Follow-on Funding

Brainspark PLC
4 September 2000


 BRAINSPARK PLC ANNOUNCES FOLLOW-ON FUNDING FOR EASYART AND THE CREATION OF
                                  EC1 MEDIA

Brainspark, the incubator business focused on germinating and developing
Internet-related businesses today announced the successful follow-on funding
round for one of its partner companies, Easyart and the creation of a new
business, EC1 Media.

FOLLOW-ON FUNDING ROUND COMPLETED BY EASYART

Easyart, the leading retailer of framed and unframed printed art, has just
announced the successful closure of its latest financing round. The funds,
totalling over $1m, were raised principally from a small group of networked
private investors and will be used to help Easyart further establish
distribution in the UK and launch into Europe.

The investment round follows an initial seed investment of over $600,000
provided by Brainspark in November 1999.

Simon Matthews, Chief Executive of Easyart commented:

'We are delighted to have closed our investment round at this level and in
such difficult market conditions. The funds will allow us to develop the
business significantly over the next few months.'

In addition to its website, which has enjoyed considerable success since
launch in March, Easyart has built a unique end-to-end frame manufacturing
business which enables it to deliver to customers in under 5 days from its
central warehouse in Sussex.

Easyart has also announced the first of its business-to-business supply
deals, that will see it print and frame images for The Victoria and Albert
Museum, thus strengthening its existing strategic relationship with the
prestigious museum.

Dudley Moor-Radford, Group Marketing Director of Easyart, explained:

'This is an exciting new area of development for Easyart and we are
particularly happy that it should be initiated with the V&A, with whom we
have an extremely good working relationship. We hope to be announcing further
b2b deals in the upcoming months.'

Easyart, who now has its sights on a further round of financing which it
expects to complete early next year, has been shortlisted for the EEA's
(European eCommerce Association) annual awards in the Most Exciting Newcomer
category alongside Blue Square and Think Natural.

Easyart is the fourth company in Brainspark's portfolio to achieve follow-on
funding. Earlier this year, Brainspark announced successful follow-on funding
rounds for Petspark, Metapack and Leisurehub.

EC1 MEDIA

EC1 Media is a digital production, design and consultancy business. The new
company has been created by Brainspark who have majority ownership. EC1
media's services cover all phases of digital multi-media from idea through to
production, delivering cross-platform, global branded entertainment. Its
clients will typically be large brands, broadcasters, advertisers and
publishing houses.

The digital development market was estimated by Digital Media Alliance in
1998 as £925m, with an expected compound growth rate of 20% to 2007, giving
total revenues of over £5bn. The sector currently employs over 200,000
people.

Paul Cackett, who joined Brainspark in February 2000 from BSkyB as Director
of Broadband, is heading up EC1 Media and has built a management team with
proven execution expertise in independent production, new media design and
publishing. The EC1 Media family includes Brainspark, who bring in-depth
knowledge of technology and e-commerce, three leading television production
companies, two award-winning new media design agencies and one of the UK's
best branding and communications agencies.

Paul Cackett explained:

'The EC1 Media team brings together a team of industry leaders with a clear
vision - to create next generation convergent entertainment. The way of
interacting with your PC and television is changing rapidly. We feel that TV
should be interactive and your PC should have sound and movement. Creating a
business that makes this accessible to our clients and to consumers is the
way forward.'


Enquiries:

Brainspark  - tel  [phone]
Stewart Dodd
David Hart

Easyart - tel  [phone]
Simon Matthews
Dudley Moor-Radford

EC1 Media - tel  [phone]
Paul Cackett

Citigate Dewe Rogerson - 020 8638 9571
Martin Jackson
Charles Vivian