givestar has secured £9 million in funding, the largest investment ever for a UK-based fundraising technology company. The round, led by Mercia with participation from Love Ventures, will fuel its expansion in the UK while accelerating growth in the US, where it already powers over 70 events. The platform consolidates charities, fundraisers, donors, and events into a unified system, enabling more efficient fundraising efforts.
Since launching, the service has amassed nearly 800,000 user accounts, facilitating over $70 million in donations for more than 4,000 charities through both digital and event-based campaigns. Its user base is predominantly young, with 76% of participants under 35, positioning it as a critical tool for engaging future generations of donors. The company’s origins trace back to a gap in charitable giving: while younger people remained committed to causes, traditional donation methods had not adapted to a cashless economy.
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The founders initially addressed this by converting smartphones into contactless donation terminals. However, the platform’s capabilities quickly expanded to include digital fundraising, event integration, supporter engagement, and long-term charity management. Strategic partnerships with major event organizers, including RunThrough, Tough Mudder UK, Spartan UK, Ultra Events, and Ultra X, have firmly embedded givestar within the fundraising ecosystem. These collaborations span hundreds of events, allowing charities to recruit fundraisers at participant sign-up, creating a self-reinforcing cycle where events attract fundraisers, fundraisers bring donors, and charities develop lasting supporter relationships.
In the US, givestar has already established partnerships with prominent races like the Bay to Breakers, Las Vegas Marathon, and Portland Marathon. Earlier this year, it became the official fundraising partner for Spartan and Tough Mudder in North America, engaging hundreds of thousands of participants annually. The new capital will deepen its US footprint, expanding partnerships and creating local hiring opportunities.