News

Playwaze Ltd, a SaaS business providing a digital platform for managing and participating in sport and physical activity, has successfully completed a £400,000 funding round with a £200,000 investment from the Enterprise M3 Growth Fund, managed by The FSE Group.

Physical activity, leisure, and sport commands a significant market, with over 1 billion participants globally, and the Sport Tech sector is rapidly gathering momentum. Rupert Jenner, the founder of Playwaze, 6 years ago had a vision of how a digital platform could dramatically increase operational efficiencies around the delivery of sport and physical activity, while creating a more seamless connection between people that organise and people that play.

Having spent 20 years working as a freelance software engineer, Rupert turned his focus to creating Playwaze. The Playwaze platform now supports over 100 different sports and activity types delivering value to their 230K current active users. Playwaze is designed to provide value at all levels of delivery and the company already boasts an impressively diverse client portfolio including National Governing Bodies, leading universities, Active Partnerships, fitness instructors, regional associations, clubs, and social activity groups.

Playwaze provides an extensive online toolkit of easy-to-use features for the operational and engagement needs of sports organisers and activity providers. The platform’s functional feature set is extensive, including a full suite of competition formats with the addition of Competitions Plus for running regulated competition networks at scale. Activity management provides for all sorts of sessions, courses, and volunteering opportunities. Payments, memberships, and reporting are fully integrated into the platform giving organisers greater control and insight on activity. Participants benefit from quick and easy access to all their activities through the mobile app – a single place where they can manage all their bookings, entries, results, memberships, payments, and communications.

With the current climate still having an impact on in-person sport and activity, Playwaze has leveraged its modular technology to deliver a full suite of virtual activity opportunities, including live streaming and on demand video sessions. They will also be releasing an innovative solution for Virtual Competitions in September, allowing providers to continue delivering contactless competitions and activity schedules.

Rupert Jenner CEO of Playwaze, commented, “I’m immensely proud of what the Playwaze team has achieved to date. We’re committed to delivering innovative technology that turns inactivity into activity and believe that, with our help, the sports and activity sector will continue to see significant growth over the forthcoming years. It’s great to now have the backing of Paul and the FSE Group which will help us expand our team and strengthen operational infrastructure. We’re excited about the future and continuing to leverage our technology - getting more people active globally while delivering highly scalable returns to our investors.”

Paul Lyristis, Senior Fund Manager, at The FSE Group, which manages the Enterprise M3 Growth Fund on behalf of the LEP adds: “Rupert and his team at Playwaze are proving that technology can deliver real value to the sports sector. I was particularly impressed with the reach and diversity of their SaaS solution with the business being able to demonstrate traction across such a broad spectrum of clients and users. The business clearly has significant opportunity to expand its reach further across the sector and become a truly global technology leader.”

Kathy Slack OBE, Enterprise M3 LEP CEO said: “I’m delighted the Enterprise M3 Growth Fund has been able to provide funding for Playwaze, particularly in this time of economic uncertainty. The team at Playwaze have developed a fantastic piece of software to help keep us all fit by making sport easier to organise and have shown a capacity for rapid innovation through the Covid-19 pandemic by ‘going virtual’. Innovation is the cornerstone to recovery and success in our region and I am really pleased to see another local business continuing to grow and thrive.”

Penryn based independent publishing company, Red Planet Publishing Limited, has received an £80,000 loan from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF).

Red Planet Publishing, established in 2013 by founder Mark Neeter, who brings to the table a wealth of experience gained from BBC local radio as well as national stations including Radio Caroline and behind the scenes at Capital Radio, before turning his love of music to journalism.

The result is an eclectic mix of informative music books encompassing a broad collection ranging from Ska, Mod and Punk through to Bob Dylan, The Smiths and Queen. Offering readers a range of books from the comprehensive Dead Straight Music Guides, to the more succinct Pocket Guides.

Mark comments: “Red Planet specialises in books about music. We operate in a competitive market and sell through stores across the UK, Europe and the USA. Part of the funds are to allow us to develop direct sales with our audience through a new website supported by social media. We aim to grow as an independent business and provide employment in Cornwall and support the local economy. In turn, as a business, more sales earn higher margins online, allowing us to maximise our potential and bring out more exciting new books. Thanks to the support of CIOSIF we can further develop, grow brand awareness and cover the printing costs for expanding our range of exciting new books.”

The deal was handled by SWIG Finance who are working with fund managers The FSE Group to deliver the small business loans part of the fund. Mike Chapman, CIOSIF Business Manager at SWIG Finance, added: “Mark has a really interesting range of books, good branding and a great business model. It is always a pleasure to be able to support local businesses and to help them achieve their growth plans. I wish Mark every success on the next stage of his journey.”

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is operated by appointed fund managers The FSE Group.

Lloyd Brina, Senior Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “Red Planet is looking to grow the market for its specialist titles with direct to consumer digital marketing and this deal is a good example of how CIOSIF loan funding can help small businesses reach the next stage in their development.”

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, said: “Mark has established a successful niche publishing business with an impressive catalogue of titles and export sales. We’re delighted that CIOSIF is able to support his growth ambitions.”

For more information about the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk or follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

A Surrey based company operating in the high-end custom bicycle market, has secured £100,000 from the Enterprise M3 (EM3) Expansion Loan Scheme, to fund activity that will promote further growth of the business.

The recently merged brands now operating as Spoon Group Ltd specialise in bespoke bikes, designed for the rider’s physiology and the riding the customer wants to do, with the highest standards of fit, fabrication and finish. The bikes are precision built carbon fibre or steel frames, designed in house, then fabricated one at a time by hand, before being finished to the highest possible standard at their base in Surrey.  Alongside their performance bike range is a curated range of quality clothing and accessories.

Following a re-organisation of the company, keen cyclists Chris Houghton and Andy Bonsall who have been involved with the Wyndymilla brand for a number of years, were appointed as Non-Executive Directors in 2019.

The merger with bespoke steel brand Spoon Customs has increased their product offering and the expansion loan will help both brands to grow. Spoon Customs was established by Andy Carr and recently won two awards at Europe’s largest handmade bike show, Bespoked 2019.

Andy Carr joined the merged entity, Spoon Group Ltd, as CEO and now that the acquisition is fully complete, he is looking to develop both house brands and exploit the growing market potential.

The EM3 loan will enable the team to execute their vision and strategy for Spoon Group Ltd as they operate and grow their stable of custom, high performance cycling brands, including a move to a larger premises, and recruitment to expand the team with a focus on research and development. The company has already developed their custom paint business, recently rebranding that arm of the business to Gun Control Custom Paint, designed to give their award winning paint services wider appeal to both trade and private customers.

Chris Houghton, Non-Executive director of Spoon Group Ltd commented: “We were very pleased to receive this Enterprise M3 Expansion Loan. These are very exciting times as we look to expand through acquisition and re-focus the business. Our product is incredibly niche in that we create unique bikes for the individual. The team are all keen cyclists, fuelled by passion. We have been a part of the Wyndymilla journey for numerous years now and are very much looking forward to what the future holds for our brands and the business. We are excited to welcome Andy Carr on board and for the road ahead.”

James Edwards, Senior Fund Manager at The FSE Group, which manages the EM3 Expansion Loan Scheme on behalf of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), comments: “We first supported Wyndymilla back in 2016 and it is great to see the progress the company has made since the start of our relationship. It has been a complete pleasure to be able to assist the business again as it continues to evolve and to help them reach the next stage of their cycling journey. We wish the team every success for the future.”

Kathy Slack, Director, Enterprise M3 LEP, comments: “Across our region EM3 is involved in projects which are focused more than ever before on encouraging active travel, so the opportunity to help this unique business grow has come at exactly the right time, particularly as the nation is focused on delivering a green economic recovery. The passion for cycling from the team at Spoon Group Ltd is really evident and it’s always a pleasure to play a part in turning a hobby into a flourishing business.“

The EM3 Expansion Loan Scheme is part of the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator, £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 LEP. The escalator, which also includes a short term trade loan scheme and an equity growth fund, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the EM3 area.

For more information about Wyndymilla or Spoon Customs, visit: www.wyndymilla.com or www.spooncustoms.com

A £40m investment fund to help growing small businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is boosting business performance and changing attitudes to finance, according to a new report.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) was set up by the British Business Bank and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to increase access to finance for small and medium sized businesses across the region.

It is designed to help businesses start up, invest and grow and aims to increase financing options for smaller businesses including access to venture capital which has traditionally been weak in Cornwall and Scilly with a lack of choice.

The British Business Bank commissioned economic development consultancy SQW to carry out an early stage assessment of CIOSIF in its first full year of operation.

It found that businesses in receipt of CIOSIF funding had shown a marked improvement in performance and productivity including:

• new highly skilled jobs and upskilling of existing skills,
• more investment in research, development and innovation; and
• the launch of new products and services.

All of the portfolio businesses had increased employment, with a quarter of the jobs created being in the top 25% of income – or above £35,600 a year, compared to Cornwall’s average annual wage of £21,000.

Without CIOSIF investment, most businesses surveyed said projects would have been delayed or not happened at all, and they said CIOSIF played an important role in helping them secure match funding from other sources.

Significantly, 85% said engaging with the fund had made them more confident about raising funding from private sector sources in the future, which is seen as an important part of changing attitudes towards external finance and developing a sustainable market.

The fund’s latest equity investment was £140,000 to support the growth of Penryn-based agri-tech business Glas Data as part of a larger funding round which included investment form both existing and new private investors. It will allow the business to recruit new staff including software engineers, a project manager and customer services employees.

John Acornley, a director of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and chair of the CIOSIF Advisory Board, said: “The fund has quickly established itself as an important part of the financial landscape in Cornwall and Scilly, driving job creation, business growth and innovation. Without CIOSIF a lot of the activity it has helped to fund simply would not have happened.”

Ken Cooper, Managing Director, Venture Solutions, at the British Business Bank, said: “This report shows that the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund is having a positive impact on businesses and it is starting to impact on the way entrepreneurs consider their growth options.

“There is growing knowledge and awareness among businesses about the different finance options available, especially when it comes to equity funding where demand is growing strongly.

“CIOSIF can be a catalyst for attracting new finance providers into Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in the longer term. That’s important if we are going to translate finance into growth and achieve the levelling up in access to finance that the region needs.”

CIOSIF provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It is supported by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

For more information about CIOSIF including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk  or follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

Jungle Creations Ltd, an East London (Tower Hamlets ) social-first digital media business, has secured a £1,000,000 growth loan from the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) which is managed by The FSE Group, to expand its operations.

In July 2014, the then 23 year-old creative entrepreneur, Jamie Bolding set to work creating and developing his vision: to build a social-first ecosystem where people and brands can thrive. His vision centred around providing entertaining and informative social first content, marketing services which focus on creating and distributing unrivalled branded content and to grow commerce opportunities through these ventures. 

Fast forward six years and Jungle Creations now owns and operates six media brands that live on social, each focusing on a different niche, including fitness, crafting, food and beauty and with a collective following of over 115 million people cross platform.  The company’s videos have been watched by over 465 million people worldwide reaching over 20% of the world’s social media users. This year Jungle Creations was named Branded Content Team of the Year for the third year in a row by The Drum’s Online Media Awards and its commerce operation has gone from strength to strength.

Jamie Bolding , Founder & CEO of Jungle Creations Limited commented: “Jungle Creations has firmly established itself as a leading producer of original and branded video content. With a team of over 100 and a business which has grown so quickly, our GLIF loan will help us invest in the continued expansion of our team, with the aim to nearly double it by the end of 2021. Strengthening our three core business arms, this loan will create exciting opportunities for us and for London.”

David Booth, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who managed the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, comments: "It was a pleasure to work with Jamie and his senior team. The business demonstrates strong commercial traction in a fast-growing market. We are delighted that due to the success of Jungle Creations, part of the GLIF loan will enable Jamie to expand his team to help the business achieve their growth plans."

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “Part of the 'Greater London Investment Fund' (GLIF) core mission is to support job creation in London. With the investment from GLIF, Jamie will be able to expand the business, creating sustainable jobs and having a positive impact on the capital’s economy.  We are delighted to support ambitious entrepreneurs like Jamie, though their next stage of growth.”

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.