Dorset Business Angels received 27 expressions of interest from investors at their most recent angel investing pitch event held at the Bournemouth Carlton Hotel on Monday evening.
On-the-go cleaning for the menstrual cup
11 of those expressions of interest went to a company led by two young female founders one of which delivered an excellent pitch to the gathered angels and attracted the most interest of the evening. The product pitched is a portable cleaning and sterilising case for the menstrual cup. A quarter of the world’s population menstruate; this product enables users to discreetly cleanse their menstrual cup when out and about and sterilise their cups at home.
With Patent Pending status, angels were all ears about this high growth potential product manufactured in the UK from sustainable and recycled materials. The founder claims 96% waste and 94% cost savings when switching to the menstrual cup from conventional sanitary products. The business model includes D2C and B2B2C channels. The founders are raising for a pre-seed round of £100k, SEIS/EIS eligible and working towards launching the product later in 2024.
Where ready meals meet nutritional science
A company founded in 2019 and in revenue has gained 10 expressions of interest for their nutritional-focused frozen ready meal offer. The founders have established their USP in this already crowded market by focusing on frozen ready meals for those on specific diets, such as type 2 diabetes, those with IBS and their core range the ever-popular Mediterranean diet. Ranges in development include nutritional meals to support healthy ageing, mental health, and cancer for which they have received a £400k Innovate UK grant in support.
Meals can be cooked in the oven or microwave and are delivered to your door in suitable packaging with 36 hours of ‘safety’ built in. The team boast a plethora of experience including the ex-CEO of Dyson and Yeo Valley and is currently in the process of gaining an NHS framework listing.
3D imaging and pick and place robots
A further 2 pitches gained interest on the night. A local company from Bournemouth who are helping online retailers to display their products in 3D. Traditional methods of creating 3D imagery have resulted in slow loading and heavy data usage, this company is using their own software and AI to deliver photo-realistic, quick-loading images. 4 expressions of interest were registered, the company raising £60k to be match funded by an Innovate UK grant, EIS/SEIS eligible.
The final company to grab the interest of 2 potential investors in the room has developed a pick and place robot, specifically for the UK ready-made sandwich market, a £5b industry. The unique technology exists within the software and robotic arm gripper enabling the device to pick, weigh and place up to 30 different ingredients on the sandwich assembly line, solving producers’ headaches surrounding staffing issues.
Peter Eales, one of DBA’s founding directors commented, “What a great night! We had several new members in the room who all contributed and engaged brilliantly with the pitches. Our membership is growing; it’s still so exciting to be involved in DBA now in its eleventh year. As ever the pitches were diverse in their offers, there was something for everyone and we’re thrilled with the overall interest on the night.”
Debbie Frith, DBA Director said, “Our thanks go to Rob Jones from our sponsor Investec Wealth & Investment, who delivered an entertaining Investment Update presentation looking back on 2023 and forwards to how we can expect markets to behave in 2024.”
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, and Investec Wealth & Investment UK, DBA invites investors to book their spot for the upcoming pitch event on May 20th at www.dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk/events.
