Crowdcube Fund makes first four investments

RNS Number : 7251X

Braveheart Investment Group plc

24 November 2014

 



24 November 2014

Braveheart Investment Group plc

('Braveheart', the 'Company' or the 'Group')

Braveheart's Crowdcube Venture Fund makes first four investments

Braveheart Investment Group plc, the AIM-listed investment management group providing debt and equity financing to SMEs and servicing the investment requirements of business angels, high net worth individuals, family offices, and public sector organisations, is pleased to announce that the Crowdcube Venture Fund (the 'Fund'), which it manages, has made its first four investments.

The first investment was made in July and was into a company named Enistic Ltd.  This growing business raised £341k for working capital and already has a number of blue chip customers.  Enistic has developed a complete range of cloud-based wireless smart meters which enable businesses to monitor and manage their energy usage from any device with an internet connection.

The second investment was into Crowdcube Ltd.  Crowdcube are Braveheart's partners in the Fund and raised a total of £5m from venture capital firm Balderton Capital and crowd investors.  Crowdcube are one of the leaders in equity crowdfunding in the UK. 

One Rebel Ltd was the third investment and its Crowdcube pitch raised £1.5m.  The company is launching a chain of high intensity contract-free boutique gyms in London, and is managed by the founders of Fitness First and Jatomi Fitness.

The most recent investment was into Scaramouche & Fandango Ltd.  This FMCG company designs and manufactures high quality body and skincare products for men which are currently retailed in over 100 stores throughout the UK, including John Lewis, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Fenwick, Ocado, Waitrose and Harvey Nichols.  The company has also recently launched internationally, securing listings with Barney's New York and Bloomingdales.

Geoffrey Thomson, CEO of Braveheart said, "We are delighted with the progress the Fund has made thus far.  In the coming months we will be introducing the Fund to new investors."

The Fund is open to investors who are registered on the Crowdcube website.  The minimum subscription by an investor into the Fund is currently £2,500. The Fund will seek to take advantage of EIS and SEIS tax reliefs.  For more information, please see the Crowdcube Venture Fund section on the Crowdcube website by following this link: https://www.crowdcube.com/pg/investing-your-money-1513.

Further information:

Braveheart Investment Group plc

Geoffrey Thomson, Chief Executive                                                                       Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Crowdcube Limited

Luke Lang, Co-founder/Director                                                                                Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

One Rebel Limited

James Balfour, Co-founder/Director                                                                       Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Enistic Limited

Darryl Mattocks, Chief Executive                                                                              Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Scaramouche and Fandango Limited

Ian Linaker, Chief Executive                                                                                       Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Sanlam Securities UK Limited (Nominated Advisor and Broker to Braveheart)

Lindsay Mair                                                                                                                      Tel: [phone]

Media Enquiries (Braveheart):

Allerton Communications

Peter Curtain                                                                                                                     Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Media Enquiries (Crowdcube):

Eureka Communications

Teresa Horscroft                                                                                                              Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]

Notes to Editors

Braveheart Investment Group plc

Braveheart provides financing and associated advisory services for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as follows:

For the company looking to raise money, we provide:

·     Equity Capital. This form of financing is typically long term and is usually appropriate for fast growing business or early stage companies. We will consider equity financings where our individual investment, or the investment we arrange, would normally be a maximum or £2m although we are happy to participate in larger financings as part of a syndicate;

·     Debt Finance. Short to medium term and for companies with cash flow to service the loan. Our unit size for this type of finance is up to £1m and we will usually provide junior debt which is unsecured but linked to an equity instrument;

The money we invest comes from a variety of sources (see below) and is sometimes linked to particular geographical locations.

To the investor, we provide a one-stop shop service to those in one of the following groups who are looking for exposure to SME investments:

·     High Net Worth (HNW) individuals looking to build tax efficient Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed EIS portfolios;

·     Family offices and private sector institutions;

·     The Public Sector.

Investors can choose between investment types ranging from self-build portfolios, to a full fund management service.

Crowdcube Ventures Limited

As the world's first equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube enables everyday investors to fund British businesses in return for a share in the company. Since February 2011, more than 110,000 savvy investors have registered with Crowdcube, helping to raise more than £45m for 160 UK businesses. The ground breaking model lets entrepreneurs showcase their investment opportunity online and bypass the traditional business angel, venture capital or bank route, giving them more control and access to more investors.

Investing in start-ups and early stage businesses involves risks, including liquidity, lack of dividends, loss of investment and dilution, and it should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Crowdcube is targeted exclusively at investors who are sufficiently sophisticated to understand these risks and make their own investment decisions. Crowdcube is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 572026).

 

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