Dorset Business Angels Pitch Event – November 25th 2024

Dorset Business Angels Network Limited provide quality, private equity investment opportunities to local self-certified High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investors.

We help early-stage businesses, especially in southern England our local area, to find equity capital. We do this by bringing our investors and entrepreneurs together to accelerate the growth of early-stage businesses.

Join us for networking from 5.30pm in the Orangery, enjoy refreshments whilst meeting and catching up with fellow investors, DBA sponsors and the DBA team.

The pitch presentations will start in The Causerie Suite at 6.10pm with an introduction from our Chairman, Don McQueen. Our sponsor presentation will be from The FSE Group.

Five carefully selected companies seeking investment will make a 10-minute pitch each, after which there is time for Q&A. Then, expressions of interest from Angel Investors are registered for further action. Once the pitch presentations are finished, those staying for dinner will enjoy a 2-course private meal with wine and a chance to start new conversations and continue those started earlier in the evening.

Pitches are confirmed as follows:

Market Sector: Worldwide Travel

This platform provides clients with a fast, easy way to create and book a holiday or special break, whilst taking all the responsibility expected of a normal tour operator.

Currently, no operator of full-service tailormade experiential holidays allows you to select, tailor and book these trips yourself online. Research shows that clients – especially 30–50-year-old professionals – are crying out for such a service, 89% of whom find existing online booking tools inadequate for the purpose. The only alternative – an offline operator or travel agency – typically requires 10 hours of client time over 2-3 weeks to complete the same process. By contrast, this Company’s offering allows clients to do it all for themselves in around 30 minutes, with each trip being individually priced.

The management team have considerable experience in this sector. They realised that the trip selection process could be done far better and faster by a computer, than a self-styled ‘destination expert’ and that clients could tailor and book these trips for themselves if they were given the tools to do so.

Covid disrupted the business for 2 years, at a point where a client-tested, full MVP, featuring 143 fully online bookable and customisable trips to 40 countries had gained very high client approval. In the interim, a far more advanced second-generation platform using AI and machine learning was developed and this too has met with very positive client feedback.

With a new core team and a panel of expert advisors, management now seek £250k to build and launch a second-generation MVP, prior to launching a heavy-duty production platform for the UK and US markets.

Market Sector: Plant-Based Confectionery

Manufacturers of sustainable and ethical award-winning chocolate in the UK. They are targeting the children’s market with plant-based organic milk chocolate accompanied by a fun creative non-plastic toy.

This Company’s mission statement is to inspire, delight, educate, and foster creativity in children with its plastic-free educational toys and encourage healthier eating with its non-refined 1/3 less sugar, organic plant-based chocolate.

Launched in 2018, it manufactures sustainably and ethically produced, award-winning chocolate in the U.K. It has been awarded 38 international awards and currently has a range of 21 product lines targeting the children’s market with plant-based organic milk chocolate, accompanied by a fun, creative non-plastic toy.

Sales for Y/E April 2024 are circa £500k, of which circa 80% was via retail and 20% online.

Launching into 3 major UK national retail outlets and two European retailers in 2025, management are now raising £1M to continue expansion.

Market Sector: Rainwear

An innovation solving all the major pain points of umbrella use.
This Company manufactures umbrellas that overcome the problems usually associated with the standard retail offering – wet after use, not windproof, durability, and loss.

The Company’s USP is a watertight case that doubles as an optional handle. This stores the umbrella when wet, which means you can immediately store it in your pocket or bag. These drawbacks make existing products a burden to the user for hours after use, which leads people to either lose or misplace them. The consequence of this is that users are put off buying a good quality product resulting in a staggering 1Bn going into landfill annually.

Following two years of product development, the Company commenced trading with two versions of its 14th prototype in October 2023. Twelve months on, sales of 1,900 units in 46 countries have been achieved, including one major UK retailer.

Based on customer feedback, the 2nd generation product will launch in the UK next month and will be supported with national advertising.

Management now seeks £500K to continue to scale the business.

Market Sector: Recruitment

A social platform offered as a mobile application connecting aviation and maritime crew to jobs in real-time and without charge.
Crew shortages lead to costly delays and cancellations across the maritime and aviation industries, and the experience of looking for work as a crew member is often time-consuming, exhausting, demoralising and expensive.

This local Company’s product is a social platform accessed via a mobile app. It will connect aviation and maritime crew to available jobs in real time without charge. It ensures that those looking for jobs are connected as quickly as possible by drawing on the advantages of the community’s network. There are no hidden fees, no commission, and no lengthy enrolment process.

An MVP is currently in build, and there is already a waiting list for downloads. Strategic partnerships with MoD & RNLI are under active discussion.

Management now seek £500K to complete the MVP, conduct trials and take the product to market.

Market Sector: Affordable Housing

An agency and trading platform for shared ownership housing.
Through standardised shared ownership leases and technology-powered transactions, this platform created by a local Company, makes residential housing priced at open market rates significantly more accessible to homebuyers. Its aim is to provide finance and transaction solutions that help the 9 million renters become buyers and 6 million elderly homeowners in the UK afford to get on, up or down, the housing ladder.

House prices, on average, are up to 8.3 times annual earnings, deposits of more than £50,000 are required, and the average age of a first-time buyer is now 34 years. At the other end of the housing ladder, purpose-built retirement housing is unaffordable for most downsizers. Only 16% of people choose to or can afford to downsize.

To date, investment in the IP, prototyping, road-testing the required technologies, and assembly of the core skillsets and resources is complete. Proof of concept now requires further investment to hit the commercial target of 100 platform transactions during 2025. When the concept is proven, the business will require a significant injection of capital – circa £5M – to scale up rapidly across the UK and beyond.

Seed investors will have an opportunity to either exit, achieve target returns, or dilute their shareholding and remain invested for a final exit at a significantly higher value through a trade sale or IPO.

The Menu

Mains

• Pan-fried salmon, creamy pommel puree, buttered asparagus, garlic and coriander cream sauce (GF)
• Spinach and ricotta cannelloni, pomodoro sauce, rocket leaves with garlic bread (V)
• Pan-fried chicken supreme, fondant potato, green beans, Bordelaise sauce (GF)

To Finish

• Warmed chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce served with vanilla ice cream
• Honeycomb cheesecake, chocolate sauce
• Selection of ice cream (GF)

Tea & Coffee

This event is suitable for:

• Angel Investors
• Those considering becoming an Angel Investor
• Support services involved in or interested in becoming involved with Angel investment

This event is not suitable for:

• New business networking
• Finding new clients
• Entrepreneurs considering a future pitch to investors*

*This event is for Investors, it is only fair to presenting companies to ensure all attendees are genuine or potential investors.

Professionals who want to personally invest or, who have a portfolio of clients to whom Angel investing may be of interest are very welcome to attend. If you have a specific requirement to attend or if you are unsure whether this event is right for you, please email contact@dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk and we will be pleased to assist.

Non-Member Investor Self-Certification is Required for the Event

Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended 2005) investors must “self-certify” by meeting simple criteria as “High Net Worth” or “Sophisticated” Investors.

Therefore, any investor should read and sign the documentation via our About page on our website, either a High Net Worth Investor Certificate or a Sophisticated Investor Certificate, as is appropriate.

Members of Dorset Business Angels will have already submitted this information and need not do it again.

Visitors, who are neither members or investors are welcome to attend for information-only purposes and must understand that they can only invest in a non-regulated investment on becoming a paid-up member of Dorset Business Angels.

Pitchers – We also wish to point out that companies or individuals seeking investment through the Dorset Business Angels must ensure that the information presented to potential investors is neither inaccurate or misleading. They are, accordingly, similarly advised to seek guidance from someone authorised under the Act.

DISCLAIMER

Any information provided on the website or other communication is for information purposes only. The website and other communications and their content are not, and should not be deemed to be an offer of, or invitation to engage in any investment activity. The website and other communications should not be construed as advice, or a personal recommendation by Dorset Business Angels Network Limited. Dorset Business Angels Network Limited is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The content of this promotion is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). Reliance on the promotion for the purpose of engaging in any investment activity may expose an individual to a significant risk of losing all of the investment. UK residents wishing to participate in this promotion must fall into the category of sophisticated investor or high net worth individual as outlined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

If you have any issues booking your ticket. Email our Events Manager: Debbie Frith debbie.frith@dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk