Software start-up Spoonfed whets investors' appetite

Spoonfed, the catering software start-up, has raised £585,000 to boost its workforce and target new markets in Europe and the Far East.

Spoonfed co-founders Murray McNicol, left, and Willie Biggart. Picture: Dominic Cocozza

The Livingston-based software-as-service firm, launched in 2013 by co-founders Willie Biggart and Murray McNicol, has already secured contracts in Australia, Canada and the US to help customers process their orders and production via the cloud.

Its second-round £585,000 cash injection includes previous backers Equity Gap, the angel investment syndicate, and the Scottish Investment Bank, as well as private investors from the US and Channel Islands.

Biggart, Spoonfed’s managing director, said: “The funding we received last year enabled us to gain traction in the marketplace and determine the strong industry need for this product.

“We’re excited about growing this business because we’ve seen amazing results from customers who have implemented the software into the everyday running of their company and have had very positive feedback about the efficiencies and growth it has brought.”

Kerry Sharp, head of the Scottish Investment Bank, said the firm was a “great example of a growing Scottish technology company bringing innovative digital technology to the catering industry”.

Equity Gap’s Jock Millican added: “It was clear the founders of Spoonfed had spotted a clear gap in the market and have developed a product that is already proving popular worldwide.

“The founders’ experience in the industry has led to a product that directly resolves a need and their relentless work to iron out any kinks has produced a business that is financially in good shape within a very short period of time.”