London based Kokoon, a leading digital health technology business specialising in personalised audio coaching proven to promote better sleep, has secured a £430,000 loan from The Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) which includes £250,000 in conjunction with the government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Many environmental factors can contribute to restless nights, varying from reduced sleep patterns to full on insomnia, anything can trigger it: noisy neighbours, family worries or financial concerns. Currently, more than half the population have experienced more anxiety, isolation and screen time during the pandemic, having an increased effect on sleeping patterns.

Tim Antos, Kokoon’s CEO and Co-Founder was no stranger to a poor night’s sleep. Struggling with insomnia for many years he attended sleep clinics in a bid to find better sleep. Tim realised that sleep clinics provided fantastic support but tended to be inaccessible and inconvenient for most, so he set out to make the knowledge and insights he had gained at these clinics, available to the public and he decided the best way to do this would be via a consumer-friendly product which uses audio to slow a busy mind. He got in touch with Richard, a highly skilled Electronic Engineer and together they set about designing and producing a non-pharmaceutical, digital “go to” product which would enable people to get a better night’s sleep.

Founded in 2013, they launched Kokoon; intelligent, interactive headphones which use audio, proven to be effective in clinical trials to help improve and encourage sleep. Audio from their app ranges from personalised CBT coaching tailored and based on an individual’s sensor data through to soundscapes, relaxing music or audio books.

Working with and drawing on expert advice from sleep scientists, these comfortable easy to wear headphones lull the wearer to sleep at night with their favourite audio. Being linked to a smartphone app, it will also monitor and record important sleep data patterns. The intelligent software lowers the sound once asleep to avoid disturbance. Should the wearer awaken during the night, the audio then recommences to encourage sleep. Upon waking refreshed, the app will provide insights and coaching specific to the individual, helping them to understand their sleep pattern enabling them to make necessary adjustments to further improve their sleep.

Tim Antos, Co-Founder and CEO of Kokoon commented: “Richard and I wanted to create a product which would help democratise sleep science. Nearly 2/3 of the population are reporting poor sleep and it’s become an issue for nearly 1/3 of the population yet very few of us can justify a visit to the sleep clinic. We wanted to make the established science and techniques of the sleep clinic more accessible and convenient to all.  This growth loan will allow us to recruit 5 new employees in the early part of 2021 whilst the CBILS element allows us to retain existing staff to continue working from home fulfilling current sales orders. There will also be a strong focus on new product development. As well as the widely available original Kokoon over ear headphones, our in-ear bud product is on pre-order and we wish to further promote this whilst continuing to develop our product offering.”

Paul Shadbolt, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who manages the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “GLIF supports innovative high growth businesses in Greater London. We were impressed by Kokoon’s products which have demonstrated commercial traction which are key attributes for commercial success. We are pleased to be supporting them through the opportunities and challenges of the pandemic and into their next phase of growth.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “Kokoon has developed an innovative and affordable solution to a problem which seriously affects one third of the population. We are delighted to help Tim and Richard and support the excellent operation they have built, to fulfil current demand and to underpin future growth.”

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 31 March for UK businesses.

A Stamford based chocolatier business has secured a £250,000 MEIF loan to help meet increasing demand for its products from the UK and overseas. This is alongside boosting its marketing campaigns to drive sales in 2021.

Firetree Chocolate secured the finance from The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund, part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Incorporated in 2016, Firetree Chocolate aims to become the top UK luxury brand of premium craft chocolate. The company manufactures, from bean to bar, rich volcanic chocolate and focuses on sourcing and sustainability. The company sources cocoa beans direct from farmers in the remote volcanic islands of the South Pacific and Madagascar, where the volcanic minerals produce a unique bean and taste. The beans are imported to the UK and crafted into chocolate by expert chocolatiers at its factory, before being wrapped in packaging depicting the volcanoes from where the beans were sourced.

Firetree Chocolate’s products are all dairy free and suitable for Vegans, Halal, Kosher and those with lactose intolerance.

David Zulman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Firetree Chocolate, commented: “Although Firetree, along with other businesses, has been operating differently during the pandemic, we have adjusted well to the new normal and are encouraged to see demand for our product increasing. We take immense pride in what we do, working closely and directly with our farmers and creating single estate super-premium quality chocolate to delight our consumers. I would like to thank Paul at The FSE Group for helping us through the funding process which will assist in supporting the day-to-day sales, distribution and operations process whilst we plan ahead for an exciting future.”

Paul Lynam, Fund Manager, at The FSE Group, which manages the MEIF Debt Finance Fund adds: “We are proud to have supported Firetree throughout this process. The loan will support David and the team in their ambitions to continue to develop the brand and increase sales into 2021 and beyond. The FSE Group is committed to providing finance for innovative Midlands-based businesses and we wish them well for the future.”

Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager at the British Business Bank said: “The MEIF offers a range of funding options which can be used to support different business needs. Having previously secured an equity investment from MEIF fund managers Foresight Group, this latest funding package for Firetree Chocolate will play a key role in the business improving its operations. We would encourage other Midlands’ businesses to consider the finance available through the MEIF.”

Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:  "It's exciting to see Firetree Chocolate opening new premises in Greater Lincolnshire in Stamford and investing heavily in its operations and marketing capacity. The Firetree brand is a fantastic addition to an already long list of high-quality food producers in Greater Lincolnshire and we are watching their progress with interest. We would encourage all innovative and ambitious businesses in our area to consider the Midlands Engine Investment Fund if they are look for finance to help them grow and innovate."

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 31st March for UK businesses.

A Warwickshire-based manufacturer of fertility monitoring products, Fertility Focus, has secured further investment from MEIF through a £250,000 loan, enabling it to invest in its staff, continue research and development, while safeguarding against the impact of COVID-19.

Fertility Focus secured the finance from The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund, part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Established in 2005, Fertility Focus specialises in the manufacturing and marketing of fertility monitoring products designed to help women who are experiencing issues conceiving. Fertility Focus is driven by the emergence of new medical understanding of infertility and the causes of issues in pregnancy.

The company has created its OvuSense™ platform, which is currently the only fertility monitoring product in the world which predicts the onset of ovulation up to one day in advance and provides 99% accuracy for detection of the exact date of ovulation in real-time. No other method of cycle monitoring currently available offers these features. The company also recently launched the OvuSense® Pro clinical portal which helps clinicians to remotely screen for the common causes of female sub-fertility, infertility, pregnancy issues and miscarriage. OvuSense® Pro also helps clinicians to monitor the effect of treatment.

Rob Milnes, CEO of Fertility Focus, commented: “Health statistics tell us around 12 million women in North America and Europe start out trying to conceive each year. Of these, 4 million end up trying to conceive for 6 months or more, with a further 2 million moving on each year into the clinical segment. Securing additional funding is a significant step towards continuing to support women and their partners through a highly emotional journey. We would like to extend our thanks to Paul, at the FSE Group, for taking us through the process of securing finance from CBILS and MEIF - enabling us to help the business to navigate the impact of COVID-19 which will help us through these difficult times, maintaining key staff whilst continuing with key research to help us develop our product offering.”

Paul Lynam, Fund Manager, at The FSE Group, adds: “Rob Milnes and the team at Fertility Focus are driven by a commitment to help women understand their reproductive cycles in order to better inform why they may be experiencing difficulty in conceiving. The product is of particular relevance at the moment as the ability of individuals to visit IVF clinics during COVID-19 has been disrupted. It has been a pleasure to support Steve, Rob and the Fertility Focus team and we look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

Grant Peggie, Director at the British Business Bank said: “An Early Assessment Report into the MEIF revealed its role in supporting Midlands’ businesses to develop new technologies and drive forward innovation. Having initially received equity investment from our fund manager The Foresight Group, this latest finance package for Fertility Focus is a great example of how this additional funding is supporting ongoing innovation and manufacturing operations while allowing it to also manage disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Sean Farnell, Director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “Fertility Focus has been based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Warwick Innovation Centre for ten years and it is great to see a start-up business flourishing despite these difficult times. This new investment will allow the business to accelerate its growth as well as continue its research and development which will be important for its future success.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 31st March for UK businesses.

Notes to Editors:

For more information about Fertility Focus visit www.fertility-focus.com. 

For more information on the company’s OvuSense® platform visit www.ovusense.com

Superfast wireless broadband provider Wildanet has secured £50m investment, which will allow the company to continue to expand its broadband network across Cornish communities and create up to 98 new jobs. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) portfolio company has secured funding from the Gresham House British Strategic Investment Infrastructure Fund LP (BSIF).

Wildanet was established in 2017 by Ian Calvert, with the ambition to establish a high-tech, low-hassle, fast broadband solution for hard-to-reach rural areas which would guarantee broadband speeds. Fast forward three years and the Liskeard-based company can now deliver its service to over 65,000 premises across Cornwall.

Ian Calvert, CEO and Founder of Wildanet commented: “We were really pleased to receive this investment which will enable us to accelerate our expansion plans. This is exciting news for residents and businesses in Cornwall as we’ll be able to provide more of them with access to reliable, fast broadband whilst creating new jobs in the county. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund have helped the company develop to a point where we are ready to accelerate the growth of our network which this new funding will enable.”

Ralph Singleton, Head of Funds Cornwall at The FSE Group adds: “We have been working with Ian and his team for over two years now and have had the pleasure of seeing the business grow and develop during this time. Their technical skill, customer service and branding have all been excellent. We have seen them go from an early-stage business to raising one the largest investments into Cornwall in recent years. This level of private investment alongside the support of CIOSIF demonstrates the work and the opportunities that our funding can go on to create. We look forward to them delivering their expansion plans and are delighted to continue supporting the company through the next stage of their development.”

The £40m CIOSIF provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2million, to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is operated by appointed fund manager, The FSE Group.

Ken Cooper, Managing Director at the British Business Bank, said: “CIOSIF has been a real catalyst for attracting additional investment into Wildanet and helping the company realise its growth ambitions. We wish Ian and his team all the best in this next stage of their development.”

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, added: “Over the last two years CIOSIF has invested £1.35m in Wildanet, helping to establish the business as a credible provider in a competitive market and giving other investors confidence. This deal is a terrific achievement and puts the businesses on the cusp of significant further growth.”

CIOSIF is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

London based StoryStream, a leading Martech SaaS business has secured a £250,000 loan from The Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF).

This loan will be used to support unprecedented demand for its platform driven by the acceleration of digital commerce through changes in consumer behaviour during the current pandemic.

Also backed by MMC Ventures and with Storystream being profitable, the board sought external funding to respond to the opportunity to accelerate growth by investment in product and sales resources.  

StorySteam helps both brands and retailers sell more products by enabling them to deliver authentic, engaging and personalised content across the online customer journey, driving purchase consideration and increasing propensity to buy.  

Businesses now face the reality that eCommerce has become the primary way for people to shop. However, the customer experience is largely transactional and is not emotionally engaging which can result in lost sales.

Traditionally, consumers have relied solely on static content and product pictures. Brands now understand that consumers seek "social proof" in the form of authentic content and inspirational visual testimonials from existing customers, experts and influencers to help them decide when and where to buy. 

Using patent pending AI, StoryStream provides the technology to help brands source this type of authentic content and seamlessly deliver it into their eCommerce experience at scale, helping consumers to better connect with the brand, the product and ultimately enabling them to make informed and concerted buying decisions.

StoryStream has established a position as the leading Content Experience Platform provider to the Automotive Sector, whose customers include Porsche, Mercedes and Vauxhall. The company is now witnessing a surge in demand from the wider digital commerce sector for its technology, such as leading supermarket brands like Sainsbury’s, as they seek to respond to the high growth in demand fuelled by consumers under the current circumstances.

Alex Vaidya, Co-Founder and CEO of StoryStream commented: “StoryStream is fortunate to be in a position to address opportunities for growth and job creation in Greater London which requires access to funding.  Raising funds during an economic crisis can be challenging and I’m delighted that David at The FSE Group with the support of Funding London were able to see these opportunities and provide access to this additional support. “

David Booth, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who manage the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “GLIF supports innovative high growth businesses in Greater London. We were impressed by the StoryStream business model, strength of management and demonstrable commercial traction which are key attributes for commercial success. We are pleased to be supporting them through the opportunities and challenges of the pandemic and into the next phase of growth.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “StoryStream has established a position as the leading Content Experience Platform provider to the Automotive Sector, with customers including Porsche, Mercedes and Vauxhall.  The loan from GLIF will help Alex and the team harness the surge in demand they are experiencing and the expansion into other sectors, will bolster their core offerings and bring a positive outlook for the year ahead.”

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 31 January for UK businesses.

London based business, Inspection² has secured a £250,000 loan from The Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Inspection² has been transforming the automation of industrial inspection since 2012. Inspection² was incubated inside Sky-Futures, a leading global drone services provider and spun out before the sale of Sky-Futures to Private Equity in May 2019.

Inspection² software uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, and 3D visualisation to automatically analyse inspection images, saving up to 70% of engineering time compared to traditional methods. A powerful AI platform that enables the captured data to be turned into actionable information. This delivers major reductions in OPEX and risk by providing a path to inspection automation and reporting by exception. Its ability to correctly identify billable assets also supports more effective inventory, Partner, and cost base management.

As an independent business, Inspection² will focus on industrial inspections within the Telecommunications, Transmission & Distribution and Oil & Gas sectors, solving critical business infrastructure problems.

Whether inspection, upgrade, maintenance or decommissioning, this technology enables those sectors to utilise all of the information needed to make better and more informed decisions. The client can store and manage large volumes of data collected from multiple sources including handheld cameras and smartphones, delivering significant flexibility.

James Harison, Founder and CEO of Inspection² commented: “Understanding the unique requirements of our target sectors is key to our business. The software solution was built to specifically address the volume of data being collected by drones and to automate data processing, allowing an operator to build up a picture of industrial asset condition over time, in a highly structured asset base. This loan will help us strengthen our business and I would like to thank GLIF and David at The FSE Group for facilitating the loan to help us continue to service our existing contracts and to deliver our future plans.”

David Booth, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who manage the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “We were impressed by the team at Inspection² who have developed a product which saves time and money for operators of critical infrastructure assets. The market opportunity is substantial across Telecommunications, Transmission & Distribution and Oil & gas and we look forward to supporting the business through its next phase of growth.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “Inspection² 's AI based solution, offers important efficiency gains in critical infrastructure sectors such as oil and gas.  We are delighted the loan provided by GLIF will help James and his team deliver existing commitments, facilitate growth and achieve future business goals in 2021 and beyond.”

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 31st January 2021 for UK businesses.

A Leicestershire based food safety technology business has secured a £500,000 investment to scale-up operations and boost their ambitious growth plans.

Navitas Digital Safety Ltd (Navitas), which operates out of Phoenix Park in Coalville, has secured the finance from The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).

The firm is set to use the funding to invest in the development of the first of its kind safety platform, which will be a single destination for food safety. The platform will allow hospitality businesses to manage their entire safety operations, all in one place. It will also enable Navitas to offer a SaaS model, providing the platform at a monthly price, making the best safety tools and services accessible to any size business.

Established in 2014 by Ben Gardner, Navitas digitalises time consuming and labour-intensive food safety processes, which must be followed to maintain food safety and health and safety regulations within the food hospitality sector.

Ben Gardner, CEO of Navitas, commented:

“Every food service business knows and understands the importance of health and safety. I am passionate about making the complex world of food safety legislation as simple and cost effective as possible. Our aim is to become the leading “one stop” food health and safety consultancy, compliance, training and digital safety management company within the food hospitality sector. Having successfully secured the funding, we can confidently grow our business to the next level to achieve this.”

Paul Lynam, Fund Manager at The FSE Group, which manages the MEIF Debt Finance Fund added:

“We are proud to have supported Navitas with their expansion plans. The job creation will have a positive impact on the local economy and further strengthen the future of the business. Through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, The FSE Group are committed to providing finance for innovative Midlands based businesses with the potential to grow.”

Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager at the British Business Bank said:

“The MEIF fund managers work closely with one another across the Midlands to help businesses in the region access the finance they need to develop and grow. This latest investment into Navitas builds on the earlier debt and equity finance provided by MEIF and demonstrates the various finance options available through the fund. We’d encourage other businesses across Leicestershire and the whole region to consider these options.”   

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

For more information about Navitas Digital Safety Limited, visit  www.navitas.eu.com

Husband and wife team Drs Robin and Nikki Cordell, have secured £300,000 from the Thames Valley Berkshire Funding Escalator (TVB) to further grow, develop and expand their multi-disciplinary occupational health services business.

Robin and Nikki retired from their military careers in 2013, with over 30 years’ combined experience delivering occupational health services. Embarking on civilian life, they were both keen to investigate a way in which they could continue to pursue excellence in health and wellbeing in the workplace and positively impact on the workability of people with health issues.

They established “Cordell Health,” a new type of quality occupational health service. Their business strives to deliver excellence in health and wellbeing in the workplace and to provide a positive impact for employers and employees alike. Workplaces have changed beyond recognition in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic. Now more than ever it is important to ensure that relationships between the health of the employee, their working environment, and duties undertaken are safeguarded. Occupational health services are more than just an administrative task to manage sickness absence. It is ensuring employees with a health condition are fit to work after a period away from the working environment. It encompasses the physical and emotional wellbeing and mindfulness of employees undertaking their roles; be that in an office environment or remotely.

Cordell Health aims to provide a dynamic, sustainable and ethical manner when delivering their services which will in turn support organisations to provide a working environment which enables all employees to be engaged, productive and well. These key factors are provided by the exceptional, workplace health services which Cordell Health provide.

Cordell Health is SEQOHS (Safe, Effective, Quality Occupational Health Service) accredited, an award entrusted to an Occupational Health provider governed by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM), the professional and educational body for occupational medicine in UK.  

Dr Nikki Cordell, Co-Founder of Cordell Health, commented “In 2016, Cordell Health re-launched as a social enterprise. Our social mission is to remove, wherever possible, barriers to employment of individuals with a disability or long-term health condition. The funding from TVB will enable us to expand our own team of healthcare experts and further the development of our services, to the benefit of our current and future clients.”

Cheryl Weeks, Head of Funds, South East for The FSE Group, commented: “Being a social enterprise is very important to Drs Robin and Nikki Cordell, who strive to make a positive difference in the workplace coupled with their vision to shift the focus from disability to ability. Cordell Health specialises in providing early intervention and expert support to HR and managers in the field of workplace health and wellbeing. It was a pleasure to be able to secure funding for the dedicated team, enabling them to reach out to more businesses ensuring they benefit from the specialist occupational support and advice.”

TVB Expansion Loan Scheme is part of TVB Funding Escalator, an £11.3m initiative funded by Thames Valley Berkshire LEP. The escalator, which also includes a Trade Finance Loan Scheme and a Growth Equity Fund, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities.

Situated in Southwark, South London, Hinterview has secured a £500,000 growth loan from the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) which is managed by The FSE Group.

In the UK, the recruitment industry is currently bigger than ever, estimated to be worth over £35billion to the UK economy. Before the advancement of technology, recruitment followed a more traditional path; face to face interviews at the recruiters’ offices with paper CVs faxed off to hiring employers. The “time to hire” was a long process at circa 45 days. As technology came to the forefront and recruitment evolved, the industry modernised rapidly, however there were due to be even more advancements in the sector.

In 2013, experienced recruiters Andy Simpson and Rich McLaren set about to change the UK’s talent landscape even further. They did this by establishing Hinterview: A world leading video platform optimised for interviewing and recruitment. Built by recruiters for recruiters, Hinterview is both hyper secure and fully GDPR compliant, enabling the sharing of candidate videos. The innovative online recruitment platform enhances the recruitment process for candidates and clients, reducing time to hire and increasing placement rates. 

In light of current COVID-19 restrictions, recruitment agencies have come to rely on Hinterview as a way to continue “business as usual” which is particularly useful for reaching out to candidates without breaching social distancing measures. It has also enabled business owners to stand out from the crowd by offering a premium service at a time where competition is at its highest.

Andy Simpson, Co-Founder of Hinterview commented: “Video is the future of agency recruitment. Recruiters are able to engage with their audience in an effective and personal way that previously wasn’t possible. The support of the GLIF expansion loan will enable us to scale-up the team to service current demand and expand sales in the recruitment sector to enter the corporate and education sectors in the UK. Many thanks to Paul from The FSE Group who guided us through the process of securing this expansion loan, we couldn’t have done it without him.”

Paul Shadbolt, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who managed the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “It was a pleasure to work with Andy and Rich. It is rewarding to be able to support successful, innovative local businesses. GLIF helps to support London businesses and has the potential to impact on the economy. This will help SMEs accelerate the growth of their business, through job creation and product development. We look forward to the next stage of their journey.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “Hinterview, has been redefining recruitment for years and during the pandemic their product has been the 'go to platform' for the industry. Andy and Rich have continued to show big ambition to grow their business and required capital to facilitate this. By working closely with the Co-founders, Paul and the FSE team were able to make a growth loan from the GLIF possible.  I am excited about the positive outlook for 2021 and delighted the loan will support the team to scale-up and facilitate sales expansion.

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.

BACKGROUND

Ian Calvert has a wealth of experience within the UK digital sector, having previously held senior positions within some of the well-known big telecoms players in the market.

Ian noted that in some rural, hard to reach areas of Cornwall, good internet connections were well below par when compared with other less rural parts of the UK. Connections in rural areas were at best intermittent, leaving many communities literally digitally stranded. Businessmen and women were unable to successfully work remotely, students were unable to access and submit coursework online and family members living in different locations were unable to connect online.

Having defined the issues these areas faced with their internet connectivity, he set himself a challenge: Ian wanted to establish a business which could provide fast, reliable internet to these hard to reach areas.

The question was “How?”

“LAGGING” BEHIND WITH BROADBAND SPEEDS

The larger internet providers really struggle to access certain areas of Cornwall. Their networks which predominantly use old copper cable networks, cannot always reach rural addresses and if they are successful in some areas, the broadband speed is often slow, resulting in a poor internet connection. These pockets of communities can be overlooked and under serviced by the larger internet providers and as a result were becoming increasingly isolated and left behind.

Ian set about putting his mission into practice, drawing on his knowledge and expertise, he embarked on researching the infrastructure available and how these rural communities could be brought into the 21^st century. He quickly realised that in order to re-connect these areas, he had to use a different type of infrastructure which could provide fast broadband capable of yielding both a stable and reliable internet connection.

BROADBAND – BUT NOT AS CORNWALL KNOWS IT

In 2017, Ian established Wildanet, which is now headquarted in Liskeard, Cornwall. The business set about to deliver a high-tech, low-hassle, fast broadband solution for those hard to reach rural areas which would guarantee broadband speeds. This was key to differentiating Wildanet from the big players who are only able to guarantee an “up to” broadband speed.

Ian comments: “We explained to our potential customers who Wildanet were and our model of providing lightning fast internet for hard to reach areas. Providing we could get a line of sight to the village; we could connect the residents to our service and solve this problem.”

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SPEED

The traditional broadband infrastructure of copper and fibre continues to get clogged up with oversubscription, which is part of the reason the larger internet providers stumbled across difficulties in rural Cornish areas.

Wildanet use an alternative method of delivering high speed broadband away from the traditional methods employed. They have evolved their infrastructure and built a box of tricks to suit the area they are connecting to and have become a hybrid supplier, combining 3 main methods of broadband technology: wireless, 4G and fibre.

So, how does it all work?

By using cutting edge wireless technology which has more capacity than the copper cable network.

• Wildanet use their own network which runs through the air via interconnected wireless hubs
• The state-of-the-art radio technology connects hubs to a property with the help of a small device, called a “receiver” which is placed on the outside of the property
• The receiver is positioned so it has line of sight to the Wildanet hub
• The hubs interact with the receiver connecting the families inside the property to the internet

A “BIT OF A GIG“ SENDS FAST NEW WAVES THROUGH LISKEARD

Liskeard is proud to be the base for the first wireless gigabit connection in Cornwall. Gigabit technology will provide additional choice for broadband technology which will deliver ultrafast speeds to over 500 properties in the area.

A gigabit is now 40 times faster than you would expect to see from your normal broadband provider. Families can be online all at the same time, participating in video conferencing, watching 4K TV and gaming consistently and confidently without interruption or loss of connectivity.

No more missed opportunities with gaming apps, no more furious clicking trying to get the last bid in for a luxury item and unluckily, no more excuses for extending assignment deadlines for students.

FAST FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE

Wildanet has led the way with installing broadband in hard to reach rural areas.

One third of Cornwall has Wildanet technology in or outside their premises. At any one time, families could be accessing a guaranteed minimum internet speed of 30Mb/s, going up to a lightning-fast 1Gb/s.

Ian Calvert, CEO and Founder of Wildanet commented, “We have been fortunate enough to have received funding over £1.35 million from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund and matched funders, to allow us to expediate our growth strategy bringing reliable super-fast broadband to Cornwall’s hard to reach rural areas in the last few years. During the challenging times we have all been facing during the global pandemic, it was imperative that we continue to support existing customers whilst striving to get new customers connected. I am proud to say that during these times, we have connected more homes than ever before and connected vulnerable families as part of our supporting school’s project. Moving forward there is a real opportunity for us to radically improve connection speeds for homes and businesses across Cornwall currently experiencing low bandwidths and to further continue our expansion plans in the South West. We are excited about what is in store for Wildanet in the coming months.” 

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is operated by appointed fund managers The FSE Group.

Ralph Singleton, Head of Funds Cornwall at The FSE Group adds, “Those of us in towns and cities, well serviced with good internet connections, tend to take it for granted. Digital access is part of everyday life, it is imperative for connecting with family and friends and for business and entertainment. We were delighted to be able to support Wildanet’s plans to help close the digital divide in rural areas. Their technology is top of the range and the future holds exciting opportunities for the business, including area expansion which will create more local job opportunities as they continue to grow.”

If you live in the Cornwall region and would like to find out if Wildanet could become your internet provider:

Tel: 0800 0699909

Email: hello@wildanet.com

Visit: www.wildanet.com