LCR Angel Network has announced investment into two of the region’s most exciting start-up businesses following a pitch event hosted at Sci-Tech Daresbury and supported by the British Business Bank.
Both Jardin Living, a sustainable lifestyle brand founded by Kavita Basi, and AI Sight, an AI system for diabetic retinal screening led by CEO Steven Powell impressed enough to secure a combined £160k investment that will allow both businesses to scale significantly.
With more than 20 years in sourcing and sustainable product development for global sourcing giant Li & Fung, Kavita Basi established Jardin Living, a group of lifestyle brands for the conscious and curious following a life-threatening brain haemorrhage aged just 38 that left her with a survival chance of 50%.
Inspirationally reassessing her lifestyle following her medical event, Kavita has launched a range of activewear made from certified recycled plastic bottle and ocean plastics and a range of vegan trainers and has since achieved B Corp status due to the nature of her sustainable products that are all either recycled, vegan or organic and delivered to its customers in biodegradable packaging.
On Jardin Living’s investment, Kavita Basi said:
“The LCR Angel Network has helped us get one step closer to our vision of building purpose-driven brands through their fantastic pitch event connecting us with the right investors.”
AI Sight, a Univeristy of Liverpool spin out led by Dr Steven Powell is a next generation AI system for diabetic retinal screening and boasts a team with significant medical and research experience. They impressed investors with their revolutionary product that delivers precise grading of retinal damage caused by diabetes getting sufferers of the condition to sight saving interventions without delay.
AI-Sight’s unique design has never been available on the market and provides unrivalled levels of reassurance and safety and is set to support the predicted 643 million people living with diabetes by 2030 who find themselves at heightened risk due to high blood sugar levels damaging their vision.
CEO Dr Steven Powell commented:
“We are delighted that the LCR Angels Network event brought our team and investors together. Now we move forward with the combined goal of preventing vision loss in the population with diabetes.”
Katie Nicholson, Director at the LCR Angel Network said:
“This is great news which highlights that there is continued momentum for businesses receiving investment through our network of angels. This year we are focussing on adapting our offering to enable us to further support an increased number of businesses, across a broader investor base, hopefully leading to an increased amount of capital deployed by angels across the region. I would like to express my thanks to both John Leake at Sci-Tech Daresbury and Delyth Edwards at the British Business Bank for kindly supporting the event.”
Delyth Edwards, Senior Manager for the North West of England, at the British Business Bank commented:
“It was great to team up with the LCR Angel Network to give promising early stage founders a platform to pitch, with such a positive outcome for Jardin Living and AI Sight. The British Business Bank aims to help reduce regional imbalances in access to early-stage equity finance and by collaborating with angel networks we can provide greater opportunities for smaller businesses to raise their first investment.”
For further info please email lcran@msif.co.uk