Steve Oliver Backs Appacut with £600k Investment and Takes Non-Exec Chair Role
Deal News | Jun 13, 2025 | Business Cloud
Manchester-based Appacut, a mobile barbering service, has raised £600,000 in seed funding led by prominent business figures including Steve Oliver, musicMagpie's CEO and co-founder who will also serve as the company's non-executive chair. Appacut, which started in 2024, enables clients to select barbers for home visits. It has expanded rapidly, now hosting over three hundred barbers, and has become the largest barber chain in the UK without owning any physical shops. Building on its successful trial in Manchester, where a barber achieved over 1,000 in-home haircuts, Appacut plans to extend its services to high-density residential areas in major UK cities. CEO Michael Lawes highlights the platform's appeal, emphasizing adaptability to consumer demands for convenience. Currently, a significant portion of their customer base consists of men under 45, suggesting a robust market for national and potentially global expansion.
Sectors
- Technology
- Consumer Services
- Investment & Startups
Geography
- United Kingdom – Appacut is based in Manchester, UK, and plans to expand its service across major UK cities, influencing the article's geographic focus.
Industry
- Technology – Appacut leverages a digital platform to connect barbers with customers, demonstrating technology's role in transforming traditional services into mobile, convenient solutions.
- Consumer Services – Appacut offers consumer services by providing on-demand barbering services, accommodating customer preferences for time, place, and choice of barber.
- Investment & Startups – The article discusses a significant seed funding investment into Appacut by high-profile business figures, highlighting its relevance in investment and startup sectors.
Financials
- £600,000 – Seed funding raised by Appacut to facilitate expansion across the UK.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appacut | Target Company | Company | A Manchester-based mobile barbering service that has raised seed funding for expansion. |
| Steve Oliver | Investor & Non-Executive Chair | Person | CEO and co-founder of musicMagpie, investing in Appacut and joining as its non-executive chair. |
| musicMagpie | Investor's Company | Company | The company associated with Steve Oliver, who is investing in Appacut. |
| Renaker | Potential Business Partner | Company | Operator of residential towers in the UK, mentioned as part of Appacut's expansion plans. |
| Ila | Potential Business Partner | Company | Operator of residential towers in the UK, mentioned as part of Appacut's expansion plans. |
| Moda | Potential Business Partner | Company | Operator of residential towers in the UK, mentioned as part of Appacut's expansion plans. |
| Michael Lawes | CEO | Person | CEO of Appacut, leading the company’s expansion and development. |