Published:
7:00 AM February 15, 2021
Updated:
1:39 PM February 15, 2021
Joe (left) and Mike Hill secured funding to fuel the growth of One Planet Pizza
- Credit: One Planet Pizzxa
One Planet Pizza, the Future 50 food company launched by father and son Mike and Joe Hill, is poised for dramatic growth after securing a £365,000 investment.
A significant contribution came from the angel investors in the Anglia Capital Group who backed the Norwich-based business, with £90,000. A Dragon’s Den style pitch to New Anglia Capital, the equity investment fund set up by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, secured a further £25,000 and the rest came from other private investors, and plant based investment funds.
We have saturated the independent market, supplying to around 500 shops nationwide, and so to expand we really need to get into supermarkets like Waitrose and Sainsbury s. When we first started out, we were unchallenged but there are more vegan pizzas out there now but we still think we have a premium product. The future is indeed plant-based.
A tasty One Planet Pizza item using no meat and vegan cheese.
- Credit: One Planet Pizza
Mike Hill, who used to run the River Green cafe, in Trowse, saw the potential for the product back in 2016. The pizzas use special Applewood vegan cheese which melts well as well as recyclable packaging and vegetable derived ink for printing.
Rob Field of Iceni Diagnostics, Norwich.
- Credit: Si Barber
The Norwich-based producer of a rapid result coronavirus test has secured £2m in investment to continue its work.
Iceni Diagnostics, which is producing a test which can determine if somebody has Covid-19 within 15 minutes, has received commitments from 35 different investors, which will pump £2m into its coffers in 2021.
The investment means the company, which is based at the Norwich Research Park, will be able to play a central role in the fight against Covid-19 on both sides of the Atlantic.
And the boost comes as it awaits imminent results from its latest trials.