Female entrepreneurship funding and support platform AllBright has raised £1.85 million in its latest funding round.
The aim of the London-based platform to discover and fund companies led by female entrepreneurs at all stages of growth and make the UK “the best place in the world to be a female founder”.
It has backed six businesses since launch, including smart consumer devices firm Chiaro and organic baby food brand Piccolo.
AllBright is the brainchild of Debbie Wosskow OBE, founder of Love Home Swap, and Anna Jones, CEO of Hearst Magazines UK.
Wosskow was one of our 100 Female Role Models of Tech in December 2016.
Launched in November 2016, it has backing and support from an advisory board which includes Sherry Coutu CBE, Lord Chadlington and Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE.
The Series A round was led by a Cain International consortium including leading property developer Galliard Homes.
Other contributors were Robert Swannell (M&S), Mervyn Davies (Corsair), Paul White (Frogmore), Ben Samuels (WeWork) and Jan Hall (Heidrick & Struggles/JCA).
“We are delighted to be working with Cain International, Galliard and our group of angel investors,” said Wosskow.
“In the 10 months since AllBright launched, we have begun to build a network for working women that we hope can make the UK a great place for female founders and executives.
“We’re excited for the next stage of scaling up our platform, events and funding over the coming months.”
The firm held two ‘FoundHER’ festivals in the summer, in Manchester and London, which saw 1,000 attendees hear from more than 80 speakers including Lastminute.com co-founder Martha Lane Fox.
Our reporter Katherine Lofthouse was among those who heard from some promising young entrepreneurs there.
AllBright has appointed Erica Allen, who founded HomeAway and oversaw its sale to Expedia, as COO.
Jones said: “With AllBright, we have developed a brand and a mission that people really care about.
“It has galvanised many who want to see positive change for women in business and we are very excited to have consolidated our senior team with the appointment of Erica and about what we can build for our community as we continue to develop the company.”