Success Stories

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Acorn Early Years Foundation had to close a number of its nurseries, with attendance falling to around 10% of its usual level.

Businesses that rely on face-to-face interaction with customers have truly felt the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. With its revenue falling to zero overnight, weight loss therapy provider Silverlink Clinics had to stop all of its treatment and furlough its employees to stay afloat.

As a provider of school meals to millions of childr

What do you do when nearly three-quarters of your customers close overnight? How do you maintain operations in those conditions?

Bamboo Systems was in the process of seeking new investment when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the UK’s investment landscape started to feel its impact.

As a young company, Bockatech needed cash to develop its technology and grow its business but worried that COVID-19 would hamper its ability to raise finance through private investors.

Marwell Wildlife was forced to close its zoo when the Government implemented the shutdown to fight COVID-19. With no visitors paying to enter the zoo, but ongoing costs to meet for the animals’ upkeep, the company sought financial support via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) before its cashflow dried up.

Closing all of its department stores as part of the COVID-19 lockdown and facing a long period of no revenue meant things were looking bleak for Northern Ireland retailer SD Kells.

What do you do when you’re in the middle of a funding round and a pandemic hits?

About to go to market with its new speech recognition technology, Belfast-based Liopa found its business plan threatened once the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Struggling to raise venture capital funding, it turned to the Future Fund, whose financing has allowed the company to maintain its business plan for 2020.

As many of its customers – trade showrooms and builders’ merchants – closed their doors in response to the spread of the coronavirus, bathroom distributors CM Marketing took quick action, changing its working methods and assessing its cashflow.

Only four months into its life as a business, Harvey House Nursery was forced to close to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Having dedicated funds to buying in stock for Royal Ascot 2020, London tailors Oliver Brown were left significantly short when the lockdown was enforced and the racing event took place without spectators.

Like all restaurants, Hot Stone London was ordered to close once coronavirus spread more widely throughout the UK.

Government restrictions introduced in March meant YHA had to close its entire network of youth hostels to guests. To remain operating, the charity had to implement numerous cost-saving measures, but the lack of bookings caused cash reserves to run out.

How do you secure another line of funding when the COVID-19 outbreak has threatened your working capital? This London-based software developer had only recently launched to market when it came up against this dilemma. But thanks to the Future Fund, help was at hand.

To a financial services company that uses machine learning to analyse business data, COVID-19 was a disruption, both to its business plans and the interest from potential investors. But with support via the Future Fund, Util was able to weather the storm and re-engage with clients and the financial services sector.

Before COVID-19 struck, this Oxford University spin-out was aiming to secure seed funding so it could further its work to provide the world’s cheapest on-demand solar power.