Three EIS single companies backed by industry heavyweights – and Wealth Club investors
Don't invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.
Estimated reading time: 2 min
Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.
What are the key risks?
- You could lose all the money you invest
- If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invested. Most start-up businesses fail.
- You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong
- Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.
- Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.
- You won’t get your money back quickly
- Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.
- The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
- If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
- Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
- A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments.
- The value of your investment can be reduced
- The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
- These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.
If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.
When industry heavyweights back a startup with their expertise or investment, it can be a strong vote of confidence in the potential of the business and its founding team. They can also contribute their experience and make valuable introductions to help support the business as it grows, ultimately aiming for a profitable exit (not guaranteed).
This article looks at three companies that have won such backing.
They are single companies that Wealth Club investors have invested in under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) – and are still available for investment. A government-backed scheme, EIS offers generous tax reliefs in recognition of – and to help somewhat mitigate – the high risk of investing in promising early-stage companies, an important engine of the UK economy.
The following companies vary in sector – but are all data-driven platforms, that use AI and aim to address an unmet need in their respective industries.
Important: The information on this website is for experienced investors. It is not a personal recommendation to invest. If you’re unsure, please seek advice. These are single company investments with no diversification and are for the long term. They are high risk and can fall as well as rise in value: you could lose all the money you invest. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on circumstances. Quotes in the article represent the views of those quoted and not necessarily those of Wealth Club.
Read more on these three companies – and how you could invest in them
- Cult Mia – a ‘conscious luxury’ fashion marketplace for young affluent consumers, backed by H&M Ventures and the Chanel family office.
- Kore Labs – A RegTech platform led by a prominent founder and board with senior-level experience across a range of leading financial institutions.
- Scooch Pet – the first subscription platform taking care of all aspects of a pet’s wellbeing, backed by global giant Mars Petcare.
Backed by H&M Ventures and the Chanel Family Office
Cult Mia EIS: fast-growing luxury fashion online marketplace
Cult Mia is a designer fashion marketplace for affluent Gen Z and Millennial consumers. This digital-native, potentially multibillion-dollar demographic seeks luxury with a sustainable provenance and curated shopping experiences. Cult Mia selects and hosts 500+ independent designers from 42 countries, partners with influencers to engage customers and foster loyalty, and earns commission on every sale.
Unlike many traditional retailers, Cult Mia does not hold inventory. Instead, designers list their products on the platform and fulfil customers’ orders on demand. This means Cult Mia can deliver a gross profit from the first order, and onboard new brands quickly and with minimal overheads – underpinning the potential scalability of the model. The platform aims to use AI to enhance personalisation and has introduced an AI-powered virtual fitting room to help improve size recommendations and reduce returns.
The company is led by a team of experienced professionals (including ex Net-a-Porter, McKinsey, and Goldman Sachs) – and is backed by notable investors such as H&M’s investment arm H&M Group Ventures, the Chanel Family Office, Morgan Stanley and Chanel heir and luxury fashion investor David Wertheimer. Fuel Ventures – run by successful entrepreneur-turned-investor Mark Pearson – is leading Cult Mia’s current fundraise.
Achievements and current fundraise
Cult Mia has more than doubled sales growth every year since launch in 2019 – and aims to achieve £1 billion gross merchandise value by 2033 (not guaranteed). It plans to do this by expanding in its core markets the US and Middle East, adding new product categories and strategic partnerships, and investing in technology to improve product discovery and conversion rates.
- Target return based on Company’s forecasts: 5x, not guaranteed
- Tax relief available in: 2025/26 tax year (carry back to 2024/25)
- Minimum investment: £20,000
Tripling revenue. Beating luxury giants. Redefining fashion… With Cult Mia, it was clear from the outset that [founder/CEO] Nina Briance and her team were building something exceptional - a fashion marketplace that not only champions emerging designers, but also rethinks luxury retail for the modern consumer.
Founded by senior executive of JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, and Coutts
Kore Labs EIS: platform helping financial institutions comply with stringent regulations
Kore Labs has created a RegTech platform that enables financial organisations to comply with increasingly onerous regulations and keep full audit trails of the lifecycle of every product and service they offer. This is where legacy software has often fallen behind, putting financial organisations at risk of non-compliance and fines.
The cloud-based platform gives a 360-degree view and real-time insights previously inaccessible to decision-makers. Its technology is now used by a growing list of Tier 1 financial institutions including NatWest, Lloyds, Coutts, Italy’s largest bank, and two of the Netherlands’ top three banks.
The company is a four-time winner of the government’s Innovate UK grant – awarded for potential “to deliver game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy”.
Kore aims to be instrumental in building an industry-wide framework that supports transparency, better customer outcomes, and sustainable finance. The company has identified AI and Machine Learning as a critical part of its product roadmap and is using them to enhance its financial product management platform.
Founder Sabrina Del Prete has held global leadership roles at leading financial institutions over the course of three decades. She is supported by a high-profile Board, with experience in similarly senior-level roles at JP Morgan Chase, RBS, Barclays, NatWest, Legal & General and the FCA.
Achievements and current fundraise
Reportedly on track to reach c.£2.8 million ARR by end of 2025, Kore Labs forecasts c.£69 million contracted ARR and £37.6 million EBITDA by 2030 – not guaranteed. To date, the Company has only accepted funding from individual investors, including industry heavyweights and Wealth Club members.
- Target return based on Company’s forecasts: 8x, not guaranteed
- Tax relief available in: 2025/26 tax year (carry back to 2024/25)
- Minimum investment: £20,220
Building Kore Labs was never just about technology – it was about fixing a broken system. Too often, we forget that financial products can have a profound impact on people and that outdated ways of working hinder product governance and innovation.
backed by Mars Petcare
Scooch Pet EIS: all-in-one pet health subscription platform
Scooch Pet is a subscription platform for looking after all aspects of your pet dog’s wellbeing: providing tailored food supplements, health tracking, insurance and 24/7 video-vet support. Its award-winning AI-powered app is designed to eliminate hassle from pet care.
After a quick online health assessment, Scooch’s AI app provides pet parents with a personalised treatment plan and tips, and tools to track progress. The AI assistant is always on hand to answer any questions – with the option for 24/7 video-vet support when needed.
In conjunction, Scooch has developed an expanding range of proprietary formulated and vet approved supplements, dog food and treatments for most common dog health problems (namely Allergy & Itching, Anal Glands, Joints & Mobility, Calming, Digestive Issues and Dental care). Scooch reports it can save pet owners in aggregate £12.1 million a year in preventable anal gland and allergy related vet bills alone.
Launched in 2021 by an exited entrepreneur in human wellness tech, Scooch is backed by global giant Mars Petcare, animal advocacy foundation Michelson Found Animals, specialist AI tech fund EHE Ventures, and Wealth Club investors.
Achievements and current fundraise
The platform has over 3,000 subscribers and generated £1.1 million annual recurring revenue (ARR) in the year to December 2024 – an annual growth of 180%. It was AI Startup of the Year 2024 (UK & London) and one of tech/startup news site TechRound’s Top 10 Most Exciting New Startups UK 2025.
- Target return based on Company’s forecasts: 4x, not guaranteed
- Tax relief available in: 2025/26 tax year (carry back to 2024/25)
- Minimum investment: £19,950
We greatly value Scooch’s unique approach to providing pet parents with the opportunity to better understand their pet’s health and how to improve it.
Wealth Club aims to make it easier for experienced investors to find information on – and apply for – investments. You should base your investment decision on the offer documents and ensure you have read and fully understand them before investing. The information on this webpage is a marketing communication. It is not advice or a personal or research recommendation to buy any of the investments mentioned, nor does it include any opinion as to the present or future value or price of these investments. It does not satisfy legal requirements promoting investment research independence and is thus not subject to prohibitions on dealing ahead of its dissemination.
Alex Davies
Chief Executive
Alex was a board director at Hargreaves Lansdown, where he worked for 15 years. He was responsible for building Hargreaves Lansdown into the biggest direct-to-consumer SIPP provider in the UK with more than 150,000 clients and over £12 billion under management. He is a keen investor with a portfolio of shares, funds, student property, EIS and VCT investments.