Two Aberdeen entrepreneurs have secured £300,000 funding to further develop their invention for pouring a perfect pint in seconds.
Sam Pettipher and Nick Beeson, who both hold postgraduate business administration degrees from Robert Gordon University, launched EBar Initiatives in late 2016.
Their aim is to dramatically improve the consumer experience at music and sports events, using innovative dispensing technology to reduce the time people spend waiting in bar queues.
A combination of EBar’s patented rapid beverage dispenser and rapid payment technologies will allow pints of beer or soft drinks to reach customers up to three times faster, they say.
If everything goes to plan, pubgoers will get their drinks faster and people attending major events will no longer have to choose between missing out on some of the action and getting a drink.
Mr Pettipher, managing director, and Mr Beeson, commercial director, worked in the renewable-energy and oilfield services industries respectively before honing their business skills at RGU. Their idea for faster drinks won them a gong and £75,000 at the Scottish Edge awards last year.
Scottish Edge, which is backed by Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, is a competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s up-and-coming innovative high-growth-potential alent.
EBar’s £75,000 prize has now been augmented by equity investment led by London-based Jenson Funding Partners’ SEIS and EIS Fund.
Scottish investors, including angel investor groups Gabriel and Equity Gap, are also backing the firm.
Mr Beeson said: “We have already demonstrated that our technology works.
“This funding injection provides us with capital to develop a production EBar unit. We look forward to launching it with our partner venue operators later this year.”
Stuart Gilmore, who joins EBar as Jenson’s investment director, added: “Jenson seeks out and invests in the most innovative and disruptive companies.
“We look forward to working with the team to help them realise the tremendous potential of their technology.”
The Jenson SEIS and EIS Fund is a joint venture between Jenson and fund manager Thompson Taraz.