Pre-loved school uniform platform CRESS has secured £234k in a pre-seed funding round led by GC Angels alongside One Planet Capital and a number of angel investors.
The funding will enable the Manchester-based business to enhance its roll-out of an easy-to-use digital platform that connects schools and parents with sustainable and affordable school uniforms.
The round was led by GC Angels alongside One Planet Capital and a number of angel investors.
It will also help CRESS to expand its number of partnerships and scale its mission of making school uniforms more affordable, whilst tackling the environmental impact of clothing waste in the UK.
Many families across the UK are sending perfectly good uniforms to landfill, rather than following a reuse or recycle scheme.
To combat this, CRESS’s platform provides a process for parents to donate these pre-loved items, with families able to purchase them at a fraction of the cost.
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On average, parents can save up to 70% on the price of new uniforms through the platform.
Schools signed up to the platform receive over 80% of the revenue from these sales, helping them to secure additional funding.
Since its inception, CRESS has partnered with Carma, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Awesome Books, highlighting its growing reputation.
Through the GMCA’s support, CRESS has reached more than 1,200 schools across the 10 Greater Manchester councils.
“We are joining sustainability with affordability, supporting schools to sell pre-loved uniforms through an online, customer-friendly platform,” said Carl Morris, co-founder of CRESS.
“Our model helps parents save money, supports schools with vital funding, and reduces waste and carbon emissions – all whilst making sure no perfectly good uniform item goes to waste.
“We’re so passionate about making a difference, and we’re really grateful to GC Angels for their support. By introducing us to the likes of GMCA and Carma, along with their financial investment, GC Angels is helping to propel CRESS into our next stage of growth.”
Ranvir Singh, investment manager at GC Angels, added: “We were so impressed by the potential of CRESS to create both social and environmental impact at scale.
“The business model is innovative and the team’s ability to work closely with schools ensures that CRESS will reach thousands of families, providing real value to local communities.”