Hartlepool-based KLIK SaaS™ has completed a £300,000 SEIS and EIS-backed funding round, valuing the pre-revenue business at £6 million.

The investment has been secured from independent investors, including pharmaceutical and chemical industry veteran Malcolm Knott.

KLIK is a digital platform that organisations can license to transform their existing website to build online communities, bringing member engagement, communication and recruitment tools into a single system.

The platform can be used by organisations to manage members, host events and advertise opportunities within their own environment, as well as between organisations.

Founder Kelly M. Whitfield confirms its distinct advantage is that it enables organisations to monetise and manage their own networks directly and retain control of the data, engagement and opportunities instead of relying on multiple third-party platforms.

Investor Malcolm Knott, who was CEO of Industrial Technology Systems (ITS) for over 30 years and is now an ambassador for Teesside Hospice and the charity CEO Sleepout UK, said: “I invested in it because I believed in it, and I believe in Kelly.

“KLIK can be licensed for an entire industry, so you can connect and keep in touch with peers without the hassle of travelling, which is a powerful benefit,” he added.

KLIK has been developed entirely in the North East of England and is now built and nearing launch.

Whitfield said: “KLIK solves a problem most organisations don’t yet know they have. They’re simply managing audiences when they could be building structured, engaged communities that create real commercial and strategic value.

“It takes just two buttons on an existing website to make it happen,” she added.

The company is also planning workshops and interactive demonstration events for organisations interested in licensing the platform.