By Ian McConnell
Scottish start-up QuickBlock, which is eyeing global market opportunities in agriculture, humanitarian aid and disaster relief for its rapid-assembly, recycled plastic building blocks, has secured more than £250,000 in seed funding.
It noted the funding from Scottish business angel syndicate Equity Gap and Scottish Enterprise would enable the creation of four skilled jobs, including securing the long-term appointment of its interim chief executive, Andrew Vincent.
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The firm said its flat-pack building material was “similar in concept to children’s building blocks” and “requires no tools, additional materials or construction experience”. QuickBlock added: “Its unique compact design makes it easy to transport to remote or hard-to-reach locations, such as rural settlements or camps. A fraction of the weight of traditional cement blocks, the block is made from 100%-recycled polypropylene that would otherwise go to landfill and can be repeatedly disassembled and reused.”
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Chairman Tom Thomson said: “Our investors’ commitment validates and supports our ambition to make QuickBlock one of Scotland’s major business successes.
“We are now recruiting for a further three new members of staff and ramping up output as the product gains appeal in diverse markets.”
QuickBlock was conceived by architect Hugh Fisher, whose vision was to build refugee housing in the Middle East by recycling the plastic that litters parts of the region’s landscape.
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