The platform raised capital from nearly 250 angel investors and family offices to support its collaborative investment infrastructure.
"I think we are missing a huge opportunity by leaving the power to decide what companies get built in the hands of so few people. It means you end up building stuff that just isn’t aligned with our needs. Over the next 20 years or so, technology is going to revolutionise energy, healthcare, education, finance, food production…basically any industry you can think of. It’s a huge opportunity, and there’s a lot to be excited about!"
The oversubscribed round was led by Playfair Capital with backing from multiple institutional investors and angel backers.
"James and Hector have been really engaged since I appeared on the podcast and it made sense to invite them into what was a highly competitive round due to their network, experience and willingness to help and support."
Playfair Capital led the pre-seed round to fund the launch of the social commerce solution and team expansion.
"The Chinese ecommerce market is an extremely enticing one for Western brands, but the challenges of doing business there are nontrivial. Many brands never get started in China, whilst others receive piecemeal, misaligned and substandard service from a hotchpotch of uncoordinated service providers. Kuai’s tech first, full stack approach, combined with the incredibly deep and rich market experience of the team accumulated over many years, is a compelling proposition for any brand wanting to build a successful long-term business in China. We’re incredibly excited to be working with the team on this journey."
Haatch Ventures led the pre-seed round to help the learning platform scale its international presence and educator network.
"Pre-seed funding is a hugely exciting time for any start-up – it’s the launchpad from which the future can develop. Having the backing of industry heavyweights like Jason Foster gives me even more conviction in our mission to become the go to educator for data literacy amongst business users. Data-led, data-literate organisations are the future of business, and we are proud to be helping them and their employees get there."
The seed financing round was backed by Active Partners and existing investors including Ascension.
"This new round of funding caps off an amazing year for Plend. Since launching our first affordable credit product to consumers this year, we have been able to help so many people get access to the money they need to get on with their lives at affordable and fair rates. We are thrilled to be working with our newest investment partners to provide a truly ethical alternative to the broken credit scoring system that locks so many people out of the market, especially during these times of economic turbulence and rising interest rates."
