Success Story
Clarendon Fund Managers invested £450,000 in Armagh based tech start up aiming to revolutionise corporate gifting.
| Region/Nation | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Goods & Services |
| Programme | Investment Fund for Northern Ireland |
| Partner |
Needi, which counts KPMG, Microsoft, Spotify, and Virgin among its clients, has developed a gift-matching algorithm designed to align corporate gifts with clients' ESG and sustainability objectives.
Combining AI technology with human expertise, Needi simplifies the process of sourcing unique, sustainable corporate gifts and branded merchandise from local independent businesses.
Clarendon Fund Managers led the seed investment funding with additional investments from others including Techstart Ventures. The seed funding round raised a total of £895,000 for the company.
The funding will enable Needi to expand its workforce further and continue supporting local, independent businesses.
We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far, given the barriers female founders can face but the experience with Clarendon Fund Managers has been brilliant from day one.They have been the opposite of everything I would have expected from a funder. I connected with their fund manager, Claudine Owens, a few years ago and it really feels like she knows me and the business inside out.
Both Steph and I really do feel like they are there to help and support us. They are incredibly personable and understanding. We are a high scale company, and we feel all our investors are incredibly supportive.
I have 14-month-old twins and Steph has a two-year-old. It can be challenging as female founders to juggle work and home life, but we are building a company with an ethos that makes that balance achievable.
I would encourage anyone with similar ambitions to explore the opportunities that Clarendon Fund Managers and the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland can offer.
- Louise Doyle Co-Founder, Needi
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