Finance Friday: Who raised funding this week? January 15-19

Beauty brand Neom Organics clinches investment from Piper

Who: Beauty and wellbeing brand Neom Organics
How much: Undisclosed 
Who are the investors: Consumer brand investor Piper
For what: The Young Gun-founded business will use the funding to expand its product range, develop its senior team, open new stores and accelerate international growth.
What they said:

Nicola Elliott, co-founder of Neom Organics, said:

“We are immensely proud of Neom and excited about the potential we have to help more and more customers meet their wellbeing needs.

“We genuinely believe Neom gives them easy, small steps that can help them feel their best every day.”

Digital identity platform Yoti raises £8m

Who: Digital identity platform Yoti
How much: £8m
Who are the investors: Existing angel investors
For what: To accelerate UK growth and respond to “significant international interest”
What they said:

Robin Tombs, CEO and co-founder of Yoti, said:

“We’re giving everyone a simpler and safer way to prove their identity and protect themselves from everyday issues which cost time, money and emotional distress.

“After three years of hard work by the team, we’re very excited that over 4,000 people a day are installing Yoti, and we hope millions of people will benefit from our approach to digital identity.”

HubBox, a retail start-up that allows shops to become ‘click & collect’ points, raises $1.6m

Who: HubBox
How much: $1.6m
Who are the investors: KM Capital, Angel Tech Investors, Nexus Investment Ventures, and Alan Halsall, the ex-CEO of Silver Cross Prams
For what: To grow its retailer base
What they said:

Sam Jarvis, CEO and co-founder of HubBox, said:

“The traditional model can be quite inflexible, as providing Click and Collect services is courier-dependent and often accompanied by prohibitive development costs.

“By providing customisable software at no additional cost and enabling retailers to continue delivering with their current courier, HubBox becomes accessible to any retailer, large or small.”

Online marketplace for used cars Tootle receives seven-figure investment from Channel 4’s Commercial Growth Investment Fund 

Who: Tootle
How much: “seven-figure investment”
Who are the investors: Channel 4’s Commercial Growth Fund
For what: Tootle will now launch a major TV advertising campaign
What they said:

Gordon Tulloch, CEO of Tootle, said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Tootle to reach millions of consumers through Channel 4 Sales’ broadcasting stations such as Channel 4, E4, BT Sport and Dave where the Tootle service gets visibility nationally helping both the car selling consumer and the buying dealer.

“We look forward to working with such a progressive company as Channel 4 and are delighted they have partnered with us.”

Gas safety company Gas Tag valued at over £20 million after sealing private equity deal

Who: Gas Tag
How much: “Multi-million pound investment”
Who are the investors: Private equity house Waterland
For what: To rapidly accelerate UK and international growth
What they said:

Stephen Ullathorne, co-founder of Gas Tag, said:

“The Waterland investment will be transformational for Gas Tag. The funding and support of their experienced team will enable us to rapidly accelerate the growth of the business in the UK and internationally.

“We didn’t just want an investor, we wanted a partner and Waterland stood out as the perfect fit with our ambitions for Gas Tag.”

London theatre app Stagedoor raises £350,000

Who: Stagedoor
How much: £350,000
Who are the investors: Investors on crowdfunding site Seedrs
For what: The money raised will be used to help the Stagedoor app reach 100,000 users in London and expand to New York.
What they said:

Michael Hadjijoseph, co-founder and CEO of Stagedoor, said:

“This is a very exciting time for our company and I would like to thank all our investors for sharing our vision. Together, we will continue to make theatre more accessible and help introduce new audiences to our fantastic industry.”

Oxford University spinout and biotech start-up Vaccitech bags £20m to work on universal flu vaccine

Who: Vaccitech
How much: £20m
Who are the investors: Alphabet’s venture arm GV and Sequoia
For what: To develop a universal flu vaccine