IGO Adventures takes on the investment challenge
by Startacus Admin
A few weeks ago, IGO Adventures announced the launch of a crowdfunding round on leading equity 
investment platform Seedrs. The company, which launched in 2016, takes groups of people into the wilderness to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature.
The global adventure tourism market was valued at $445 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach $1,336 billion in 2023, projecting a CAGR of 17.4% from 2016 to 2023. Of another magnitude again is the wellness industry, which has recently been reported at a value of $4.2 trillion. There’s a sizeable potential market in the UK as well: Sport England has found that 8.9 million people in the UK are active outdoors. Of those, 2.5 million are regularly active of whom 1.7 million want to do more.
However, IGO, who very much straddles the adventure/wellness markets and has identified the decline in mass participation events and the stagnation of mud running events due to oversaturation as an opportunity. An opportunity they believe IGO Adventures can fill.IGO, founded by ocean rower & ex-professional polo player, Bobby Melville, and world-record breaking explorer, George Bullard, organise a series of multi-disciplined, physical challenges in some of the world’s most spectacular and remote wildernesses. Whether that’s the place Scott trained for his Arctic expedition in Norway, where Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the then-unchartered West of America, where the Berbers held the Roman empire at bay in Morocco, or ancient battlefields in Scotland - you hopefully get the picture.
The funds hopefully raised via Seedrs will enable IGO to launch a series of weekend challenges in and around the UK and Europe with the winner of each awarded a coveted spot on the week-long Ultimate IGO Challenge in Montana, USA in Sept 2019. The round is being led by NM Capital who recently acquired British Military Fitness.
Since 2016, IGO has taken just under 200 people away on weekend and week-long challenges on three different continents. Every event comprises of living in nature away 
from technology, completing physical challenges in the wild and immersion in the local culture.
And they seem to have the backing of well known 'adventurers' too. Will Dean, Founder of Tough Mudder said:
"Bobby and his team have created a purpose-driven company dedicated to bringing people together and reconnecting them with their spirit of fun, adventure and exploration. I believe the future looks bright for IGO."
With Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, Explorer, also having this to say: "It is great to see IGO encouraging people to explore the globe and challenge their mental and physical capabilities. I am very excited about what Bobby and his team are creating at IGO."
Currently, at time of publication, IGO Adventures sits at £221k raised, against their 275k target on Seedrs.
If you like the sound of this startup, you might want to read up on:
RUNVI - the insole fitness tracker
SpareFare - The lowdown on the marketplace for non-refundable flights and holidays...
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Startup funding is never easy, however here are a few of the options that can help you fund your startup without going broke in the process
Innovative startups are currently being sought by BMW Group Financial Services UK which has just launched the third instalment of its Innovation Lab
Starting a business can be a lot of hard work, so here's a few ways to avoid burnout and find a healthy work life balance.
The child health app on a mission to become the first nationwide digital redbook, just got a step closer to making their mission a reality...
The Cambridge-based startup that has created an empowering tool to drive the next wave of biological innovation
At one-day event Ideation NI Thon, students will get the chance to solve global and local sustainability, environmental, city and health problems.
NI startup ESTHER, a peer-2-peer giving platform allowing charitable donors to give money directly to people living in poverty, head to New York for a 4-day fact finding mission.
The lowdown on how an Australian startup generated global sales for their innovative product, "weighted blankets"...
At 82% the UK takes 4th place in the list of countries being most ready for automation and robotics, whilst 30% of UK population’s jobs are at risk of automation.
The innovative game, eQuoo that helps users build their emotional fitness and thereby help fight their mental illness
Published on: 10th November 2018
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Ideation NI Thon at NI Science Festival sets out to solve global issues 17th Jan 2020 At one-day event Ideation NI Thon, students will get the chance to solve global and local sustainability, environmental, city and health problems.
- NI startup ESTHER takes flight to New York 16th Jan 2020 NI startup ESTHER, a peer-2-peer giving platform allowing charitable donors to give money directly to people living in poverty, head to New York for a 4-day fact finding mission.
- 2019 stats show that the gender pay gap continues 14th Jan 2020 Recent research by Starling bank shows that in 2019, women earned up to £12,319 less per year than their male colleagues of the same age and within the same industry
- Digital DNA Awards 2020 nominations now open 13th Jan 2020 The Digital DNA Awards, held in partnership with MCS Group, celebrate the best tech talent, from companies of all sizes, excelling in the world of Digital and Tech and not just in NI...
