David brings investment and corporate finance experience from roles at DSW Ventures, KPMG Corporate Finance, and PKF. He previously directed the North West Fund for Digital and Creative.
Keith brings investment experience as a partner at DSW Ventures and founding partner at DSW Angels, following roles at KPMG and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
DSW Angels backed the Manchester-based market intelligence firm in a rapid fundraise.
"We have achieved a lot in our first three years as a business, working with some of the leading global brands, building an incredible 30-plus strong team who continue to collaborate and innovate in a way which I have never witnessed before, and winning critical acclaim and coveted industry awards. The investment from DSW is an important next step to enable our further international expansion and to increase our investment in our research and technology-based teams in Manchester. I am also delighted to welcome Stefan to the team, whose experience will be of great benefit as we scale up our business on all fronts."
DSW Angels led the Series A round to support platform development and business expansion.
"The last few years have been incredibly exciting for us. This new investment will enable us to further build a stable and scalable platform for growth. Our customer-first approach means that people trust us and come back year after year. We now serve thousands of students, young professionals, families and others with our all in one service. Dale and I are excited about the next stage of growth which will include expanding the team based in Newcastle."
The e-commerce platform secured backing from GMCA, DSW Angels, and management to accelerate global growth.
"Shopblocks offers much greater flexibility than other platforms which rely on standard templates. Our technology allows users to achieve a 'custom-built' look at a fraction of the cost. As more people discover the benefits, we are continuing to win customers from the bigger platforms. This latest funding round will support us in our mission to become the leading website platform in the UK and build our presence worldwide."
The funding round was led by DSW Angels and will support product range expansion and inventory growth.
"Our customers tell us there are no other trousers like ours on the market. We aim to empower women and encourage them to spend more time outdoors by providing the gear for them to do so. The ‘trail to the street’ look means they can walk up a mountain but still look stylish in the pub afterwards."
