress to date has been self-funded and they are now looking for an investment of £250k to achieve our business goals. They project a 3-4 year growth period realising seven figure profits. The bulk of the funding sought is intended for marketing and product development costs.

Cautious forecasts indicate that this level of investment will allow for a reasonable contingency above forecast requirement and this is felt to be a sensible commercial strategy. This business has the potential to grow rapidly through viral marketing and joint marketing ventures already engaged with; PayPal, TicketMaster, SeatWave and O2.

Company A 02/11Back to top

Company A's vision is to see people sharing local knowledge with each other in as easy and relevant fashion as possible the world over.

Company A is a location-based smartphone application that simplifies location based feeds & communications, for the rapidly developing global smartphone audience. Company A will make automated feeds of desired location-based information and interaction as simple as possible. More than a ‘directory of services on a map’ or ‘location-based chat’ Company A will offer a host of capabilities that allow for exploring interests in any given area, either automatically or through interactive location-based chat with others of similar interests.

Company A’s focus on location and subject of interest make it very much about what’s relevant to the individual in the here and now!

The central software that is required for the automated matching of interests and locations has already been developed for Android phones and the location-based chat element is already available on the Android Market.

They are looking for £225,000 to further develop and market their smartphone application and website during the period March 2011 - February 2012.

Company B 02/11Back to top

Ferocious supermarket competition forces the large suppliers of ready-made sandwiches to seek additional margin from their other, smaller, food retailer customers. The premium price they pay is not matched by the service they receive, which is consistently dreadful. Company B will address this inconsistency. As they are technology, innovation and people-led, they can resolve both of these problems and double the retailer gross profit margin.

Their management team includes a manufacturer with 15 years experience in the sector, an ex-merchant banker, the trading manager of one of the largest convenience store groups and a commercial bank’s ex-sales manager.

Progress to date, and successful commercial marketing campaigns, has convinced some of the convenience store groups to offer trials as soon as they open the first of 13 energy efficient production units. Their five-year plan envisages becoming a market-leader across four trading sectors, and we believe it would be very difficult for the large suppliers to counter our offers.

Comany B have agreed a debt and trading funding package with Finance Wales, HSBC and RBS. Company B now needs an investment of £185k to build production unit 1 to generate a year 1 surplus of £800k EBITDA. ROI could be 50% for those seeking a fast cash exit or significant capital growth under EIS in the longer-term. Executive, NED, small or large investors are equally welcome with exit via buy-out or trade sale.

Company C 02/11Back to top

Company A was founded 20 years ago from the passion and dedication of its founder. Inspired by another great British designer, who designed the London underground map, he went on to create and publish proprietary, world-class underground maps to over 100 cities around the world.

Originally selling only into major guidebook publishers such as the AA Publishing, National Geographic, Thomas Cook and many more, in the last 12 months, Company C has diversified into the high growth market of applications (apps) publishing for smart devices such as the iPhone and soon the iPad.

Their journey planning apps have enjoyed around 50,000 downloads through the Appstore in just 12 months.

Foreseeing the increasing dominance of the Chinese economy, over the last 3 years, Company C has been nurturing an excellent relationship with key decision makers at one of China’s oldest and most reputable, state owned Beijing based publisher.

The company seeks an investment of £175,000 that will allow it to set into motion 1) further R+D of its applications 2) Execution of its already developed marketing strategy and 3) further consolidate the Chinese relationship to gain unrivalled market access, support and return of investment.

Exit options: Sale, listing or buyback.

Company D 02/11Back to top

Company D are a London-based retailer selling designer childrenswear. Their well designed ecommerce website was launched in September 2010 and their Chelsea showroom was launched in December 2010. They currently sell 21 European high end childrenswear brands, including Little Paul & Joe, Kenzo, etc. From the second half of 2011, they will stock around 30 brands, new additions include Fendi, Chloe, Burberry, etc.

Company D plan to expand their business to China. With a population of 1.4bn (340m children under the age of 14), fast growing economy and a booming ecommerce market, China is the major driver of the global luxury goods market. So far, there is no ecommerce business in China focusing on luxury childrenswear. Wealthy Chinese have a strong preference for European luxury brands, but have very limited access to those. Company D plan to open one or two flagship shops in Shanghai or Beijing and build an ecommerce business in China selling the top tier luxury brands. In addition, the retail mark up in China for European brands is between 35-60% higher than the mark up in Europe, making the gross margin for retailers in China 120 to 150 bps higher than in Europe.

Company D also plan to develop their own label childrenswear products. This will enhance their competitive edge and drive up gross margin. In London, they plan to open one flagship shop in the most affluent areas. The London shop is an integral part of the expansion plan, as it will compliment the online business, help establish their position as a premium retailer and pave the road for their China expansion. The London shop will instantly give them the credibility and a privileged image that other online only retailers or China-based retailers won’t have.

Funds invested to date totals £265,000. Company D plan to raise £400,000 equity and £100,000 bank loan to finance the expansion of our business. The exit route would include trade sale to a fashion company and sale to financial sponsors.

Company A 01/11Back to top

Company A developed a pioneering Smart DC micro-grid technology to enable homes and accommodation units to power electronics and lighting, more efficiently and from off-peak and off-grid resources.

The company has secured £160k as part of a current fund-raising round to raise £400-500k to support recently awarded TSB/EU R&D grant projects of £1.4m, to further develop and trial technology, launch initial products and prepare for a larger Series A round. The company is also a finalist for the £40k Shell SpringBoard award.

Company A's system, enables homes, SMEs and accommodation units to reduce energy bills by powering Direct Current (DC) electronic devices such as computing, gadgets and DC LED lighting, via an efficient smart DC network from off-grid or off-peak resources. The technology has been developed over several years by a company (which previously launched the award winning USBCELL battery company), with over £350k invested prior to this round, and has been spun out into Company A backed by strong IPR filings, R&D, prototypes and grant funded projects to commercialize through trials, to market.

The technology is significant as rethinks how energy is produced and distributed in the home – recognizing that most microgeneration, batteries and modern electronic loads are DC technologies, and therefore avoids inverter, AC/DC losses, and provides smart management and control features that could potentially help homes save 15-30% off bills.

Extensive business development has also been undertaken across partners, potential clients, suppliers and production, and initial revenues secured for showcase systems with energy retailers. Grant awards enable further development and trials, integrating with Smart Meters (a major deployment opportunity for scale), and into specialist verticals such as student accommodation and SME locations, that could help validate the savings potential and prepare the business for a Series A round targeted for later in 2011 to build B2B and retail revenues. Company A's founders have previously created and licensed IP for millions of dollars (e.g. folding PDA keyboards), and launched USBCELL batteries from funding into retail sale in 6 months.

Company B 01/11Back to top

Company B have been set up by a UK filmmaker. Their product is 100% Organic coconut water, which hydrates the body quicker than water due to the high natural mineral content. Sourced from 7 month old Thai coconuts, coconut water has an abundance of medical benefits and is even used as a substitute for medical saline in developing countries. Following the US trend, coconut water is predicted to be the next big product in the UK market.

Company B have secured national distribution with Petty Wood (www.pettywood.co.uk) the leading UK national distributor of premium products (including Duchy, Bon Maman Jam, and Levi roots Reggae Sauce amongst others). Petty Wood, who supply all the major supermarkets and independents, have already committed to ordering 1 20FCL container. Company B have also had an order to supply a chain of yoga studios in London and a chain of convenience stores in Ireland.

They are seeking £500,000 in order to launch and market our product effectively as it hits supermarket shelves. They expect the company to be self funding within the first year and intend to roll out further products (including an Electrolyte enhanced water) within Year 2. They expect to sell the company to a major drinks company by Year 3 or 4 and realise a substantial return for their investors.

Company C 01/11Back to top

Company C was born 5 years ago from the passion and dedication of the two founders. Building on 20 years of product development the company quickly found its feet in the Sound Reinforcement world.

Company C sells next generation integrated speaker/amplifier systems in the UK to theatres, touring PA companies, conference companies, nightclubs and churches. Already they have systems in prestigious venues such as the Covent Garden Opera House, The National Theatre and Gatecrasher Nightclubs. They have consistently invested in R&D and this has led to a broad range of market-leading system solutions and a significant lead over their competition in terms of sound quality.

They are seeking investment of £100,000. This enable them to advance an already developed marketing strategy, invest in a new website and to pay for further test data for incorporation into sales documents. They now need to ramp up their sales effort in their existing market, whilst taking advantage of the technical superiority of their new products to break into the Studio/Broadcast sector and the top end HiFi market. A major marketing push will allow Company C to use its existing enviable reputation and enthusiastic customer endorsement to achieve this. A capital injection into the company will allow them to streamline production, redevelop packaging and to build up a stocks to fulfill the expected and already emerging increased demand.

UK companies are very much regarded as world leaders in this product area and investment in brand awareness will quickly allow Company C to roll out the product into Europe and the rest of the world.

Exit strategy is anticipated to be a trade sale in 3-5 years. There is a well established record of small companies in the sector being bought out by large players to secure their technology and to remove competition.

Company A 11/10Back to top

Overview: Company A is developing revolutionary technology in the energy sector, focusing on mobile biomass pelletisation. The Mobile Pelletisation Factory (MPF) decreases the investment to 1/15th compared to current fixed production sites. The significant lowering of barrier to entry is set to allow substantial amounts of new entrants in to the market.

This coupled with the MPF's power system which does not require any external energy (diesel, electricity) and its mobility, instantly makes the MPF very attractive to anyone who has waste biomass in supply.The company has bootstrapped its operations since 2006 and the first three years were dedicated to research and development of its innovative Mobile Pelletisation Factory (MPF) system. The patented MPF system will fundamentally change the economics and sustainability of bio-mass as an energy source.

Business opportunity: Fixed plants are confined to a 100 km supply sphere, which translates in to large logistics costs as well as unattained profits. The MPF system has no limitations or risks of a depleted supply area. On site production streamlines business processes, captures the whole value chain which in turn enables far cheaper pricing of the fuel than any of the market competitors.

The R&D in to the MPF system has been financed by the company's Chairman and in April 2010 a former executive of a forestry investment company joined Company A through investment of £100,000. Projected (post-tax) profit by 2015 is £46 mln. The company is now looking for a bridge amount of £90,000 primarily for the testing phase and to reach the next round of funding. Demand for the technology is global, reaching from Europe to India and Thailand. Companies are now seeking Company A's legal representation rights.

Company B 11/10Back to top

The company has developed a revolutionary commercial vehicle, which has wide appeal to a multitude of transport users. They include supermarkets, the NHS, Royal Mail, emergency services, Police etc.

Loading/unloading is achieved at ground level and the payload is demountable and you can change to different types of boxes in less than a minute!

The chassis is 'U' shaped with the wheels, suspension and lifting gear built into its sides, leaving a clear space in the middle for loads to be picked up and lowered down to ground.

In its MAXI model, it can carry payloads up to 2,500kgs, equal to many 7.5 tonne vehicles but with a much smaller footprint, lower running costs and much quieter in operation. Ground level unloading capability means deliveries are made in half the time of conventional vehicles using tail lifts.

Crucially Company B's vehicle opens the way for night time deliveries of food supplies. Their van simply leaves the freight box behind for unloading when staff arrives in the morning. Once unloaded, it is picked up on the next delivery.

The company has £380K of shareholder funds and seeks a further £850K in equity or equity/loan to fund move to 38,000 sq.ft. factory, set-up and production funding. Estimated 5 year terminal value 6.5m. Exit options: sale, listing or buy back.

Company C 11/10Back to top

Company C is a business designed to fit into the needs and requirements of the 40 plus generation in the 21st Century. It taps into the only advertising medium that is currently growing – the Internet – and has created an interactive web portal. The focus of the portal is online radio – the fastest growing form of radio in the world. These two elements will make this service part of the cutting edge of media in the UK.