Crowdcube

With all eyes on today's Budget update from Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer. We've been expecting Capital Gains Tax to increase, and we get it—it's been causing concern. It's now confirmed that CGT rates have risen to 18% lower rate and 24% higher rate. For decision-makers in the startup world, this might feel tougher for founders to attract investment and, ultimately, for investors to justify the risk. While we can't control government policy, we can control how we respond. Rather than letting these changes slow down the momentum of the UK's startup ecosystem, we should focus on schemes like EIS and SEIS. Tax-efficient schemes like EIS and SEIS are designed to encourage investment by offering substantial tax reliefs, like income tax relief and Capital Gains Tax exemptions. This gives founders a crucial edge in attracting investors seeking long-term growth opportunities. EIS alone has facilitated the growth of over 56,000 businesses, raising more than £32 billion. SEIS has supported early-stage businesses in raising £1.3 billion since 2012. So yes, CGT changes may pose a challenge. But it's not time to retreat. Founders and investors who leverage these schemes are not just making smart decisions for themselves—they're actively fuelling the next wave of innovation in the UK.

As part of our Success Story series, we caught up with Tom Whittle, the founder of Mission. After a successful crowdfund this year, Mission has made a huge leap, launching its newest product—an all-natural, ready-to-drink energy can—straight into Wholefoods! 👏 Tom's journey began on a cycling challenge through South America, where he constantly chased energy through caffeine and sugar. But the crashes (and even a few hospital trips) led him to local advice and an introduction to Yerba Mate. Inspired, Tom brought this powerful leaf back to the UK, determined to redefine the energy drink market with something natural. Mission's crowdfund saw them gather over 250 investors and raise more than £1.3 million.💪 Tom's biggest challenge? Convincing suppliers to ditch the artificial ingredients. Tom's favourite part of the journey? "There's nothing more valuable than a loyal and growing community." Mission's community has become a vital part of the business, driving growth and sharing their stories. 👇👇👇 💬What inspired you to start your business? Taking on the challenge of cycling the length of South America, my first thought was to fuel myself on caffeine and sugar. I learnt this was not a sustainable way of fuelling. Big energy crashes, and a few trips to hospital later, I was running out of hope I’d make it through the trip. The locals of Argentina introduced me to Yerba Mate. The benefit this leaf had on me and the rest of my ride was huge. I knew I had to bring this incredible leaf to the UK in an accessible and delicious way. 💬What was a significant challenge you faced when launching your startup?  Finding our supplier, in order to disrupt the energy drinks market, we needed to produce a drink that was both functional and delicious, without any of the nasties. 💬How has community played a part in your business's growth? The impact of our community has been huge. Mission has created products that support people through different moments of their day: whether it’s their first 5k, or a better sleep as a new parent. It’s this incredible community, who share their stories and share our product around, that help us to grow, authentically. This noise eventually meant we were picked up by national newspapers, and that catapulted our growth. 💬What advice would you give to others looking to build a community? They’re the beating drum of your marketing - they tell your story, they share your products, and they’re the most trustworthy voice to other consumers. The impact that consumer interactions have is huge. Share your glowing feedback, show your gratitude, entice them to chat with you, keep them involved in product development and make them feel part of your brand growth. 💬 what advice would you offer to other founders who are considering this funding approach? Tell people early, tell people often, and don’t stop shouting about it! It’s an amazing opportunity to have your community involved in the growth of your business.

Moneybox has hit a major milestone, announcing a £550m valuation ahead of a secondary share sale—after moving into profit. With over 1 million customers and £10bn in assets, Moneybox is shaking up the wealth management scene, covering everything from saving and investing to home-buying and retirement. This announcement follows a £70m investment that’s helping power their continued growth. Moneybox raised twice on our platform, securing over £12.9m from 26,000 investors. Now, those same investors are being rewarded with the chance to sell part of their shareholding, marking the largest secondary liquidity event ever for a private company in the UK and EU by number of sellers! It's a perfect example of how crowdfunding can unlock life-changing opportunities for early backers and founders alike. Lars Mucklejohn, at City AM, wrote an in-depth article, to read more follow the link -> https://bit.ly/3YhNBun

Exciting news!! 12 fresh investment opportunities have just landed! Ready to dive in? 👇 NORTHERN MONK, from a cellar in Bradford, £5K and a dream of a brewery that was Fresh from the North, we set out to make the best beer in the world. SunGod’s mission is to become the world’s leading performance eyewear brand, challenging the $183bn industry to See Better. Solo is the company behind Secret Spa. Their mission is to create a better beauty and wellness industry for consumers and therapists. Hypervolt offers an end-to-end solution for home EV charging, starting from the charger itself to an ‘uber-like’ installation marketplace, all the way to our support & servicing. ReBorn Homewares is a homewares brand made entirely from UK waste. Born from a mission to help reduce the c. 70 million plastic household items that are binned every year in the UK, they manufacture their products locally from 100% recycled plastic, and are circular by design. Opto Health’s mission focuses on delivering a faster, safer, and smarter solution for healthcare globally. Hum is a profitable, growing wellness brand offering ‘wellness for everyone’ through quality, affordable yoga, meditation, pilates, workshops, retreats and trainings. At Revive Eco, their mission is to redefine waste and inspire a sustainable future. Beauty Industry award winning, UK StartUps 100 listed, and rated 4.9* out of 1000+ reviews, KinKind Ltd's mission is to lead the way in 100% Plastic Free sustainable beauty. The dairy industry is broken, but it isn’t beyond repair. Mossgiel Organic Dairy Organic Farm believes there’s a world where farming works in harmony with nature, where cows are happy, and milk is delicious. Female founded Neurita Tequila is on a mission to disrupt the category, through its range of deliciously reimagined fruit infused tequilas perfect for margaritas and lower calories cocktails. INTELLITHING® is the enterprise platform for technical teams to develop AI products with no code. - - Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more: bit.ly/3u8ZTH0

More breaking news with Moneybox announcing a big jump in valuation after a £70m investment from tech investor Apis Global Growth Fund III and Amundi, a European asset manager. Ben Stanway and team are building a powerhouse financial services brand 🚀 In what is fast becoming a trend (among their progressive #fintech peers at least), they will be extending the opportunity to sell shares as part of the transaction to employees, early investors and the 26,000+ investors we manage on their behalf. Following the acquisition we made last year and our continued investment in our secondary capability we can manage liquidity events for companies at scale. This will be the largest secondary transaction by number of sellers ever completed in the UK and EU. We now manage close to 1 billion individual securities for investors in 125 countries and the Crowdcube team are looking forward to working on more liquidity events for private companies over the coming months. We will have completed close to £20m in secondary transactions in Q4 alone. You can read more about the deal in the article from Tech.eu below. https://lnkd.in/dUuZ9dJz

Our crowdfunding community was so bright we had to borrow some SunGod sunnies. 😎 SunGod is back for its third raise on Crowdcube, and this B Corp-certified brand is on a mission to challenge the $183bn performance eyewear industry to see better. Their award-winning sunglasses have been styled by stars like Lando Norris, Geraint Thomas, and Ben Ainslie—not to mention 320,000 loyal customers. Here's what they've been up to since their last raise: 🤝 Welcomed 115,000 new customers 🛍️ Transformed into an omnichannel business 👓 Launched Prescription Sunglasses & Eyeglasses ⚡ Secured major licensing deals with McLaren F1, England Cricket, and MLB teams like the Yankees! ⚾ Their previous Crowdcube round sold out in just 79 minutes and they’ve raised £4.9m across two raises with 2.6k investors. Now, they're ready for another round… So, if you want in on their next adventure to become the world's leading performance eyewear brand, don't blink—you might miss it. 👀-> https://bit.ly/4fhscbx - - Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more: bit.ly/3u8ZTH0

Knoops celebrates the ritual of drinking chocolate, and we celebrate all things crowdfunding. So what’s better than a deep dive into their latest raise? Knoops joined us for their first campaign last month and raised an impressive 480% above target. They were raising funds to grow into 30 UK stores and an international presence! Here are some key takeaways from their campaign: 🍫 Knoops closed their raise with 1,756 investors, but that journey started with nearly 40k campaign views, leading to to 4.8K followers and early access sign-ups. Great campaigns nurture potential investors, turning them into a community. 🍫 63% of Knoops’ investors were retail investors and 37% of investors were female —nearly double the industry average. Raising on Crowdcube opens your company up to a diverse portfolio of investors. 🍫 The majority of Knoops' investors were aged 25-34, tapping into a younger demographic. By building a diverse community, Knoops turned investors into advocates —something every founder should aim for in their crowdfunding journey.

A fresh face has arrived! Check out the latest new investment opportunity… 👇 Building on its patented "Clothes That Grow with Children", Petit Pli is on a mission to drive the evolution of sustainable textiles. Recognised by H&M, Dyson, and Amazon, they’re now scaling their natural fibre range. Its Battersea Power Station store has welcomed 200k visits, boasts a 4.9 rating and fostered a community. - - Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 minutes to learn more: bit.ly/3u8ZTH0

What a night! The Crowdcube French team had the pleasure of visiting the Qlower office for an evening with their community of investors. The evening celebrated their latest successful raise of €695,260 from 294 investors on our platform. Experiencing the passion and engagement of founders and investors fuels us at Crowdcube. Investors offered valuable feedback and showed great interest by asking numerous questions about our platform. 💪 Next step? Delivering that ‘big cheque’ to Qlower’s shiny new office 🏢 – Challenge accepted 🤝 A huge thank you to the entire Qlower team for having us. It’s always exciting to see the magic of crowd equity spreading through European deals, just as the UK community has helped fuel countless startups over the past decade. This evening was a powerful reminder that funding is only part of the equation… The real strength lies in the community, which brings invaluable support and insights. We’re proud to be part of it.

Is crowdfunding the right fit for your startup? 🤔 Equity Crowdfunding can be a rigorous process that requires you to be fully prepared and aligned with your business goals. The upside? It can fuel your growth. By transparently showcasing a strong financial record, you’re building trust with potential backers right from the start. Here are key factors to consider when preparing: 1️⃣ Showcase your revenue streams  Pre-revenue? Crowdfunding might not be for you just yet. You need to show potential backers how your business makes money, so revenue streams should be front and centre. 2️⃣ Understand your financial runway  Your runway is a critical indicator of financial management. Before a raise, aim for at least three months of runway, and six months if your raise was successful. 3️⃣ Define your capital requirements Clearly outline how much capital you need and how you intend to use it. A solid plan shows you've thought through the steps necessary for growth, and that’s key to keeping investors on board. Crowdfunding is about building trust from day one—get these right, and you’re on track! For more information to navigate the fundraising process, head to our blog: https://bit.ly/4eJrsMy