# VenueScanner raises £800k to bring its e-commerce approach to the £40bn UK events industry
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2017-09-23
Category: INVESTING
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/investing
Meta Title: VenueScanner Raises £800k in Seed Funding - Fueling UK
Meta Description: Explore the largest selection of venues in the UK with VenueScanner. Simplify your event planning and enjoy an affordable venue hire experience!
URL: https://financedigest.com/venuescanner-raises-800k-to-bring-its-e-commerce-approach-to-the-40bn-uk-events-industryhtml

![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/fd230917-7-1736843447294-compressed.jpg)

[VenueScanner](https://www.venuescanner.com/), the digital marketplace with the largest choice of venues in the UK, has raised £800k in its opening round of seed funding, doubling its £400k target.

The ambitious start-up is on a mission to re-write the event-organising rulebook by creating a simpler, more transparent and affordable venue hire experience for both event organisers and venue owners.

Its vision is backed by investors across a range of sectors including Angel CoFund (funded by British Business Bank), Tom Singh (founder of New Look) and Phil Burks (founder of Big Yellow Storage).

The funds will be used to develop the site’s design and user experience as well as trialling new, innovative features with its ‘PA Members Club’ – a select group of its Personal and Executive Assistant customers whom help shape the company roadmap.

The investment will also be used to further [support its nationwide roll out as it expands](https://www.financedigest.com/engineering-pipe-hanger-and-support-market-estimates-the-to-expand-at-around-4-8-cagr-from-2021-to-2031.html "Engineering Pipe Hanger and Support Market Estimates The To Expand At Around 4.8% CAGR from 2021 to 2031") into one new major UK city each month.

**Why VenueScanner…?**

Unlike competitors, VenueScanner was designed by two co-founders with deep experience in [digital marketing and e-commerce and was built around](https://www.financedigest.com/the-soft-skeletal-implants-market-revolve-around-digitally-driven-innovation.html "The Soft Skeletal Implants Market revolve around digitally driven innovation") one simple vision – to make venue discovery, search and booking as easy as Amazon makes shopping.

Rather than building a middle man or agency model, VenueScanner is developing a true marketplace for organisers as it offers a simple and affordable way to find and book venues. For venue owners, it provides a free digital marketing platform to drive their bookings, as well as real-time data to help them [unlock the hidden value](https://www.financedigest.com/how-innovations-in-edge-computing-can-unlock-value-for-global-organisations.html "How innovations in edge computing can unlock value for global organisations") in their spaces.

Being automation and data-led, VenueScanner employs only a small [team allowing it to pass savings on to customers in the form of **the** lowest commission fees per booking on the market](https://www.financedigest.com/frameplay-announces-new-attention-metric-in-video-game-environments-validated-in-partnership-with-dentsus-attention-economy-team-by-first-to-market-studies.html "Frameplay Announces New Attention Metric in Video Game Environments, Validated in Partnership with dentsu’s Attention Economy Team by First-to-Market Studies"). As the company grows, it will retain its modest, efficient team, and automated business model, [enabling it to pass on its savings](https://www.financedigest.com/seenthis-launches-emissions-dashboard-to-enable-advertisers-to-analyse-data-reduction-and-emission-savings-on-campaigns.html "SeenThis launches Emissions Dashboard to enable advertisers to analyse data reduction and emission savings on campaigns") to its customers.

Founders Benjy Meyer and Rebecca Kelly have over 18 [years’ experience in e-commerce and digital marketing](https://www.financedigest.com/interchangeable-biosimilars-market-is-set-to-experience-6-growth-during-the-year-2021-2031.html "Interchangeable Biosimilars Market is set to experience 6% growth during the year 2021-2031") respectively at major UK retailers. This has been integral in creating VenueScanner’s unique customer acquisition engine, one of the [key factors](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-air-vent-assembly-market-size-key-players-growth-factors-regions-and-applications-industry-forecast-by-2027.html "Automotive Air Vent Assembly Market Size, Key Players, Growth Factors, Regions and Applications, Industry Forecast by 2027") in enabling it to acquire 10,000 venues in its first year.

**The story so far…**

The VenueScanner story began in 2015 when Rebecca and Benjy became frustrated by the inefficient and expensive venue booking systems they regularly encountered when trying to book office Christmas parties, team [away days](https://www.financedigest.com/india-to-hold-one-day-state-mourning-on-passing-away-of-queen-elizabeth.html "India to hold one day state mourning on passing away of Queen Elizabeth") and workshops.

They found that the majority of the UK’s most interesting, unique and affordable spaces were hidden and barely discoverable, let alone bookable online. They set out to solve this with a focus on creating a self-serve platform, enabling direct interaction between event organisers and hosts.

By June 2016 VenueScanner was live. Using [digital marketing](https://www.financedigest.com/how-the-latest-ios-update-impacts-your-digital-marketing-campaign.html "How the latest iOS update impacts your digital marketing campaign") and data automation expertise, Benjy and Rebecca were able to quickly grow their user base. Within four months VenueScanner had signed up over 3,000 spaces – a feat that many of its competitors took 2-3 years to achieve.

The site now boasts a choice of more venues than any other platform in the UK, which range from universities, museums, school halls, pubs, community buildings, hotels and many more. It has also received enquiries from the likes of Facebook, Sainsbury’s, Uber and Airbnb.

**The quotes…**

**Rebecca Kelly, VenueScanner co-founder** and former Head of [Digital Growth](https://www.financedigest.com/the-pharmaceutical-isolators-market-to-get-filtered-through-organic-digitized-growth.html "The Pharmaceutical Isolators Market to get filtered through organic digitized growth") at Majestic/Naked Wines said:

_“Digital [marketing in the venue and events industry](https://www.financedigest.com/packaging-and-textile-industries-key-driver-for-digital-printer-market-demand-2021.html "Packaging And Textile Industries : Key Driver For Digital Printer Market Demand 2021") is still in its infancy, leaving a hugely exciting opportunity. We often see individual venues [paying >£3 per click on google](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-closes-2021-with-new-google-pay-integration-150m-in-funding-and-51-increase-in-clients-yoy.html "impact.com closes 2021 with new Google Pay integration, 0M in funding and 51% increase in clients YoY"), with no guarantee of a booking. We’re here to help venue hosts [reach high value](https://www.financedigest.com/global-frozen-pizza-market-value-projected-to-reach-us-32-89-bn-by-2031.html "Global Frozen Pizza Market value projected to reach US$ 32.89 Bn by 2031") audiences and connect with event organisers at low cost._

_“With funding in place, we’re now able to fully potentialise our [digital marketing](https://www.financedigest.com/constructive-digitization-to-let-the-remote-patient-monitoring-services-market-come-of-age.html "Constructive digitization to let the Remote Patient Monitoring Services Market come of age") expertise, rollout to venues nationwide and deliver an effortless online venue discovery experience for event organisers.”_

**Tom Singh,New Look founder** and investor in VenueScanner said:

_“Rebecca and Benjy are enabling communication between organisers and hosts in a way that hasn’t been done before. They’re innovating the venue booking [industry](https://www.financedigest.com/the-industrial-hemp-market-to-sail-through-innovation-based-turbulence.html "The Industrial Hemp Market To Sail Through Innovation-Based Turbulence") much like Skyscanner innovated the flight booking industry. I believe that in the not too distant future you [won’t be able](https://www.financedigest.com/death-and-taxes-why-you-wont-be-able-to-escape-one-in-the-metaverse.html "Death and taxes—why you won’t be able to escape one in the metaverse") to have a meeting, event or celebration without checking VenueScanner first.”_

**Tim Mills, Investment Director at the Angel CoFund**, a £100m investment fund, [backed by the British](https://www.financedigest.com/indias-carmakers-back-zero-duty-on-limited-british-imports-under-trade-deal-sources.html "India’s carmakers back zero duty on limited British imports under trade deal – sources") Business Bank, commented:

_“The challenge of navigating the marketplace for meeting spaces and events venues is a familiar one to many people and offers a great [opportunity for a business](https://www.financedigest.com/title-gallium-68-market-research-methodology-business-opportunities-and-analysis-report-by-2031.html "Gallium-68 Market Research Methodology, Business Opportunities and Analysis Report by 2031") that can ease friction for all of us when planning those important and special occasions. With VenueScanner the team’s vision of a simple, easy to use and comprehensive shopfront for thousands of places and spaces has really begun to take shape and is set to scale across the UK. At the Angel CoFund we always seek to invest in and support innovative UK businesses that have [clear vision](https://www.financedigest.com/sales-growth-of-automotive-clear-vision-systems-market-is-driven-by-production-of-new-vehicle.html "Sales Growth Of Automotive Clear Vision Systems Market Is Driven By Production Of New Vehicle") and the skills to take industries to the next level. As such we have been particularly [impressed](https://www.financedigest.com/e-commerce-fulfillment-services-market-to-reflect-impressive-growth-rate-to-during-forecast-period-observes-tmr.html "E-commerce Fulfillment Services Market to Reflect Impressive Growth Rate to During Forecast Period, Observes TMR") by the experience and drive of the VenueScanner team and look forward to them delivering the next stage of growth.”_


---
This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more.
---