Dorset Business Angels (DBA), the region’s leading angel investment network, hosted its final pitch event of 2024 on Monday, November 25th at the Carlton Hotel in Bournemouth. The event saw five innovative startups, two of them local to Dorset, present their investment opportunities to an audience of over 30 investors.
Remarkably, all five companies received expressions of interest, totalling 22 from the attending angels. This represents a high-water mark for DBA’s events, underscoring the quality of the presenting startups and the growing appetite of the local investor community.
“It’s wonderful to see DBA continuing to grow and thrive,” commented Don McQueen, DBA’s Chairman. “The candid post-pitch discussions among our members are a testament to the strengthening relationships and trust within our investor network. This open dialogue is key to making the most informed decisions.”
Tailormade travel
The Dorset-based “world’s first fully online tailormade travel platform” presented their investment opportunity. Addressing a £6bn market where 89% of customers find current options unsuitable, their AI platform promises 20x faster and 30% more cost-effective booking. Seeking £250k pre-seed for 12.5% equity, they’ve secured a £60m American Express partnership. The pitch garnered four investor expressions of interest.
Award-winning allergen-free chocolate
An organic chocolate and eco-toy company presented their opportunity. Addressing the demand for allergen-free, sustainable treats, they’ve sold 2M+ units. Seeking £0.5-£1m for 4.5-9% equity to expand retail, including Tesco and Greene King. With 40+ awards and 3,000+ global stockists, the early-stage company attracted two investor expressions of interest.
Never leave your umbrella behind again!
An innovative umbrella startup with a revolutionary handle-integrated design pitched their £500k raise at a £3m valuation. Aiming to reduce the 1bn umbrellas sent to landfill annually, they’ve secured partnerships and a £80k Kickstarter. Attracting four investor expressions of interest.
Social recruitment for aviation and maritime
A recruitment platform for the aviation/maritime sectors pitched their £500k raise at £2.5m post-revenue. Founded by a former butler, their social network aims to revolutionise crew staffing. With an impressive advisory board, the startup garnered five investor expressions of interest and projects £3.1M in Year 3 revenue.
Affordable shared ownership
A Dorset-based shared ownership platform pitched their £5m pre-seed raise for 50% equity. Their tech enables seamless transactions between homebuyers, lenders, and investors. Projecting a £100M valuation in 5 years, the company has secured advanced negotiations with a housing association client and received five investor expressions of interest.
“We worked hard to bring the very best pitches to our investor members,” said Peter Eales, DBA’s Managing Director. “The openness and engagement we saw during the Q&A really underscores the value our network provides – it’s not just about the presentation, but the deeper dialogues that follow.”
Established in 2013, Dorset Business Angels (DBA) specialises in offering private equity investment opportunities to local high-net-worth (HNW) and sophisticated investors (SI). The investments provided are in the form of equity investments rather than debtors’ loans that span across diverse sectors.
Angel investment within DBA can originate from a single investor or a syndicate of two or three angels combining their funds to support a company.
Sponsored by TC Group, Ellis Jones Solicitors, Investec Wealth & Investment (UK), and The FSE Group, DBA invites investors to book their place for the upcoming pitch event on February 3rd at www.dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk/events.
