Durham insurtech startup set for 2020 expansion following £1.2m investment

A North East insurtech firm is set for further expansion after securing £1.2m investment in its latest funding round.

Durham-based startup honcho has secured new investment from crowd investors and new investor Insurtech Gateway, alongside Finance Durham and North East Development Capital Fund (NEDCF) - both managed by investment house Maven Capital Partners.

honcho, which was founded by Frank Speight and Gavin Sewell, launched its car insurance marketplace last autumn following a £1.8m fundraise.

In this latest investment round, honcho secured funding from over 600 private investors on Crowdcube as well as receiving backing from new and existing investors.

The firm plans to use the new investment to boost its ongoing expansion, with plans to move into new insurance markets in 2020.

Commenting on the investment, honcho CEO Gavin Sewell said: “Raising investment is one of the most challenging aspects of running a startup, and we’re delighted to have achieved this £1.2m raise with the continued support of Maven and with further investment from the crowd.

“We’re also thrilled to welcome Insurtech Gateway to the honcho family. As specialists in our sector they will bring an immense amount of support to honcho as we enter our next phase of growth.

“Insurtech Gateway’s expertise across the sector extends from technological capabilities to expertise on products and consumer acquisition, and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

Michael Vassallo, investment director of Maven Capital Partners, added: “We’re delighted to support honcho’s latest fundraise, having backed the business originally in 2018, we continue to support Gavin and the team as they grow the platform, making significant enhancements and adding new insurance product lines.”

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