Hike secures £675k from DSW Ventures and Jenson Funding Partners to develop its platform and expand its team
The Leicestershire start-up raised the capital from DSW Ventures and Jenson Funding Partners to invest in product development and recruitment.
Hike provides a do-it-yourself search engine optimisation platform designed to help small businesses and digital agencies improve their online visibility. The software guides users through the creation and execution of bespoke optimisation strategies without the cost of a specialist consultant.
Leicestershire start-up Hike has secured £675k in a funding round led by DSW Ventures, with participation from existing backer Jenson Funding Partners. The company provides a search engine optimisation platform that helps small businesses and digital agencies build and execute visibility strategies.
The fresh capital will be directed towards further platform development and recruitment across commercial and operational roles. Alongside the investment, the business has strengthened its leadership team with the appointments of Jim Hodgkins as chair and Deborah Jones as chief financial officer.
The transaction marks the eleventh addition to the DSW Ventures portfolio, highlighting the investor's focus on regional software businesses. Legal and technical advice on the deal was provided by Weightmans and Panamoure Consulting respectively, while Founders Law advised Hike.
Investor perspective
"We were immediately drawn to the scale and speed of growth that Andy and Kieran had achieved with minimal capital, as well as the potential of their product in an underserved area of the SEO market. We are delighted to support such a talented founder team from another very exciting regional software company."
Emma Cassidy
DSW Ventures
Use of funds
- 01Continue product development
- 02Grow the team
