A green entrepreneur in Gloucestershire has received a £25,000 Start Up Loan to create an independent certification for cleaner air.
Poor air quality causes adverse effects on both the environment and human health. Consequently, Enjoy The Air is tackling this by providing environmental analytics to help cities improve air quality.
The Start Up Loan will help to create a new sustainability-focused certification called HALO (High Ambitions, Low Obstacles). As a result, the certification recognises and rewards cities that meet the stricter WHO air quality limits.
The business was co-founded in 2020 by Kate Barnard and her Australian-based business partner, Errol Kruger. Errol had been running a similar venture in South East Asia.
Interestingly, Kate is a qualified mechanical engineer with an impressive background which includes over 20 years of experience with Rolls Royce. Furthermore, as a female engineer, Kate is part of the 0.2% of female Fellows of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Presently, Enjoy The Air now employs 5 people and plans to expand its headcount as the business grows.
Kate said “Without this funding, we would have been drastically behind with our plans. We would not have been ready to showcase our business at the COP26 event, which was the most significant climate-related event on the calendar. Sarah was exceedingly tenacious on my behalf, and ultimately, because she worked hard to understand the business and my circumstance, she was able to successfully make our case”.
In addition, SWIG’s business manager, Sarah, commented “We’re delighted to support Kate and Enjoy The Air. This business is radical and is paving the way for progressive change both nationally and internationally. Moreover, Kate is a highly successful person with a strong background. Alongside Errol, they have the passion and technical skills needed to make a real difference”.
We have Start Up Loan funding available in Gloucestershire and beyond.
SWIG Finance is a non-profit company that supports viable South West businesses that can’t secure sufficient funding from their bank. By empowering underserved SMEs and Start Ups to overcome their financial barriers, we are working to create a more balanced financial ecosystem.
We’re growing every year. In 2021/22, we lent £10.8m to 502 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,000 jobs and generate £32.3m. For more information visit https://www.swigfinance.co.uk/social-impact-report-2022/
If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 932.