After another stellar quarter where we remain ‘The Most Active Funder in UK Private Companies’ we thought we’d take a look back at stats from Q3 (July-September 2017).
But the statistics are only part of the story:
Profitable exits
In a strong quarter for investment we also provided many profitable exits for investors.
For example, Blow Ltd. ‘the Uber for beauty’, offered investors the opportunity to exit when Debenhams invested £7.5 million in September.
And in its first full quarter of trading, there were over 400 share trades on the Seedrs Secondary Market.
Continued growth across continental Europe
We have also had some notable cross-border European raises in the last three months, with seven businesses raising over €5.5 million, including:
- Bolt Mobility who raised over €2.3 million from over 2,000 investors interested in the future of electric personal transport.
- Babywatcher overfunded by an impressive 515% to bring their personal home sonogram product to more parents.
- Hot on the heels of previously record-breaking rewards-based campaigns, Bonaverde raised over £1.3 million to disrupt the coffee supply and distribution chain.
A diverse range of sectors
No single sector dominated the Seedrs platform in Q3. Companies from sectors such as fintech to food and beverage companies, through to an ecotech car and a radio station, featured in the 39 businesses that funded.
An impressive 40,000+ people pre-registered for the chance to back Revolut, the digital banking startup, pledging over £42 million, although the investment was capped at £1,000 per person, with a £4 million limit on the campaign. Revolut broke the records to become the largest ever pre-registration for an equity fundraise.
Primordial Radio was a raise with another highly engaged and supportive community, with 775 investors investing £130,000. Primordial Radio is owned and built by its target audience with an experienced executive, creating output that’s reflective of a truly democratised process. We were impressed with the community getting really involved in the campaign.
Exclusive, value-add Seedrs Alumni Club partnerships
We continued to welcome exclusive partners to the Seedrs Alumni Club. So, as well as Google, Amazon and Stripe, the Club now includes M&C Saatchi, Metro Bank and MarketInvoice. That makes over 40 best-in-class partners supporting Seedrs Alumni.
We also announced a flagship partnership with Exterion Media, Europe’s largest privately owned out-of-home (OOH) advertising business. The partnership provides the opportunity for companies raising on Seedrs to promote themselves through advertising on the iconic London Tube network.
Looking ahead
Q3 is further confirmation of our leading position in the early-stage equity industry, not only in the UK but across wider Europe. We look forward to continuing to get businesses funded and supporting our Alumni entrepreneurs on their journey.
If you’re an entrepreneur thinking or looking to raise funds, please contact us and let us support you in achieving your goals.
Investing involves risks, including loss of capital, illiquidity, lack of dividends and dilution, and should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Please read the Risk Warnings before investing. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and is subject to change in future. The performance figures set out in this post refer to the past, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Given that there is no liquid, public secondary market for most of these investments, it may be difficult to sell them.
