Fuel Ventures’ £1.5m Investment Supports Materials Market to Build its Business
22 October 2021
Materials Market, launched November 2020 by Co-Founders Samuel Hunt (Bl 11) and Andrew Haehn, has raised £1.5m to grow its digital building materials marketplace.
Materials Market’s creative solution to ease supply chain issues sparked the interest of seed venture capitalist fund, Fuel Ventures, who invested £1.5m in the new tech start-up in September 2021. Investing in the most ambitious technology companies, Fuel Ventures is a leading early/growth stage seed EIS Fund based in London, UK.
Materials Market was launched in November 2020, following a pre-seed funding round of £130k from angel investors, further bolstered by a £1.5m raise from Fuel Ventures in a seed funding round in September 2021.
The London-based entrepreneurs’ vision for a transparent buyer’s network and e-marketplace ‘Materials Market’ is live and servicing tradespeople and consumers alike across the UK.
Shiv Patel, Investment Director at Fuel Ventures, said: “We were really impressed with the team’s knowledge of the industry and their impressive solution to the challenges faced by that particular market. They have created a platform which gives buyers the best prices, due to its large network of suppliers, and fast deliveries – which is exactly what the market needs.
“We feel it’s our responsibility to invest in the future of UK tech and by supporting forward-thinking entrepreneurs like Samuel and Andrew, we can help them to change the way building materials are bought and sold in the UK – and pass on the benefits to the end users.”
Following launch of the online marketplace last November, Materials Market is turning heads with its quick and easy service, cutting out the usual ‘middle men’ by connecting buyers and sellers directly in one simple online marketplace. The site showcases a huge range of products suitable for both the commercial and DIY market, from insulation materials to timber, blocks and plasterboard on which customers can save on average 20% compared to bricks-and-mortar stores due to its innovative structure.
Samuel Hunt, Co-Founder & CEO at Materials Market, said: “The sector has been slower than others to move to a digital-first approach and so when we mapped out what Materials Market should represent to both suppliers and customers, it was clear we needed to deliver value for both parties. We knew that if we could create a true free market environment, where everyone got a fair chance of winning an order, it would allocate resources much more efficiently than any of the existing models operating in this space.”
“From personal experience as buyers in the construction sector, we know all too well the daily struggle of contacting supplier after supplier, looking for the best price and delivery time for materials, and we wanted to break that chain with a transparent online platform. The investment from Fuel Ventures is vindication of our solution and its future potential to deliver huge value for both sides of the marketplace.”
Samuel added: “The last 18 months hasn’t been without its challenges, particularly in the building materials market with product supply presenting obstacles for both suppliers’ stock and customers’ deliveries.
“The investment in our vision has allowed us to support more of the UK’s building materials supply chain to refine and evolve their offering post pandemic, creating a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers. Collectively we are changing the way the market works, and we’re looking forward to continuing to scale our digital solution and transform how products are traded with new initiatives over the next 12 months and beyond.”
About Materials Market
Materials Market is a marketplace platform that connects buyers and sellers of building materials. Through the use of tech and a large network of suppliers, the platform delivers a great customer experience.
With low prices on big name brands alongside quick delivery times, Materials Market’s reliable service offers complete transparency over supply chain and transactions, enabling users to connect directly with a network of suppliers for the best deals and lead times, every time.
About Fuel Ventures
https://fuel.ventures/
Fuel Ventures has invested £80m in seed and Series A start-ups since its launch in 2015 including Capdesk, Heroes, OnBuy and Feel. This summer they launched their first fund for pre-seed tech start-ups – making them the most prolific early stage investor in Britain. The VC invests in between 12 and 15 seed/growth companies each year through its existing fund.