Published: June 16, 2021 | Updated: 6th September 2023
All five pitches at the latest ‘Dragons’ Den’ style event staged by Dorset Business Angels secured investor interest.
Some 40 people from the UK and abroad took part in the third online pitch of 2021.
Further due diligence will now be carried out by interested parties, with a view to invest.
The five pitches were:
A business offering revolutionary optical medtech solutions, providing solutions to some of humanity’s greatest health challenges.
This was achieved through the development of novel optical technologies which improve the screening and monitoring of chronic health conditions such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
The business said that 16 per cent of the global adult population has diabetes or pre-diabetes, accounting for 4.2m global deaths per year, costing $760bn, which accounts for ten per cent of all adult health costs globally each year.
The business’ opportunity is to provide services to the diabetes screening and monitoring market and to replace invasive blood testing.
The solutions are non-invasive optical screening and monitoring devices, which work by holding in front of the eye and scanning.
Shining a light into the eye it is able to detect the return signal in order to screen for, diagnose and monitor some of the major chronic health conditions of our time.
The experienced business founders have 30 years of experience in medical device development and, working with a team of 25, are scheduling to launch their first product later this year.
With 14 international patents in place, the business has three hand-held products lines planned into three markets:
The founders were seeking £2.5m on a pre money value of £12.5m, of which over 50 per cent has already been raised. Six expressions of interest were registered.
A big data business that sees a huge opportunity to make its customer tracking technology available to a much wider market of retail and hospitality businesses in the UK and US, at a fraction of the cost required to support an existing national platform.
It has its own platform up and running with its first clients signed up and discussions ongoing with the major credit card companies wanting to move into this area of loyalty tracking.
The business reported that conversations were being held with big brand names such as Hilton, RLH, ING, Snappy Shopper and Bestway Retail.
The founder impressed with his entrepreneurial background and is in his second start-up.
Seeking £150,000 for six per cent of the business to enable ‘turbocharge’ growth.
Three expressions of interest were registered by investors.
An online tutoring business which is a major provider of high-quality British education – online tutoring and e-learning – to children in China and South-East Asia made a compelling pitch and showcased the high demand for UK courses in this market.
At present, there is no other resource for parents in these countries to access a quality education service such as this.
Founded in 2004 as a ‘face-to-face’ tutoring business in London, the business opened offices in Dubai in 2012 and Shanghai in 2018.
Today, it has more than 1,500 vetted and trained tutors and a team of 75 in both London and Shanghai.
The team advised of the sharp increase in online learning in 2020, doubling the business’ turnover to in excess of £2.5m.
Impressing the angel investors with their business acumen, the founder advised that it costs £600 for a new customer acquisition, with a life- time customer value of £9,000.
Showing the opportunity for the business in China, the angels learnt that out of 272m children in China, 16m belong to families who can afford Western education.
Seeking to raise £1.5m, the investment will be used to scale up the business and accelerate its trajectory.
Four expressions of interest were registered.
Determined to appeal to the angels was a company that has developed a platform to host and showcase start-up businesses to a global audience of investors.
The aim was to improve the probability that they will secure funding without the time, expense and effort required to undertake numerous pitches to potential investors.
The business has now attracted a diversified pool of start-ups to its platform from 30+ countries and 50+ market sectors and seeks funding to be able to continue this rapid growth.
It was looking for £150,000 to anchor its Seedrs round.
Two expressions of interest were registered.
A business in the health food sector, with the ambition to significantly improve the taste and choice of products in the vegan market-place and to be up there with mainstream brands’.
While sales of vegan and ‘free-from’ products are booming, particularly in the plant-based drinks and imitation meat sectors, the business identifies that there is a real lack of consumer choice in other sectors of this market.
In addition, the company believes that it will be able to significantly improve the taste of some of its competitor’s products currently on sale.
Its aim is to produce products that are so delicious, that you don’t have to have an allergy or be vegan to want to eat them.
Launched in December 2020 it already has secured a listing for its chocolate bars with a national food chain and has two further snack products that have successfully completed trials and are set to be listed.
Seeking an investment of £250,000 for a ten per cent share in the business, the investment would be spent immediately on strengthening the team and extending the marketing spend, allowing promotion to retailers.
Two expressions of interest were registered.
Frank Guinn, DBA Zoom host, pictured left, said: “We are delighted at the level of investor interest shown at this most recent pitch event.
“In the last year we have ‘flipped’ our events and switched from face-to-face events to Zoom.
“This has brought about many positive changes, with much increased numbers attending and the opportunity for us to review the general format of our pitches.
“We are hugely looking forward to our next pitch event being held ‘in person’ but we will also be recording it for the first time and making it available to our angel members to view online, if they are unable to attend.
“It’s exciting times for our angel investment network.”
DBA was formed in 2013 with the aim to bring investors and entrepreneurs together to accelerate the growth of early -stage businesses.
DBA provides quality, private equity investment opportunities to local high net worth and sophisticated investors.
DBA is sponsored by Saffery Champness Accountants, Ellis Jones Solicitors and Investec Wealth and Investment.
To find out more about Dorset Business Angels, please visit dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk
