PATCH app launch backed by six-figure funding

An app designed to help people find, book and pay for window cleaners is to launch next month after securing six-figure funding.

The PATCH App has been created by Paul White, who also launched the Modern Milkman, along with 23-year-old Conor Walsh from Clitheroe.

The project has been supported with early-stage finance from Lancashire-based backers including Joycelyn Neve, founder of Seafood Pub Company, and Lee Duerdenm, CEO Of XLCR Vehicle Management.

The funding will be used to take the tech to market and also allow for further investment in bespoke technology.

The business also expects to complete another six-figure syndicate raise from national partners in the next ten days. The investment values the business at over £1m.

Paul White said: "Raising pre-seed money is really tough anyway, let alone in the current climate, and here in East Lancashire. We’re really lucky to have been able to pull together a great consortium, mainly of people based in Lancashire, to provide the investment to launch this tech, which will transform the outdoor home maintenance market.

"We’re delighted to have this group recognise the potential of us, our tech, and the great team we have. After exiting the Modern Milkman, I thought I was going to live out life quietly in the country, but I was itching to get back to that high-growth start-up buzz in no time, and then I met Conor. We’ve been working on this full-time for six months."

Conor added: "Convenience is king today, and people don’t want to be scratching around for cash when there’s a knock at the door, or having to bank transfer money. We are relentlessly focussed on meeting the needs of consumers, and our team are very experienced in doing that. Our platform and commitment to the customer will allow us to capitalise on the shift to convenience. We are well placed for a rapid scale up with our great team, across the UK, and then beyond."