Member Article

Spennymoor's Clixifix lands six-figure investment

Spennymoor-based Clixifix, a digital solutions developer for the building and construction industry, has received a six-figure to upscale its services.

The firm plans to make new staff appointments in the short term, with the rest of the capital set to be invested in further product developments to enhance the business’ chances of accessing global markets.

£260k of the investment came from the Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund, managed by Northstar Ventures, with the rest from an Angel Investor.

Clixifix is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that allows house builders and Commercial Contractors to manager their customer care operations. The platform tracks defects and repairs in new houses and commercial buildings, from initial report through to resolution.

House builders can use the platform to assign repairs and defects to contractors and communicate with homeowners and clients through an online portal.

Contractors are able to provide instant updates, including ‘before and after’ photographs, as they carry out repairs. So far almost 80,000 issues have been resolved using Clixifix, across over 20,000 properties with over a million emails processed each month.

James Farrell, MD and Co-Founder of Clixifix, said: “When Barry Smith (Chairman and Co-Founder) and I began developing Clixifix in 2011, we didn’t expect to be spinning out the technology or raising investment.

“The platform started as an internal project for Partner Construction Limited, where I worked previously with Barry (who owns the business).

“However, we received such positive feedback from internal and external users during Beta tests that we made the decision to establish Clixifix, developing the platform full time.

“The investment we have received will help us scale our services even further. We are looking to make four new key staff appointments in the short term and are working on product developments which will let us take on clients globally.”

As a result of the investment Clixifix will be adding extra language options and integrating new payment platforms, contributing to ease of access for foreign markets.

Richard Charnley, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, said: “Clixifix have a remarkably strong team who have years of experience in the construction and housing sector.

“Their understanding of the issues facing house builders and commercial contractors has allowed them to build a platform that is uniquely placed to make building repairs and maintenance easier for everyone – house builders, maintenance workers and home owners.

“The North East has a growing reputation for technological innovation in the property sector and we believe companies like Clixifix have the potential to impact the industry on a global scale.”

Watson Burton acted for Northstar Ventures during the investment round, providing specialist legal support throughout the process, with Paul Wigham, associate at Watson Burton, leading the team.

Paul, who is part of the firm’s specialist technology team, said: “Clixifix is exactly the kind of innovative business that is driving the North East forward and we were delighted to have worked with Northstar Ventures on this investment round.

“Clixifix looks set to revolutionise customer care in the construction industry and the large number of house builders and developers it has already engaged with is proof of its fantastic potential.

“We have worked with Northstar Ventures on a number of major deals in the technology sector and it’s pleasing to see tech companies like Clixifix obtain funding that will help drive future growth.”

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