Esure GoCompare founders are investing in start-up, Careercake.com
GoCompare.com founders Hayley Parsons and Kevin Hughes are investing in start-up Careercake.com as it completed a second round of undisclosed funding. Created by Aimee Bateman, the recruitment advice firm has more than 16,00 followers on its YouTube channel, and is part of NatWest Bank’s new Entrepreneurial Spark hub. The funds will be used to "accelerate national and international growth".

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Founder of price comparison firm GoCompare, Hayley Parsons, has invested into online career and learning venture Careercake.com to support its ambitious expansion plans in the UK and overseas.

Ms Parsons, who sold her remaining stake in Newport-based GoCompare for around £44m in 2014 to Esure, is investing in the business, founded by Aimee Bateman, alongside fellow founder of GoCompare Kevin Hughes. Also investing is serial investor and chairman of Carecake.com, Ashley Cooper.

The value of what is a second round investment into the business has not been disclosed.

Careercake.com was set up by Ms Bateman in 2010. Disillusioned by her job in corporate recruitment she handed in her notice, went online and bought a camera for £20 and started making career advice videos, posting them for free on YouTube.

Expansion

Five years on, Careercake.com now employs five members of staff and is part of NatWest Bank’s new Entrepreneurial Spark hub supporting start-ups at the 1 Central Square office scheme.

Careercake has had more than six million viewers to its YouTube career advice channel as well as over 16,000 subscribers.

Aimee Bateman

Ms Bateman said: “I am thrilled that entrepreneurs of such calibre as Hayley and Kevin have invested in Careercake.com and share our vision for its future.

“It is amazing to have them on board. Whilst funding is a necessity, having the strategic and tactical insight of such successful business people in Hayley and Kevin is worth far more to me.

"We have come a long way since welcoming Ashley Cooper as chairman and seed investor in 2015 and with Hayley and Kevin on board we are set to accelerate our national and international growth."

Ms Parsons said: “Aimee is a people person and so am I so we clicked straight away. She wants to help people, young and old, take control of their working life and I love that.

“I am a great believer in making your own luck and going out and doing what you can to achieve your goals and ambitions and Careercake.com and Aimee empowers people to do just that. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the business.”

Mr Hughes will be an adviser to Careercake.com’s board of directors. He said: “I loved Aimee’s drive and ambition for the company and both the quality and content of the product offer and particularly admired the company ethos – helping people achieve their career goals, beginning within education and broadening out to cover each stage of career development.

“I look forward to helping Aimee and her team grow and develop Careercake.com to an internationally acclaimed online digital platform.”

Mr Cooper, who was an early stage investor in the business said of its second funding round: “I am delighted to welcome Hayley and Kevin to the Careercake.com team. You can’t beat “been there, seen it, done it” experience which they will use to great effect in helping Careercake.com to scale rapidly.

“Aimee is a special person with unrivalled drive, passion and focus on execution. Combining Aimee’s skills with Hayley and Kevin being on the Careercake.com team positions the business for major growth where we will truly have a global impact on people’s careers and ultimately their lives.”

Advisers

Capital Law advised Careercake.com on the investment. The exact amount of investment is not being disclosed.

All three investors are all also members of InspireWales, an investment consortium made of 20 leading Welsh business people, which aims to give investment and mentoring to start-ups and established business.

However, the investment is not connected to InspireWales.