Dynamic exit signage specialist Evaclite launches crowdfunding campaign

Every non-domestic building is required to have emergency exit signage installed on the premises. However, some of the static emergency signage currently on offer often doesn’t appear to work too well. Indeed, studies suggest that most of us (circa 70% of us, in fact) don’t see such signage and, what’s more, will not see it even in an emergency scenario. Even if people do see the signs, the static signage installed could end up directing them towards danger if a specific exit is blocked or, for whatever reason, not presently in use.

These are the very problems that the award-winning Evaclite technology is specifically designed to address. The company’s dynamic signage is seen twice as easily, has people moving in the right direction in half the time, is proven to reduce congestion at exit points by over a third and, importantly, helps to ensure individuals escape from a given building as quickly and as safely as possible.

Put simply, dynamic emergency exit signage saves lives by reducing risk, speeding up evacuation times and generally making buildings much safer.

Incubation programme

To date, Evaclite – whose commercial director Alan Ward featured on a recent Fire Safety Matters webinar about exit signage sponsored by the company and which featured on pp32-34 of the July/August 2020 print edition of the magazine – has already launched three ranges of certified dynamic exit signage, duly supplying the offices of some huge blue chip brands including Apple, Dyson, Goldman Sachs and McDonald’s.

The company’s solutions are also installed at the BBC and have been specified for landmark buildings such as the Chelsea Waterfront development, the Hilton Hotel in London, New Scotland Yard and also Canary Wharf, with the business granted patents in the US in 2019 and here in the UK this year.

Having recently spun out of an incubation programme hosted by Bisley Two, Evaclite is now seeking investment to accelerate its next period of growth and, as stated, has chosen to follow the crowdfunding route.

For those not familiar with the process, crowdfunding is largely web and social media-based. It can be used to seek equity, customers, orders or even donations and is really all about promoting a given proposition via an electronic platform to as many potential investors (ie ‘the crowd’) as possible.

There’s a range of crowdfunding organisations in existence, each with their own profile, process and proposition. The business involved selects its preferred crowdfunding partner who will have a process, a significant database of potential investors and a website. Put simply, a company pitches what it’s doing, why it’s doing it and outlines what it’s asking for by posting that detail on a crowdfunding website. The company then follows the defined process using the crowdfunding campaign as the platform for its approach to its own network, while in parallel the crowdfunding website promotes it to theirs.

Potential investors can emanate from anywhere and the minimum investment can be as low as just £10. The crowdfunding company must at least hit the target it’s asking for in order that the campaign is deemed a success. If the business involves actually exceeds its initial set target, it’s then up to the company to decide at what level to stop.

Benefits of crowdfunding

When asked by Fire Safety Matters precisely why the company is adopting the crowdfunding model, Bernard Ashford (managing director at Evaclite) explained: “Crowdfunding will help us to promote the business and introduce us to potential future investors, advocates and customers alike. The process provides an independent challenge and due diligence, ensuring that what we say is validated and can be amply supported with evidence.”

Evaclite has selected Seedrs Limited as its crowdfunding partner, with the campaign going public on Wednesday 11 November. The business offered pre-registration to encourage as many people as possible within its own network to make their interest known and pledge a potential investment range. This process actually commits the potential investor to nothing, in fact, but does serve to provide them with priority investment access to the campaign as it happens.

“This is a unique opportunity for us to turbocharge our growth and widen our audience,” continued Ashford. “We’re delighted to invite our network to be part of it. We really believe in the benefits of dynamic emergency exit signage. There are great plans in place for Evaclite in 2021 and we really hope people will join us on our mission to save lives.”

As part of the promotional mix, Evaclite has chosen the hashtag #evaclitecrowdfunding for use across social media platforms.

*For further information on the Evaclite crowdfunding initiative, interested parties and potential investors alike are invited to visit the dedicated website at https://www.seedrs.com/evaclite