£1.4m investment raised for 12 digital businesses

Liverpool start-ups investor We Are Nova has raised £1.4m for 12 digital businesses in its latest investment round.

Marking its most successful raise in company history, Nova is continuing to discover and mentor entrepreneurial talent, taking founders from start-up idea to product to market in just 12 months.

The start-up ‘hub’ provides everything to start a business, from marketing and finance to development and design.

“Our recent funding success is further proof that our start-up school is the best way to kick start a tech business,” said Andy Davidson, We Are Nova chief executive.

“I’m incredibly proud of our founders and I look forward to seeing the businesses continue to thrive as they progress with us.”

Nova’s eight-week start-up school mentors budding entrepreneurs across the UK, getting them ready to pitch for investment and take the next step in launching their tech business.

The company’s unique investment model means founders don’t need to put any of their own money into the business, giving anyone with a good idea the opportunity to get started and make a difference.

Additionally, the company insists that entrepreneurs keep their day job, and instead request only one-day-a-week of their time to work on the start-up.

This seriously reduces the risk for first-time founders and is a real game-changer when it comes to opening up the start-up world to everybody.

Of the 12 businesses just funded, which include a construction work marketplace and personalised date idea generator, two start-ups achieved follow-on investment taking them through to the next stage in Nova’s process.

Here, the founders will see their idea develop into a ready-to-test product as well as go to market.

“Since working with Nova, I’ve taken what was essentially an idea, and together we’ve begun the process of turning it into a real business,” said Sunil Mistry, one of Nova’s founders.

“We’re now developing a more commercial product, which is really exciting. The team at Nova have been amazing to work with and tapping into their expertise has allowed the business to move at the speed it has done.”

The 10 remaining businesses will begin working with Nova’s start-up teams to build a brand and start gaining traction with potential customers.

“Working with Nova has been a dream. Not only did they help me get ready to pitch for investment, but they’ve helped to focus in on the goals I needed to achieve in order to grow our business,” said James MacInnes, one Nova’s successful founders.

“I’m excited to start working closely with the team to take the business further.”