Oundle tech start-up twio aims to link customers, business and charities to solve global problems
A new technology business wants to solve global challenges by helping big business to smartly channel donations to charities.
Oundle-based twio was founded in January by its pioneer Barny Dillarstone and Cesar Faucher and has already fundraised £215,000.
Its flagship product, an intelligent donation tool for checkouts, is the first of its kind on the market and was launched earlier this month after six months of development.
Through the system, stores gift a percentage of each sale to their customers as a donation to be redeemed on the twio platform.
This then directs customers to causes tailored specifically for them.
"I've always been very interested in business and entrepreneurialism, but for me the motivation is more around building scale solutions to problems that I care about," said Barny.
After earning a masters degree in environmental technology from Imperial College, in London, he worked in the conservation and environment sector in the United States, the Seychelles and latterly Indonesia.
Lockdown prompted a rethink and ultimately a return home to Oundle to focus on his new business idea.
It has already attracted backing from Activate Capital, Activate Studio and Innovate UK, and were one of just eight businesses selected for the French Tech London Mentorship programme.
"We are building a global product and want to be a Midlands-based start-up that becomes a global company," Barny added.
Many of the world's biggest corporations such as Amazon and Ebay have tapped into the belief that helping charities and good causes attracts more customers.
The trend was backed up by a survey run by twio.
"It came as no surprise that 76.9% of customers stated they would be more likely to regularly return to a store that donated money to a cause they care about," Barny said.
He believes twio will progress a system of donations 'stuck in the 20th century' and help business make money rather than just giving it away.
"There has been too much on people giving away money because they are altruistic and philanthropic," he said.
"For me, success in twio is defined by the amount of money we raise and the amount of problems we solve, but it is also about how we can raise money for the benefit of all of our stakeholders."
