Entrepreneurs secure six-figure funding for SME lead generation platform

A Humber business that has developed an online lead generation system for SMEs has secured a six-figure investment from NPIF - Mercia Equity Finance.

LiveLead, founded by Jason Kay and Gareth Alexander, has secured £250k from the fund, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Originally known as The Marketplace, LiveLead was established in 2016, listing tenders of all types from over 500 different portals as well as details of planning applications from almost every local authority in the UK, which alert firms to developments in the pipeline.

Jason Kay, the company’s CEO, explained: “We help organisations of all sizes, from sole traders to busineses with multi-million turnover to identify genuine live opportunities, rather than those which have already been awarded to other parties.

“The funding will allow us to scale up the business and expand our support team which is key to our customer-led approach.”

Simon Crabtree, investment manager with Mercia, commented: “Jason and Gareth have a background in tenders and lead generation and have already shown that their system can successfully generate new business for clients.

“This funding will allow them to take on additional staff and take the business to the next level.”

Phil Glover, business development manager at the Humber LEP added: “We are delighted to see another Humber business benefit from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

“This business will not only create additional local employment but will also help many other companies across the region access supply chain growth opportunities”