The Mercarto platform offers up-and-coming entrepreneurs the opportunity to create an end-to-end online retail business without the risks normally associated with launching a business.
It enables you to launch an eCommerce website in minutes and plans to rival Magento and Shopify.
Mercarto founder and CEO Sean Brown is enrolled in the Tech Manchester mentoring programme, backed by UKFast.
Brown said: “When Mercarto joined the Tech Manchester mentor programme in March, the level of support was beyond all expectations.
“UKFast is full of amazing people, so to plug into their talent pool is an exciting prospect.
“There are a number of other investment funds interested in Mercarto, but it’s not just about the cash injection.”
The investment is already paying off, with the start-up creating more Manchester jobs and bringing in its first two hires: a full-time UX developer and full-time PHP developer.
Mercarto is expanding further and is now on the lookout for talent, including a marketer, to join its growing team.
It is the first business signed up to move into the FastForward accelerator at UKFast Campus later this year.
The platform manages every aspect of ordering and customer service, with store owners taking up to 40 per cent profit on products sold. All users have to do is name their store, select the products they wish to stock, and launch – they then drive sales by marketing the store through their own networks.
Mercarto now boasts more than 100 stores following a soft launch earlier this year.