Isabella Oliver secures 1.4 million pound investment

London-based maternity clothing brand Isabella Oliver is looking to invest in its infrastructure and growth after securing a 1.4 million pound investment package. The funding from Santander's Breakthrough programme includes 700,000 pound growth

capital investment, and 700,000 pound debt finance to fuel growth. The money will finance significant developments in the company’s operation, including systems and processes, as well as the creation of 30 new jobs to help accelerate the brand’s expansion plans.

Established in 2003, the online retailer of clothing for women during all stages of pregnancy is celebrating its tenth year, and the cash injection is to help the company to the “next level”. The funding will finance a sales and marketing drive alongside improving some of its systems and processes to manage the uplift in demand, resulting in an increase in its workforce from 65 to 95 over the next 12 months.

Commenting on the investment, Baukjen de Swaan Arons, creative director and founder at Isabella Oliver, said: "I am so grateful to our customers and the way they have spread the word of our brand, but now is the time to take the next step and invest in the business so that we can reach even more customers at home and abroad.

“Getting investment finance is tricky for a company of our size on the edge of new growth, but this Growth Capital package is a perfect way to mix traditional debt funding with a flexible investment finance to help us affordably fund this next stage of our journey."

Isabella Oliver receives cash injection to accelerate growth

Darren Hart, head of growth capital at Santander Corporate & Commercial, added: "We are thrilled to be supporting Isabella Oliver at this stage in their business lifecycle. It is the aim of Santander's Breakthrough programme to help strong, viable small companies caught in this funding gap to realise their ambitions as we know that with the right finance and the right support with marketing, recruitment, and internationalisation, these companies can be the big job creators and economic drivers of their local communities and market places.”

Santander's Breakthrough programme aims to support fast-growth small businesses to help them accelerate their growth potential. The Growth Capital loan of 700,000 pounds is mezzanine-based finance at a low rate to help bridge the gap between debt and equity investment, which is offered to UK companies of less than 25 million pound turnover.

As well as being a successful online and catalogue business, Isabella Oliver also has a fast growing wholesale business, supplying clothing to retailers including Harrods, Nordstrom, Fenwicks and Asos. The company also branched out into non-maternity womenswear in 2009 with its sister brand Baukjen.