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We’re very pleased to celebrate the news that portfolio company Birl has raised £500,000 in pre-seed investment to fund its growth strategy.
Led by Cam McGimpsey and Peter Lydon, the Liverpool-based business provides consumers with an easy way to trade-in pre-owned clothing directly on brand websites, offering a seamless alternative to platforms like eBay and Vinted. Each year, over 100 billion clothing items are produced, yet less than 5% are resold, leading to massive waste.
The pre-seed round also unlocks an additional £350k Innovate UK grant awarded to the company earlier this year, to support the next phase of Birl’s product roadmap and expansion into new markets.
“Liverpool has been the foundation of our growth and we’re grateful for the support we’ve had from local tech accelerators Baltic Ventures and LYVA Labs,” Cam said.
Left to right: Cam McGimpsey and Peter Lydon
“Liverpool’s community offers incredible support, and we’re eager to continue growing here.”
Birl aims to use its technology to contribute to a world where all clothing is either being used or recycled back into new products. In November, Birl will expand its fashion resale platform to include a sports shirt trade-in solution, launching partnerships with multiple football and Premiership rugby clubs.
This allows fans to trade in used football and rugby shirts for credit, making it easy to buy the latest shirt while supporting sustainable practices. Birl’s platform works by adding a button to brands websites, allowing customers to trade in items for instant credit in just a few clicks—similar to using Klarna.
Birl is on track to reach £1m in revenue in 2025, driven by brand partnerships and market expansion. To support this growth, Birl’s team of five continues to scale, with plans to further expand roles to meet demand.
