Dorset Business Angels Pitch Presentation Event - 14th September 2026
About this Event
Dorset Business Angels Network Limited provide quality, private equity investment opportunities to local self-certified High Net Worth and Sophisticated Investors.
We help early-stage businesses, especially in southern England our local area, to find equity capital. We do this by bringing our investors and entrepreneurs together to accelerate the growth of early-stage businesses.
Join us for networking from 17.00 in The Orangery at The Carlton Hotel, enjoy refreshments whilst meeting and catching up with fellow investors, DBA sponsors and the DBA team.
Meet the Founders - Investors will be able to meet the entrepreneurs and view their products or services before the pitch presentations at the networking session. Barclays Demo Directory will also be available to introduce both investors and entrepreneurs to their platform.
Presentations will follow in The Causerie Suite at 18.00 with an introduction from our Chairman, Don McQueen and MD Peter Eales.
George Clayson of event sponsor TC Group will also share some of the key financial risks facing start-ups and how financial due diligence can help identify and mitigate them.
At 18:30, Five carefully selected companies seeking investment will then make a 10-minute pitch each, after which there is time for Q&A. Then, expressions of interest from Angel Investors are registered for further action.
Once the pitch presentations are finished, those staying for dinner will enjoy a 2-course hot buffet-style meal with wine and a chance to start new conversations and continue those started earlier in the evening. There will be no table seating plan.
All dietary requirements can be catered for, please let us know what we need to be aware of in the booking form.
The 5 Pitches confirmed are:
Pitch 1: Converting Waste Wood into High-Value Products
Turning waste wood into permanent carbon removal, valuable products and renewable heat.
The company is building the UK’s largest biochar platform, transforming waste wood into three revenue streams: carbon removal credits, physical biochar and renewable heat.
The business has secured £1.8M in contracts, grants and a debt facility. Its first commercial site is fully financed and scheduled for commissioning in Q4, with capacity already sold for the next three years.
The directors are raising £500K to help scale the next four sites.
Pitch 2: Software Solution for Phone-Free Classrooms
Helping schools control mobile phone use without taking students' phones away.
New government rules require strict mobile-use controls in schools, but existing solutions can be expensive, easily bypassed and unsuitable for some students with SEND or medical needs.
This software-only solution blocks distracting apps, websites and cameras while keeping essential and medical apps available. Fully functional, with patentable bypass-detection methods, live school trials have generated considerable interest.
Management is raising £600K to establish the product as a leading digital wellbeing solution for schools.
Pitch 3: Making Nutrition Simpler and More Enjoyable
A fast-growing confectionery brand designed to make nutrition simpler, more enjoyable and more accessible.
Offering an alternative to traditional powders, gels, drinks and pills, its functional product retails at just under £3.
Founded by two experienced FMCG operators and launched in 2025, the business has already secured national distribution with major retailers across hundreds of locations. Early consumer testing and the founders’ experience scaling brands through major UK retailers support plans for a broader performance and wellness range.
Management is seeking £300K to fund stock, logistics, team expansion and marketing as its national retail rollout accelerates.
Pitch 4: Preventing Injury and improving performance in Elite Sport
Smartphone technology helping elite sports teams improve performance and prevent injuries.
After 10 years of research into biomechanics and injury prevention, this company has developed a platform that extracts force, load and biomechanical data from smartphone video, without sensors, markers or lab analysis.
Coaches can access lab-grade performance insights in minutes, on the pitch and at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. Customers already include England Rugby, the French Football Federation, English football clubs and a Formula 1 racing team.
Management is seeking £2M to target opportunities in US and European football.
Pitch 5: AI Assessment Platform for Educators
Helping teachers mark work faster while giving schools better insight into pupil progress.
Teachers can upload typed or handwritten student work and have it marked in seconds, generating personalised feedback, identifying misconceptions and showing where pupils may need additional support.
Already supporting 5,000 students across 20 schools, results from one education campus include a reported 15% increase in pupil progress and a 22% narrowing of the attainment gap.
Management is seeking £300K to move from validation to scale and build an institutional-grade assessment solution.
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This event is suitable for:
- Angel Investors
- Those considering becoming an Angel Investor and can Self-Certify HNW/SI Status
- DBA Members
- Invited guests/sponsors of Dorset Business Angels
This event is not suitable for:
- New business networking
- Finding new clients
- Information only purposes
- Entrepreneurs considering a future pitch to investors*
*This event is for Investors, it is only fair to presenting companies to ensure all attendees are genuine or potential investors.
Professionals who want to personally invest or, who have a portfolio of clients to whom Angel investing may be of interest are very welcome to attend. If you have a specific requirement to attend or if you are unsure whether this event is right for you, please email [email protected] and we will be pleased to assist.
Please get in touch if you are uncertain whether this event is right for you. If you are not an existing Angel Investor, DBA Member, Guest or HNW/SI self-certified individual please do not purchase a ticket to avoid cancellation.
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Non-Member Investor Self-Certification is Required for the Event
Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended 2005) investors must "self-certify" by meeting simple criteria as "High Net Worth" or "Sophisticated" Investors.
Therefore, any investor should read and sign the documentation via our on our website, either a High Net Worth Investor Certificate or a Sophisticated Investor Certificate, as is appropriate.
Members of Dorset Business Angels will have already submitted this information and need not do it again.
Invited Guests/Sponsors, who are neither members nor investors are welcome to attend for information-only purposes and must understand that they can only invest in a non-regulated investment on becoming a paid-up member of Dorset Business Angels.
Pitchers - We also wish to point out that companies or individuals seeking investment through the Dorset Business Angels must ensure that the information presented to potential investors is neither inaccurate nor misleading. They are, accordingly, similarly advised to seek guidance from someone authorised under the Act.
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DISCLAIMER
Any information provided on the website or other communication is for information purposes only. The website and other communications and their content are not, and should not be deemed to be an offer of, or invitation to engage in any investment activity. The website and other communications should not be construed as advice, or a personal recommendation by Dorset Business Angels Network Limited. Dorset Business Angels Network Limited is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The content of this promotion is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). Reliance on the promotion for the purpose of engaging in any investment activity may expose an individual to a significant risk of losing all of the investment. UK residents wishing to participate in this promotion must fall into the category of sophisticated investors or high-net-worth individuals as outlined by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
How can I contact the organiser with any questions?
If you have any issues booking your ticket. Email our Events Manager: Paul Smart, [email protected]
Agenda
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:55 PM
Networking, Drinks Reception and Meet the Founder
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:20 PM
Welcome by Don McQueen, DBA Chairman
🕑: 06:20 PM - 06:30 PM
Sponsor Presentation - George Clayson, TC Group
🕑: 06:30 PM - 08:35 PM
Pitch Presentations - Five Businesses Pitch to Investors
🕑: 08:45 PM - 09:30 PM
Buffet Style Dinner is served (for those who booked the dinner ticket)
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 35.00 to GBP 47.50
