NEW technology for healing wounds and an athlete’s idea for making exercise more enjoyable were among the business ideas pitched to angel investors.

They were in competition with a digital platform that aims to be an ‘Airbnb for venue space’ and an app described as an ‘Uber for charities’.

All the ideas were pitched at the latest meeting of Dorset Business Angels.

Dorset Business Angels chairman Don McQueen said: “We really enjoyed the four quality pitches and the subsequent questioning to the businesses.

"We’ve had good levels of investor interest shown and look forward to finding out more about these businesses.”

The devisers of the venue booking tool say only around 20 per cent of the UK’s 200,000 possible hire venues have a website to promote themselves.

The founders created a self-service platform for anyone wanting to hire a venue, and after 12 months it has 17,000 venues signed up. The founders are seeking to raise £1.5million, of which £1m has already been found.

A company in the wellness sector, founded by a former international athlete, explained its plans to make exercise fun and sociable by recreating childhood play. The founders designed personalised game-based exercise classes and applied them to workouts.

The business tried the idea in London and four other cities, and has more than 180 instructors on its books, with 35 per cent month-on-month growth. It was seeking £300,000 to accelerate growth.

The ‘Uber for charity’ idea is an app which offers a new way for people to donate unwanted items to charity, eliminating some of the seven million van pick-ups a year which charity shops carry out. The average pick-up costs a charity £27-£30.

More than 1,830 shops have signed up to the app, with eight using its a courier service.

A medical science company with a particular interest in aesthetic skin care and wound healing told how it has filed 10 patents and been granted two in the UK. It has products being trialled around the world, mainly in the early stages but with paying customers and patients.

All the presentations attracted expressions of interest from the angel investors.

The next pitch event is on Monday, November 26, and more potential investors are encouraged to come along. The network provides investment opportunities to high net worth and sophisticated investors, with pitch events four times a year.

The angels are sponsored by Saffery Champness Accountants, Investec Wealth & Management and Laceys Solicitors. Details are at dorsetbusinessangels.co.uk