Finance Kitchen cooking up a storm in independent hospitality funding

UK Investor Magazine
-
0
Finance Kitchen cooking up a storm in independent hospitality funding

Finance Kitchen’s mission is simple; to be London’s number one provider of funding to the independent food and drink market.

Founder Ian Woodley has been involved in financial services since leaving school, and after a number of years operating a successful business recovery company has turned his hand to supporting independent organisations in the hospitality sector.

Finance Kitchen has begun operating at a time when consumers are becoming savvier and changing their shopping habits.Supermarkets are being shunned for independents and pop-up outlets are the destination of choice for trendy Londoners.

Ian describes Finance Kitchen as a “one-stop shop” for businesses seeking financing opportunities in the hospitality sector. Whether an organisation is issuing equity or debt in return for capital, Finance Kitchen will act as an intermediary.

Finance Kitchen works with businesses ranging from pop-up casual food outlets to Michelin Starred chefs. The amount of capital required by businesses in partnership with Finance Kitchen ranges from £200,000 to £2,000,000.

One of their current investment opportunities is Tubby Isaacs, the iconic east end brand who are relaunching a chain of seafood based bars. Known for their Aldgate stall, Tubby Issacs is aiming to raise £950,000 to fund their first site in Shoreditch. Their plan is to roll out up to 5 seafood bars in London in the first couple of years.

“We are about Food, Finance and London” says Ian, this proposition ticks all three boxes.

Tubby Issacs is typical of the businesses Finance Kitchen raises funds for, those that warrant substantial investment but fall under the radar of private equity houses who focus on already established businesses.

The opportunities on offer are not limited to outlets and restaurants; Finance Kitchen is working with low calorie Champagne brand Skinny Fizz who need to raise £300,000 to fund expansion. Skinny Fizz is currently on sale in Selfridges and a couple of high end London restaurants but wants to go national.

Finance Kitchen fills a gap for the independent food sector left by private equity houses who tend to favour larger chains.

However, such businesses have found they are gaining more traction in the army of investors who seek opportunities on crowdfunding sites.

While Ian has strong links to crowdfunding channels, he has opted to utilise his existing network of investors to raise capital, occasionally a mix of the two is needed.

He points out that although there are many successful projects funded by crowdfunding websites, such channels may not have the long term benefits that can be achieved by working with a handful of focussed investors.

Ian is also busy deal-making with new networks of investors who can offer higher flexibility for businesses and keep their projects under wraps before they launch.

The investors that Finance Kitchen work with tend to be more sophisticated than those of the well-known crowdfunding websites, who will take as little as £500 from investors in order to fully fund a pitch. Finance Kitchen will take minimum investments of around £30,000-£50,000 and seeks to fund some opportunities from a single investor.

“The majority of investments qualify for SEIS or EIS so there are some very attractive tax treatments for individuals who support new and growing businesses, the food business is also a load of fun so you get a return on your investment with a smile on your face” says Ian.

Fund managers predicted Greece likely to default, but not exit

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Fund managers predicted Greece likely to default, but not exit
A new survey by Bank of America Merril Lynch has found that nearly half of fund managers believed Greece could default, but do not think it likely that that a Grexit will occur. Of over 200 fund managers surveyed, only 15% believe that the Greek talks will end with Greece exiting Europe, compared to 42% who rightly predicted that Greece will default on their payments. Pictet Wealth Management economist Jean-Pierre Durante argues that default does not necessarily mean Grexit. He says: “It is not in anyone’s interests for Greece to leave the eurozone. For Greece, it would mean widespread bankruptcies. For the remaining eurozone members, the fact that a precedent of exit had been established would probably lead to a permanent upwards re-pricing of their sovereign debt. For both sides, it would be a very risky leap into the unknown.” In an interview with Fundweb, Rowan Dartington Signature’s Guy Stephens agrees with the fund managers that had a positive outlook for Europe for the near future, though thinks it is clear we might see a period of market uncertainty in the short term. “[If Greece defaults] that will cause a short period of uncertainty and nervousness, but it is likely to be an isolated situation from which the rest of Europe can move on from.” Greece defaulted on the 1.6 billion euro loan from the IMF on Tuesday, and now face a referendum to decide whether to accept Europe’s bailout proposal. Greek PM Alex Tsipras insists that voting no to the EU’s offer will not lead to a Grexit; however, European leaders have made it clear that, if the proposal is not accepted, it is very likely that Greece will be leaving the euro.

Tsipras urges Greeks to vote no

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Tsipras urges Greeks to vote no
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras has urged the Greek people to reject “blackmail” and vote no in the referendum on Sunday. In a short TV interview, Tsipras reiterated that Greece will not leave the euro and accused the Eurogroup of “scaremongering”. However, EU leaders say that voters on Sunday will really be voting on whether or not to leave the Euro. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has vowed to quit if the people vote Yes to the EU’s bailout proposal. A poll commissioned by Bloomberg News showed opinion is fairly evenly split ahead of the vote; 43 percent intend to vote “no” and 42.5 percent back a “yes” to accept the conditions. Both sides are attempting to quickly drum up support in the few days before the referendum takes place.

8 reasons to invest in Crystal Palace

Miranda Wadham
-
0
8 reasons to invest in Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, SE19, is situated in South-East London, surrounded by Norwood, Sydenham and Dulwich. Whilst it may seem far out on a map, there are plenty of reasons why Crystal Palace is worth looking at.

1 – Crystal Palace has excellent transport links. The overground links to Shoreditch in 28 minutes and Canary Wharf in 20. There are also direct trains to London Bridge and London Victoria, and in 15 mins you can be in Clapham, where you can change and go anywhere in the South. 2 – Crystal Palace triangle, made up of three roads at the top of the hill, boasts plenty of great restaurants, bars and pubs. Favourites include the Westow pub, which has an outdoor courtyard and BBQs in summer, the Market Place restaurant and the White Hart. If you’re a fan of beer, further down the hill towards Gipsy Hill there are two small breweries, the London Beer Factory and Gipsy Hill Brewing Company. Both of these breweries often hold open evenings, with £3 pints, DJs and live music. WestowHouse-85 3 – This area is one of the highest points in London, as noted by the large radio tower standing on the hill. It also means the views are great; from the residential roads surrounding Crystal Palace, there are panoramic views over the whole city. The City of London 4 – Crystal Palace is walking distance from sought after Dulwich Village. The high street has plenty of great independent shops, restaurants and good schools, including Alleyn’s, James Allen’s Girls’ School and Dulwich College. It is also home to Dulwich Art Gallery, the world’s first purpose built art gallery that houses an impressive collection of paintings, including works by Rembrandt and Constable. 100_3556 5 – On the site of the old Crystal Palace, a huge glass building that was destroyed by fire in 1932, there is a big open space including a small lake and a dinosaur trail. And if you’re a fan of football, the Crystal Palace stadium sits there too. crystal-palace-park 6 – If the bars and pubs around Crystal Palace aren’t enough, the area is a short 15 minute bus journey from lively Brixton. With a similar vibe to Shoreditch, there are clubs, high street shops and food markets. Pop Brixton has just opened, a bigger and better version of Shoreditch’s Box Park, boasting street food, DJs and indendent shops. The bus there also runs as a night bus, meaning getting home after a night out is no problem. Brixton-village-london1 7 – The area is becoming well known for its antiques shopping. The biggest shop is Crystal Palace Antiques, spreads over four floors and showcases items from many different dealers – ranging from classic Victorian to Arts & Crafts and Art Deco through 20th Century Modern. It’s located in a former Victorian warehouse building, crammed full of chandeliers, lighting, furniture, mirrors and art. antique 8 – The even better news is that Crystal Palace remains relatively cheap – £600,000 for a 4 bed house as opposed to upwards of £800,00 in neighbouring Dulwich. The area has plenty of pretty Victorian housing, both semi and detached.

palace_600_house_33195As people get priced out of more and more areas, places that have been overlooked in the past are regenerating themselves. Crystal Palace is well-situated, accessible, relatively cheap and has plenty of character – making it an ideal investment opportunity.

  Miranda Wadham      

Ubisense down 13%

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Ubisense down 13%
Ubisense (LON:UBI) fell 13.12% this morning after a trading update announced that revenue for the first half of 2015 will be below that of 2014. The company cite the previously announced loss of two major contracts, and further delays in the completion of other contracts due to be signed this year. Ubisense is a market leader in enterprise location intelligence solutions, helping manufacturing, communications and utility companies improve operational efficiency and boost profitability.

Phorm Corp up 23% after showing strong growth

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Phorm Corp up 23% after showing strong growth
Technology company Phorm Corp (AIM:PHRM) is one of the biggest movers on the AIM this morning after announcing an unaudited operational and financial update showing further strong growth in the group’s revenues and key performance indicators. The company was up 23.54% in early hours of trading. Their average daily unique users have risen over 50%, from 12.5m in 2014 to 35.5m this year. Similarly, their revenue has increased exponentially, from £2m in 2014 to £29m this year. Phorm is a global personalisation technology company that makes content and advertising more relevant to the consumer. Phorm’s innovative platform preserves user privacy and delivers a more interesting online experience.

Markets subdued before Greek referendum

UK Investor Magazine
-
0
Markets subdued before Greek referendum
European equity markets remained subdued ahead of this weekend’s Greek referendum. Investors will be glued to polls in the run up to the vote, the results of which have been mixed and too close to call. A poll conducted by Bloomberg had 42.5% voting yes against 43% voting no. Many see the referendum as a vote on Greece’s Eurozone membership despite comments by Greek PM Tsipras who says a no vote would only better Greece’s position in talks with the Troika. Markets are suffering Greek crisis fatigue and are dead flat in early trading. However, the tranquil movements of today’s trade do not reflect the uncertainty surrounding Sunday’s vote and a no vote could kick-start a period of severe volatility. Given the backdrop of Eurozone QE some see any weakness as a buying opportunity. “We would see any Greek related crash as a buying opportunity” said Dafydd Davies, partner at Charles Hanover Investments. Not only are the stakes high for financial markets, the key political players have also put themselves on the line. Greek Finance Minister Varoufakis said he will resign if there is a yes vote. Tsipras and his government are campaigning for a no vote and an end to austerity imposed on the Greek people

Fertility product latest to crowdfund on SyndicateRoom

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Fertility product latest to crowdfund on SyndicateRoom
A fertility product that claims to be 99% accurate is the latest project to seek investment via crowd-funding platform SyndicateRoom. Fertility Focus are aiming to raise £275,000 in return for 6.32% equity in the business. Their product, Ovusense, is a real-time ovulation monitor that is able to predict the onset of ovulation a day in advance, and confirm the exact date of ovulation; th eonly product on the market able to do this. The Company has a small but extremely rounded team with expertise in consumer digital marketing, high volume medical devices, women’s health and intellectual property development. The CEO Robert Milnes has a sales and marketing background, as well as years in the industry financing and developing healthcare products. Chairman Steve Godber was the lead investor in last round of funding, and has 25 years of healthcare experience; others in the team include a dedicated commercial manager and nurse consultant, ensuring that all areas of the company are covered. CEO Robert Milnes said: “We’re delighted to be helping couples that have sometimes struggled with infertility for years to become pregnant. Our next generation product will open that opportunity to an even wider audience.”  

Got Bitcoin to spare? Try Assassination Market

Miranda Wadham
-
0
Got Bitcoin to spare? Try Assassination Market
Despite recent attempts to change its image, Bitcoin has long been associated with the black market; think drugs, sex and Silk Road, the now defunct online illegal marketplace. However, it seems the dark side of web has got even darker; Bitcoin can now be used to put a price on the head of your enemies. Enter Assassination Market, an online platform that allows anyone to anonymously contribute bitcoins towards a bounty on the head of any government official. If crowdfunding an arts project seems a little tame, this might be the sort of thing you’re looking for. Created in 2013, the website was first publicised when its creator anonymously contacted a journalist at Forbes magazine, using the pseudonym Kuwabatake Sanjuro. The concept is simple; people contribute money to a name on the list – which currently includes Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke and the Prime Minister of Finland – and predict when they will die. The person with the correct prediction presumably committed the act, so can then claim the money. Whilst the site is innovative – and alarming – enough, the idea behind it is even more disturbing. Its creator hopes that, eventually, so many government officials will be assassinated through this service that no one will want to step up to the job – and voi la! The abolishment of the establishment is complete. In an interview with Forbes, he admitted that he intends Assassination Market to destroy “all governments, everywhere.” “I believe it will change the world for the better,” wrote Sanjuro. ”Thanks to this system, a world without wars, dragnet panopticon-style surveillance, nuclear weapons, armies, repression, money manipulation, and limits to trade is firmly within our grasp for but a few bitcoins per person. I also believe that as soon as a few politicians gets offed and they realize they’ve lost the war on privacy, the killings can stop and we can transition to a phase of peace, privacy and laissez-faire.” Bitcoin is the first well-known cryptocurrency, a type of decentralised digital currency that can be sent and received anonymously – making it perfect for the black market. Sanjuro chose to accept only Bitcoins to protect not only himself from being identified by the financial transactions, but his users and any potential assassins as well. However, it appears that Sanjuro’s project may have started at the wrong time; the government have begun cracking down on online black markets, seizing Silk Road just months before Assassination Market went live. Forbes contacted the FBI and Secret Service for the piece, but both declined to comment. Miranda Wadham      

Mobile payments app Cake nears overfunding on Crowdcube

UK Investor Magazine
-
0
Mobile payments app Cake nears overfunding on Crowdcube
Cake is a free mobile payment app that taps into restaurants and bars electronic Point of Sale (ePOS) system allowing customers to pay without leaving their seats. Cake’s founder have set about alleviating the hassle of paying the bill at the end of dinner or waiting to settle up a tab by enabling patrons to pay via a few taps on their smartphones. The app will also allow users to easily split bills and view changes to the bill in real time. The venture is backed by senior executives of successful eating-out apps toptable.com and Opentable. Founder of toptable.com Karen Hanton MBE, is both an investor and key advisor. Cake has enjoyed early successes by bringing 20 venues, including the Rum Kitchen and Goat, on board. Cake aims to recruit a total of 500 venues within two years. This is an ambitious target and one would look towards the struggles payment service Monitise (LON:MONI) have endured as a reason to be cautious. However, Cake has said that it is maintaining 20% week-on-week revenue growth and will use funds to increase marketing and improve the app. Cake entered the round of crowdfunding with no existing debt or equity investment and hopes that overfunding on Crowdcube will suffice through 2016, by which time revenues should be enough to support development. Cake are offering 7.06% equity for the £800,000 target, valuing the company at £11.33 million. If financial forecasts are achieved, Cake will have a Price/Earnings Ratio of 5.12 in 2018, if there is no further dilution. Such a valuation will leave plenty of upside for investors in a trade sale or IPO. The deal struck by Paypal and Xoom today highlights the potential.
1...1,7441,7451,746...1,758Page 1,745 of 1,758