The founders of Derby-based cycling brand Purple Harry will be hoping they don't get called numpties by their new equity partners the Brownlee brothers, after the duo helped them hit their £75k crowdfunding target.
The triathletes started trialling the company's products – which include 'Bike Floss' for hard-to-reach places on a drivetrain – and liked them so much they became shareholders last month.
Company founders Richard Hargreaves and Dean Perry worked with a pipe cleaner manufacturer in Yorkshire to create their first product, and have since branched out into cleaning sprays, chain lubricants and more.
The idea for Bike Floss came when keen cyclist Perry was helping his daughter on a school project using pipe cleaners, and realised that a modified version could be ideal for cleaning crucial components on his bike.
Hargreaves and Perry have since expanded their range to eight products, and put sponsorship plans in motion for a number of athletes including Rio hopeful Phill Hogg.