The natural popsicle Camden-based startup LICKALIX has raised over 97% toward its Crowdcube crowdfunding 
£225,000 goal with the confidence of over 165 investors for 15% equity offered. Secured funding will allow LICKALIX to scale up its existing successful efforts, to purchase higher volume production equipment, and to achieve a bigger production and distribution capability, according to the startup.
As reported by Crowdfund Insider’s Samantha Hurst, LICKALIX debuted in May 2014. “After a successful first period of trading, the company’s team decided to continue their success in 2015 and distribute nationally. The company’s products take the best natural ingredients to make tasty, healthy, great looking and inventively flavored ice ‘lolls’ for those young and old. Each of the lolls are gluten, dairy and lactose free with a minimal amount of sugar (approx. 57% less than a traditional lolly or Calippo) and have 62 calories or less each. The company is also in the early stages of developing sugar-free products.”
In line with the company’s social, ethical and environmental principles, LICKALIX sources fresh fruit from local producers and wholesale markets, such as New Spitalfields, and endeavours to use organic and fair trade ingredients wherever possible. It employs on a social enterprise basis and minimizes food waste by providing leftover produce to feed the pigs at Stepney City Farm. LICKALIX was selected by Jamie Oliver’s Drinks Tube and Food Tube channels to present a series of ice lolly recipes on YouTube in 2014, which achieved more than 100,000 views.
While sharing details about the company’s marketing opportunities, Co-Founders Dominic Gesua and Karis Layne stated, “In our appraisal, there is no strong national brand of healthy ice lollies sold in the UK, either
in retail outlets, or in any of the 5,000 ice cream vans nationally. The gourmet, healthy ‘Popsicle’ market has grown in the last few years in the US; we believe the UK will follow the US trend, and this represents a clear opportunity for us as early entrants. Whilst ice cream has undergone a shift towards premium and improved ingredient provenance, and frozen yogurt has grown significantly in recent years despite its high sugar content, ice lolls have remained a poor product: sugared water with no nutritional benefits. Our lolls have been hugely popular in 2014 and demonstrate that with consumer attention becoming increasingly drawn to the sugar levels in food, natural ice lollies are a product with much untapped potential in an established high value sector.”
LICKOLIX’s campaign will close 20 December 2014.
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