This article does not constitute financial advice and is designed for information purposes only.
As June draws to a close, this week’s crowdfunding roundup has a clear theme of sustainability running through it. One empowers communities to generate and share renewable energy while another has circular solutions for plastics difficult to recycle. Even coffee has been reimagined in a more sustainable tube format.
This cohort is united by the belief that the way we make, use and dispose of things definitely needs some rethinking. From energy infrastructure to everyday consumer habits, these founders are chipping away at the same problem from different directions.
So, who are the startups crowdfunding this week? Here they are.
1. POP Energy
How much are they raising: £500,014
Website: www.pop.energy
SEIS/EIS? Yes, EIS
About: People Owned Power (POP) is putting renewable energy into the hands of communities, enabling them to install, generate, store and share their own clean power.
Energy transition is usually a top-down affair, dominated by big utilities and national infrastructure. By giving communities the tools to own their energy from generation through to storage and sharing, POP’s platform shifts both the control and benefits closer to the people actually using the power.
Where to invest: Europe Republic
2. The Sky Wave Distilling Co
How much are they raising: £155,820
Website: www.skywavegin.com
SEIS/EIS? Yes, EIS
About: Sky Wave Distilling Co is an award-winning spirits producer that is now setting its sights on wider UK and global markets.
Winning top international awards is one thing but turning that recognition into scale is another challenge entirely, and it’s exactly the stage Sky Wave is raising to tackle. The quality has already been validated at the highest level, which gives the brand a strong foundation to build on as it pushes into new markets at home and abroad.
Where to invest: Europe Republic
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3. Presto Coffee
How much are they raising: N/A
Website: www.prestocoffee.com
SEIS/EIS? Yes, EIS
About: Presto Coffee is a certified B-Corp making award-winning, barista-quality instant coffee in a first-of-its-kind sustainable tube format, rethinking both what’s in the cup and what it comes packaged in.
Instant coffee has long carried a reputation problem and the packaging it tends to arrive in does the environment few favours. Presto takes aim at both at once – the coffee itself is good enough to have won awards on quality alone, while the innovative tube format strips out the waste that comes with single-serve convenience.
Where to invest: Crowdcube
4. Greenback Recycling Technologies
How much are they raising: £2m wider funding round
Website: www.greenback.earth
SEIS/EIS? N/A
About: Greenback Recycling Technologies uses its own proprietary, modular advanced recycling technology to tackle plastics that conventional recycling can’t handle.
A huge proportion of plastic waste falls into the “hard to recycle” category and ends up incinerated or in landfills. Greenback’s advanced recycling technology is built specifically for that gap. Its modular design is a clever touch, allowing the solution to be deployed flexibly and scaled where it’s needed.
Where to invest: Crowdcube
5. Haatch SEIS 14
How much are they raising: N/A
Website: www.haatch.com
SEIS/EIS? Yes, SEIS
About: Haatch SEIS is an award-winning pre-seed venture capital fund, giving investors access to a carefully curated portfolio of early-stage startups through the tax-efficient SEIS structure.
Backing companies at the pre-seed stage is where some of the greatest returns in venture investing are made – and also where the risk and the difficulty of picking winners are highest. Haatch’s proposition is to put that process in the hands of an experienced, award-winning team.
Where to invest: Crowdcube
