New parking technology raises seven-figure investment deal
Suss Ventures have contributed a six-figure sum alongside a multi-million investment drive. This raise marks a huge success for Suss Ventures who are synonymous with sourcing sustainable businesses for their community of impact-driven investors and corporate partners. The zero-effort payment system eliminates the worry of parking fines and is completely cashless, automated and secure.
David Fowle, Managing Director of Hozah, said: "We're delighted to have received this investment through Suss Ventures, which is a real show of faith in our capability to revolutionise the UK's car park infrastructure. We look forward to using these funds to help our customer avoid parking fines, frustrating apps and tickets, and we’re proud of our relationship with the team at Suss Ventures."
What is Hozah?
David Fowle and Naomi Bishop founded Hozah in 2017 with the vision of transforming the UK’s car park infrastructure. Payment systems are often unclear and often leave people rushing back for a predetermined parking allocation time, which can build unnecessary costs for the driver.
Their fully automated parking payment system connects drivers' credit/debit cards to number plate ANPR recognition cameras which detect when drivers enter and exit Hozah-enabled car parks. The parking fees are then automatically billed for the length of their stay without any action required by the driver.
They work closely with local authorities to offer their residents a better way to pay for parking and currently headquartered in Croydon. They work with several nationwide councils such as Croydon, Coventry, and Oxford and are beginning to trail with other nationwide councils. Hozah was named Best Business for Digital, Data and Technology at the Croydon Business Excellence Awards Ceremony 2019, with David Fowle highly commended in the hotly contested Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Nigel Lambe, CEO at Sussex Innovation, said: “It’s brilliant that businesses like Hozah are able to streamline parking systems that can be a pain for many drivers like myself. The investment is the latest step in a long-term relationship between Sussex Innovation and Hozah, who have been members of the business incubator since 2018. Hozah’s latest round of investment is part of our drive at Sussex Innovation to support innovative businesses on their journey from startup to scaleup.”
How does it work?
That platform enables users to park and go with a one-time sign up that simply requires your number plate and payment details. Once set up, users will be charged automatically for their length of stay when you enter a Hozah-enabled car park, without the need to do anything else.
Users no longer have to worry about parking fines because their car is now their payment card. No cash, no apps, no fines, and no more waiting at the ticket machine.
Their user feedback is a clear testament of their efficiency:
“Hozah is brilliant because I don’t have to worry about finding loose change.” - Mia from York.
“I used the car park regularly and this is perfect for me as I always have my toddler with me.” - Kate from Sheffield.
“Very happy with Hozah over the last year, just got a new car and already added the new car reg to my Hozah account which couldn’t be simpler.” - John from Coventry.
