NSEI makes second investment in PointOV

Online retailer PointOV, tipped to be the ethical version of Amazon, has received £800,000 in a funding round led by the NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) Co-Investment Fund. The funding comprises £500,000 from NSEI and £300,000 from business angels.


Online retailer PointOV, tipped to be the ethical version of Amazon, has received £800,000 in a funding round led by the NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) Co-Investment Fund. The funding comprises £500,000 from NSEI and £300,000 from business angels.

Online retailer PointOV, tipped to be the ethical version of Amazon, has received £800,000 in a funding round led by the NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) Co-Investment Fund. The funding comprises £500,000 from NSEI and £300,000 from business angels.

This is the second time in nine months that NSEI has invested in PointOV, after backing the firm with £200,000 in June 2006.

During NSEI’s first investment, PointOV had just started to develop its operations. Less than a year on, the firm has doubled its staff to 14 and generated turnover in the region of £1 million. This second round of funding aims to boost growth, with the company looking to make a £3 million turnover, employ a further 16 people and expand its premises by next year.

PointOV director Vic Morgan says: ‘In a couple of years we could be in a position for a public share sale, just like Cafédirect and Body Shop have done. They encouraged their core customers to be more active in their support by buying shares.’

Newcastle-based PointOV was founded in 2004. It sells some 1,500 eco-friendly and fair trade products, from tea and chocolate to books, solar panels and iPod chargers.

Marc Barber

Marc Barber

Marc was editor of GrowthBusiness from 2006 to 2010. He specialised in writing about entrepreneurs, private equity and venture capital, mid-market M&A, small caps and high-growth businesses.

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