Led · Seed · Feb 2020

NearSt raised £2m in seed funding led by YYX Capital and has now raised £3.2m to date. Founded in 2015 by Max Kreijn and Nick Brackenbury, the company is based in London. It has built a platform that links products on shop shelves in real time to nearby customers searching in Google, surfacing items that might otherwise be hidden on store shelves. Shops install a piece of software that connects automatically to any type of till or inventory management system so products begin appearing in local search results. NearSt plans to use the funds to accelerate uptake by UK retailers through a wave of new hires and to launch its offering in the US.

Participated · Equity · Jul 2019

ITCH is a London-based pet wellbeing brand launching with a veterinary-developed monthly flea care subscription that delivers tailored treatment kits and app reminders. The service sends the right dose at the right time through the letterbox to simplify prevention and treatment for pet owners. ITCH plans range extensions into personalised calming, skin, joint and dental products and intends to build an online platform and community using curated and user-generated content alongside veterinary experts. The company was co-founded by James Cox, Jonny and Adam Gould, and Charlotte Harper. ITCH raised £5m in funding, and has a further £10m injection planned for Q4 2019 to support a US rollout in Q1 2020. From July 2019, customers will receive tailored flea treatment kits and in-app reminders when it’s time to administer treatment.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2018

Waldo sells ultra-breathable daily contact lenses direct-to-consumer through an online subscription that replenishes customers' supplies monthly. The service ships lenses within 48 hours and lets customers accelerate, pause or cancel subscriptions at any time. Customers can also upgrade to Waldo Vitamin, a vitamin-enriched lens designed for especially dry and itchy eyes. The brand launched in the UK on 1 August 2017 and was founded by Ashleigh Hinde. Waldo has sold to 50,000 daily lens wearers across 27 European countries. The company plans to use new funding to accelerate its international expansion in Europe and the US.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2017

Roomi operates a peer-to-peer marketplace that helps users list empty rooms and connect with potential roommates. The company launched in 2015 and reached 100,000 app downloads within its first year. Today Roomi reports around 1 million registered users and nearly 250,000 rooms listed on its platform. Management positions the product as addressing a growing preference for shared, flexible living among Millennials and Gen Z. Roomi is pursuing geographic expansion in the U.S. and internationally and is also running a crowdfunding campaign on Republic to allow users to buy shares. Financially, Roomi has raised a total of $17 million to date, including the newly announced Series A. Roomi operates a roommate-first rental-listing platform where available homes already have tenants and users can find compatible roommates. The app syncs with Facebook to surface occupant preferences (e.g., gym habits or party tendencies) and emphasizes matching people as well as places. Launched last year, Roomi has over 375,000 users across North America. CEO Ajay Yadav says the goal is to build a platform people can trust, and the company plans to work with services to incorporate stringent background checks to screen for criminal records. Roomi intends to expand internationally and positions itself as an alternative to Craigslist, Trulia and Zillow via its roommate-first approach. The business is nascent: Yadav stated the company currently does not generate revenue. Roomi is a mobile-first roommate-matching app that lets users list apartments and browse potential roommates using detailed profile questions (pet allergies, smoking habits, early riser/night owl) and in-app messaging. The service vets and verifies new users through Facebook Connect. The company operates in New York and had about 3,000 apartments listed during its beta. Roomi is currently iOS-only but plans to expand to Android, add new features and hire top talent. CEO and founder Ajay Yadav sees potential monetization through services such as paying rent online and ID and credit check verification. The app emphasizes upfront compatibility data to reduce wasted time and streamline roommate matching.

Led · Equity · Aug 2017

Emoov, part of Mashroom proptech, offers a data-driven instant buyout (instant-buyer) service that provides guaranteed offers to speed up property flipping and tackle transaction chains. The core product delivers guaranteed offers intended to reduce the roughly 30% of UK transactions that fall through and the fees associated with chain delays. To underwrite the guaranteed-offer flow, Emoov has arranged capital via a multi-million-pound credit facility in partnership with Selina Finance. Selina Finance is backed by GFC and Picus Capital, who therefore indirectly support Emoov's funding arrangement. Emoov plans to pilot the instant-buyer model across select UK areas before a nationwide rollout. The company estimates an addressable market of up to 50% of transactions, worth as much as £100bn a year. eMoov is an online real estate agent in the U.K. that now describes itself as a “hybrid estate agent,” combining automated processes with real people on the ground. The company offers a full estate agency service including valuations, floor plans, EPCs and photography alongside its tech platform. eMoov says new capital will be used to further enhance its technology platform and to increase marketing spend via a newly engaged marketing team. The startup previously raised £3 million and has picked up £9 million in new backing in the disclosed round. The disclosed round is still open and the company says it could add a further £3 million in the coming weeks. Founder Russell Quirk has commented on consolidation in the sector but indicated he does not think mergers or roll‑ups make much sense for the business model. eMoov is an online estate agency led by CEO and founder Russell Quirk, based in Brentwood, UK. The company sells residential properties for home sellers using a fixed, lower-fee approach. It leverages technology intended to make the selling and buying process transparent. The business attracted both retail and venture investors in its recent fundraising. Management has indicated plans for a further round in early 2016. An IPO or private sale is anticipated in the next few years. eMoov operates as an online estate agent that handles house sales rather than rentals. Founder and CEO Russell Quirk launched the business in 2010 after selling his family estate agency. The company aims to move property-sale transactions online to reduce the administrative fees charged by traditional agents. eMoov competes in a heated UK proptech market alongside rivals such as EasyProperty, OpenRent and Purplebricks. The article states the online estate-agent sector takes roughly 5% of the UK home-selling market and is doubling in size each year, indicating room for growth. eMoov recently raised £1.5m in a new funding round led by London VC firm Episode 1.