Last month, MarketInvoice reached the milestone of funding £2bn worth of invoices and business loans to UK companies. Launched in 2011, the company has provided business finance solutions to thousands of businesses across the UK who employ more than 19,000 people. During this time over 90,000 invoices have been funded to 93 countries. In 2017, MarketInvoice almost doubled the average amount advanced to UK businesses – from £606,000 in 2016 to £1.14m.

Anil Stocker, CEO and Co-founder of MarketInvoice commented: “Featuring on this panel will broaden our reach and help even more businesses achieve their goals. Companies across the UK are choosing to diversify funding sources with more than £4b advanced through alternative finance firms. Furthermore, the invoice finance [and asset-based lending] sector is providing more finance to UK businesses than ever before. Funding volumes are up 5% year on year and stand at just over £23b. This is the highest figure ever.”

“As the first invoice finance provider on the panel, we will be able to showcase how invoice finance can help businesses of all sizes and work with them to find the right solution. Enhancing access to borrowing is essential for jobs and economic growth.”

Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking at Natwest, said: “We’re excited to welcome our first invoice finance provider to Capital Connections. MarketInvoice has serviced a large number and wide variety of businesses. Their robust service, quick and easy to use solutions, provide another distinct choice for the many innovative businesses in the UK. As the biggest supporter of British business, we understand that traditional funding routes are not always the best option for fast growing start-ups. Through Capital Connections we’re able to signpost a broad choice of funding options through its impressive range of alternative lenders.”

MarketInvoice is the ninth alternative finance provider to join Capital Connections, alongside Funding Circle, Assetz Capital, Start Up Loans, Seedrs, Together, iwoca, Esme Loans* and NatWest Social & Community Capital**. Each provider has been selected to cover the range of different funding products and include a mix of specialty finance and peer-to-peer lending.

MarketInvoice business highlights (last 12 months):

• Reached landmark milestone of funding invoices and business loans worth £2b to UK companies
• Launched new brand and business loans solution
• Secured credit insurance (Euler Hermes) and credit control (Veritas Commercial Services) partnerships
• Partnered with European banks that are participating directly on the platform alongside the British Business Bank, UK local authorities, global family offices and sophisticated and HNW investors
• Selected in The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and Global CB Insights Fintech250 2017 rankings
• Appointed Giles Andrews OBE, the founding father of peer-to-peer lending, as Chairman

MarketInvoice’s main strategic ambition is to broaden its reach to be able to support a wider range of businesses, from start-ups to larger businesses looking to scale up. The company aims to help even more companies with their working capital needs, so business owners can save time and focus on running their business.

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This partnership will offer Fidor’s UK commercial customers a whole suite of investment opportunities through the digital marketplace, including access to alternative investment opportunities via a number of the most respected fintech companies in the UK.

Seedrs, the most active equity investment platform into UK private companies, has been selected by Fidor Bank as the only equity based finance provider due to a history of funding some of the most exciting and ambitious growth focused businesses. Seedrs has already funded over 500 investment rounds for fast-growth SMEs, with more than £220 million invested into campaigns on the platform to date.

Among the companies Seedrs has given investors access to include FreeAgent, which underwent an IPO on AIM in December last year; Tossed, the healthy eating company; Chapel Down, the English wine company quoted on the NEX Exchange; WeSwap a peep to peer currency exchange platform and Landbay, a marketplace lender focused on prime residential mortgages.

Nutmeg, the online wealth manager will also be joining Seedrs on Fidor’s marketplace, and more leading fintech partners will be announced in the coming months as the scheme rolls out and is expected to include a number of debt based peer-to-peer platforms.

Nutmeg builds and manages intelligent portfolios, ISAs and pensions, with no hidden charges. For Nutmeg customers with fully managed portfolios, we regularly review the investments to make sure that their money is still invested in the assets that best fit their personal investment goals and risk profile. Nutmeg invests in exchange-traded funds, which are designed to track the movement of various market indices.

Katharina Rausch, Head of FinanceBay, Fidor’s fintech marketplace, said: “We are pleased to welcome Seedrs and Nutmeg into our fintech marketplace as our investment providers. Fidor has long welcomed affluent and financially curious customers to our digital bank and based on their investment appetites we have build an exciting suite of investment products made accessible to customers via a handful of carefully curated fintech partners. Our fintech marketplace will be instrumental in offering exciting investment opportunities to many of Fidor’s UK based customers.”

Jeff Lynn, CEO and co founder of Seedrs, said: “Our new partnership with Fidor Bank provides us a great opportunity to give a tech savvy investor base access to some of the most exciting early stage investment opportunities in Europe. We are huge admirers of Fidor and all that has achieved as one of the original challenger banks, and we look forward to welcoming many of their customers as Seedrs investors.”

Martin Stead, CEO of Nutmeg commented: “The way people save, invest and manage their money is changing. Innovative technology is transforming financial services with a clear focus on improving access and opportunity for new and existing investors. We are passionate about making quality wealth management available to everyone and initiatives like Fidor’s fintech marketplace, make great strides toward this goal.”

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August 19, 2015: Tennis champion and world number two Andy Murray announced that he has made multiple investments on Seedrs, the largest equity crowdfunding platform in Europe.

Murray, who joined the Seedrs advisory board in June, identified three British businesses he wanted to back on the crowdfunding platform, and has invested an undisclosed amount into all three. Murray plans to make further investments as part of his strategic relationship with Seedrs.

He has made investments in London-based, healthier eating chain Tossed which has exceeded its £750,000 target, as part of their Seedrs round, and is currently in overfunding.

Murray has also made investments in Trillenium, a leading builder of 3D virtual reality shops, which has been backed by UK-based ASOS and has raised over £225,000 on Seedrs so far.  He has also made investments in Fuel Ventures Fund which has been founded by award-winning entrepreneur Mark Pearson of myvouchercodes.co.uk which raised £549,900 on Seedrs as part of their overall £30million venture fund.

Murray said about these investments, “I’m excited to be investing in these driven entrepreneurs and their businesses on Seedrs. It’s important to me that I back people who I believe have the same dedication, hunger and professional standards as myself and always strive to be their best.”

“The three businesses I’ve chosen to kick off my crowdfunding investment portfolio are all in areas of industry I find interesting. Healthy eating is something I have to be passionate about as a sportsman, so Tossed was immediately one to consider, and the other two businesses are really pushing the boundaries of technology. I’m hoping that I can learn something from how they are edging ahead of the competition and take that vision onto the court with me. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for these businesses and continuing to work closely with Seedrs.”

Murray is the first major public figure to team up with an equity crowdfunding platform in this way. The Seedrs strategic partnership adds to Murray’s off court interests, which also include his management company, 77, and luxury Scottish hotel, Cromlix.

Jeff Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Seedrs, said, “It’s great to see Andy already taking such an active interest in the businesses on Seedrs. The fact he has decided to make multiple investments in hungry entrepreneurs shows his commitment to building a dynamic portfolio of early-stage businesses. Andy has already brought a lot of value to the Seedrs Advisory Board over the past few months and we welcome his continued support.”

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