A football talent sporting app, classic car business and an interior design technology platform will be headlining at the next pitch event by Dorset Business Angels.

The virtual event, on Monday October 12, will have the same format as face to face pitch events pre-Covid.

The five unique pitching businesses will each deliver a  ten minute live presentation pitch to event attendees.

A Q&A session follows, after which expressions of interest can be made by would-be investors.

Promising businesses within the investors ‘den’ includes;

• A football talent spotting artificial intelligence (AI) platform which is being developed. The business has recognised that although young talented footballers worldwide may be registered with FIFA, only four per cent are ever likely to be viewed by a professional football club. In addition, there are no formal channels for these aspiring players to bring their skills to the attention of a professional club, take part in selection games and/or receive some feedback on their ability. After meetings with top coaches and managers, the founders of this company realised that the way football searches for new talent globally is ‘very narrow and archaic’. It is now in the process of building a platform, using AI technology, that it claims could provide some of these talented players with possible life-changing opportunities.
• A Dorset based interior design company which has built a platform that has proved to be very successful in appealing to customers seeking help and guidance when undertaking the often daunting task of renovating and furnishing their own home. It is now the most reviewed interior designer in the UK and has been rated the No.1 design professional, three years running, on the world’s leading platform for home renovations. The business is scaling up rapidly with sales up 43 per cent in the last financial year, and despite the current Covid-19 situation, sales to-date this year are up 80 per cent. The platform has proved popular with both clients and suppliers, to the extent that a ‘white label’ version is to be launched to further increase both revenue and margin.
• A business offering classic car hire which acknowledges that the biggest challenges for the owner of a classic car is using it enough to justify the upkeep. Current research indicates that 57 per cent of all historic vehicles are used less than ten times per year. On the other hand, five times as many people aspire to drive a classic vehicle, without having to bear the costs of storage and maintenance. The company bridges this gap and is the only provider of self-drive classic car hire, excluding chauffer driven hire. Having secured specialist insurance terms, the business launched its platform two weeks before the Covid-19 restrictions on travel were imposed, but has already attractedmore than 100 cars and 400 users to the site.
• A company that has made a fundamental breakthrough in electron source technology. This technology is used in a wide range of applications, notably satellite propulsion, 3D Printing, advanced metrology systems and high-power, high frequency communication systems, to name but a few. Its equipment, which is fully patented, offers 10x better performance than any other solution in use today. The business has no close competitors that can approach the performance of its products and the technical barriers to entry are high.
• A manufacturing business that first pitched to the angels early in 2019 returns to the ‘den’ to update investors on its continued growth and success. The business has developed the ground-breaking technology of the perfect fuel-efficient burner to be used for the new generation of fat atomising gas grills, producing better quality food at lower energy costs than ever before. It has been developed in partnership with chefs over many years with particular emphasis on global development and sustainability and a focus on robustness and energy efficiency to meet today’s environmental goals. The business is seeking further investment to support its year on year sales growth of 142 per cent.

Don McQueen, Chairman, Dorset Business Angels (DBA), pictured left, said: “We are particularly pleased with the mix of business pitching at the upcoming event.

“We encourage would-be investors to get in touch with us and would urge them to get involved.

“There is no obligation to invest in any of the pitches.

“Why not register and come along to see how our pitch events run?”

DBA was formed in 2013 with the aim to bring investors and entrepreneurs together to accelerate the growth of early stage businesses.

It provides quality, private equity investment opportunities to local high net worth and sophisticated investors.

Four times a year companies are invited to attend an event when they can pitch their business to the savvy angels in a Dragon’s Den type scenario.

Angel investment might come from a single investor or it could be two or three angels pooling funds together to support a company.

Any investments are in the form of an equity investment and not a debtor’s loan.

Investments are made across all sectors.

DBA is sponsored by Saffery Champness chartered accountants, Ellis Jones Solicitors and Investec Wealth and Investment.

To find out more about Dorset Business Angels or to book a free place, please visit: dorset-business-angels-virtual-pitch-event-october.eventbrite.co.uk