Luxury food and drink gift company, IMP & MAKER, has secured a £500,000 investment in a deal that values the business at £2m.
The funding comes from an unnamed angel investor in exchange for a minority stake in the growing Lincolnshire-based business.
Sarah Louise Fairburn, who founded IMP & MAKER in 2020, hailed the investment as ‘game-changing’.
She said: “It’s a real validation in what we’re building at IMP & MAKER and me personally. The investor was impressed by the strength of our brand, the quality of our products, and the breadth and range of our customer base. They saw the amazing growth potential in eCommerce and B2B that will see us grow to over £2m this year.
“He shares our vision to disrupt the food and drink gift sector with our beautifully packaged and personalised gifts that our customers remember and savour – all underpinned by the best technology.”
The majority of IMP & MAKER’s business comes through its eCommerce platform, a growing list of corporate clients and its existing relationships with retailers like Costco and Not On The High Street.
The investment will be used to scale the business and repay £200,000 in funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF II) and the Regional Growth Fund.
Fairburn, a single mum-of-four, said: “We’re debt-free and set for growth. Most startups have difficulty obtaining investment, especially in the eCommerce space, which requires large levels of money to gain brand recognition
“We’ve now got the right infrastructure and team in place to take IMP & MAKER to the next level and we’ve significantly increased our margins and reduced our customer acquisition costs.
“We’re on track to make our first profit this year and the £500,000 investment will enable us to take full advantage of the busy Christmas and New Year period. Thank you to our valued advisors – Franklins – in assisting with this investment and Collin Franklin for his continued belief and vision.”
IMP & MAKER employs eight people at its head office in Lincolnshire.
Fairburn previously worked at Fairburn’s Eggs, helping to grow the company’s turnover from £12m to more than £100m. She helped establish the firm as one of the UK’s largest independent egg packers, winning contracts with several major supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury’s and Iceland.
