Members of Wild Blue Cohort, the pioneering new business angel investment network in West London, have completed their first investment as a syndicate in HomeTouch, an online marketplace that connects people looking for care with self-employed carers.
Despite over 7,000 care agencies in the UK, families struggle to find high quality, affordable home care for elderly relatives. HomeTouch allows care seekers to perform localised searches of carers and filter for specific care experience as well as watch video profiles and read customer reviews.
Eight members of the Wild Blue network have joined forces to finance the growth of HomeTouch and one will join the company’s Board.
The venture presented their plans to Wild Blue just over two months ago and members have chosen to finance almost the entire round.
HomeTouch was founded by Dr Jamie Wilson, a former NHS dementia specialist from West London who trained as a psychiatrist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Imperial College.
Dr Wilson was a member of the London Business School incubator and HomeTouch was part of the Healthbox accelerator, an initiative supported by BUPA and Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital Charity.
HomeTouch founder and CEO Dr Jamie Wilson says: “The investment by members of Wild Blue will allow us to develop and grow our marketing, improve our search algorithms and expand our coverage across the Greater London region.
“The engagement of Wild Blue investors has been remarkable due to their diverse range of experience across internet services, social impact and consumer goods. Their local sensibility sits well with the localized matching and search offered by our service.”
Wild Blue founder David Barrie added: “We are delighted that members have come together to invest in the future success of HomeTouch. It is the sixth deal that our network has closed in just eighteen months. We are building a community of investors local to West London.
“The private market for home care is valued well in excess of £2bn. Our members are inspired by a local entrepreneur’s visionary approach to that opportunity.”
Wild Blue Cohort is a network of private ‘angel’ investors which was launched in Spring 2014 with a focus helping early-stage and startup businesses thrive and prosper in West London.