The UK’s fastest growing food brand (Feb '23), making ridiculously meaty plant-based alternatives.
Business overview
Business highlights
- £22.3m annualised revenue after 4.5 years trading**
- Largest independently owned meat-free brand
- New CEO, formerly CEO of UK's top baby food brand
- Launching a new minimally processed range in 2024
Key features
Learn more about convertible campaigns.
Idea
Introduction
THIS makes plant-based products, designed to make animal-based meat feel like a massive waste of money.
Having launched just 4.5 years ago, THIS ranked as the UK’s fastest-growing food brand* and largest independently owned meat-alternative brand (and 3rd biggest overall). THIS has consistently delivered outstanding growth figures since launch:
£5.5m in year 1 (2020)
£11.8m in year 2 (2021)
£13m in year 3 (2022)
£19.3m in year 4 (2023)**
THIS was created when 2 former meat lovers checked out meat-free food and decided they didn't want any of it. After successfully exiting their meat burger chain, Chosen Bun, they set out to make the UK's most realistic meat alternatives.
In 2024 the Founders have taken a step back to make room for a highly accomplished new CEO at THIS - Mark Cuddigan, who has previously helped take UK's leading baby food brand from c.£24m sales to c.£86m sales, to take THIS to new heights.
THIS now makes over 18 products, which are now in nearly 24,000 stocking points across all major UK grocers. The brand has also partnered with the leading restaurant chains, like Greggs, Caffe Nero, Prezzo and more.
*based on Fast 50 data, February 2023.
**based on unaudited management accounts.
Substantial accomplishments to date
Not that we like to brag, but:
Monetisation strategy
THIS™ is on a mission to shatter meat-eaters' preconceptions of plant-based food, one rasher or nugget at a time. THIS™ products are now available in over 24,000 grocery stores across the UK.
Almost all of the brand's restaurant partners co-brand, which means they find it beneficial to call out THIS™ on their menus.
THIS™ is also listed with major wholesalers too, including Bidfood, Brakes, Wholegood, Blakemore, and VegExpress which supply to hotels, pubs, cafes, caterers, restaurants and independent shops, and rapid delivery retailers nationwide.
As well as aiming to massively increase distribution, THIS™ is also investing heavily into building a formidable innovation engine within the company as well as to drive towards profitability, so that they can deliver loads more plant-based innovation to the category such as a minimally processed wholefood-based range.
Use of proceeds
Topline aims are to accelerate international growth, grow brand awareness & drive manufacturing efficiency. This investment will be used for:
- Planet-based plant-based: help support further internationalisation alongside distribution within the Netherlands.
- Brand awareness: facilitate awareness driving campaigns in the UK and beyond.
- Innovation & manufacturing: THIS™ plans to invest in manufacturing equipment to bring lasting efficiency savings to several product lines.
- NPD: Support the launch of the new whole-food based and minimally processed range, in late 2024/early 2025.
Key Information
CLA Key Terms:
Investments in this Campaign will be made under an Convertible Loan Agreement (CLA), the key terms of which are as follows:
• Discount: 15%
• Valuation Cap: N/A
• Interest rate: 5% per annum, paid in cash
• Longstop date: 18 months
• Default Share Price: £83.8355
The CLA will convert into equity or be repaid as a loan on the following events:
Conversion:
Triggers:
The CLA will convert into equity as follows:
• automatically on
- an equity raise of £2m or more (‘Qualifying Financing’)
- any change of control or asset sale (‘Exit’)
• at each lender’s election on
- any raise under £2m but greater than £50k (‘Non-Qualifying Financing’)
- passing of the Longstop date (‘Maturity’)
Conversion price:
• Qualified Financings, Non-Qualified Financings and Exits: the share price will be equal to the lowest share price in the round / exit, less the Discount
• Maturity: the share price will be the Default Share Price above.
Share class:
• Qualified and Non-Qualified Financings: the most senior share class issued as part of the trigger raise
• Exits & Maturity Date: Series B Preferred Shares
Repayment:
• The loans (with interest) will be repaid on either an event of default (winding up / ceasing to trade etc).
Share Classes:
The Company has four classes of shares; Ordinary Shares, Series A Preferred Shares, Series B Preferred Shares and Growth Shares.
The share class that investors receive on conversion of their investments in this convertible round will depend on what triggers conversion.
Series A Preferred Shares and Series B Preferred Shares shares rank equally and carry a 1x non-participating preference.
Liquidation Preference:
On an exit or liquidation, the holders of Series A and B preference shares will receive their initial investment back first (or an amount that's proportionate to their respective investments if there are insufficient funds to return their investment back in full).
The remaining proceeds will then be distributed amongst all Ordinary Shareholders, save that no Growth Shareholders will receive any amount unless each Ordinary Shareholder receives at least £80.72 per ordinary share.
The Series A and B Preferred Shareholders will have the option to convert their Preferred Shares into Ordinary Shares.
Material Debt:
The company has the following oustanding debt facilities:
1. £5m loan facility was provided by Kreos Capital at an interest rate of 9.5% per annum, in March 2023. The loan also has a warrant instrument attached to it which means shares will be issued to Kreos in the future. The loan is to be fully repaid by January 2026.
2. £3.5M asset based lending facility with Cynergy Finance secured against the Company's trade debtor book. The Company can draw down on the facility at any time as required. The net drawdown position on the facility incurs an interest charge equal to the Bank of England Base Rate plus 2.5%. The minimum term is 24 months from February 2024.
The funds raised in this round will not be used to repay this debt.
CEO Hire:
Co-founders Andy and Pete have taken a step back from their previous roles as co-CEOs to make room for Mark Cuddigan who has recently joined the company as CEO. Andy and Pete are currently working closely with Mark to get up to speed in the role.
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