Today, GIF has invested £250,000 in Sociability — a leading accessibility platform that gives disabled people personalised accessibility recommendations for local venues, and £500,000 in Ruka Hair — a UK based brand, developing solutions for people with curly and afro hair.

According to Euan’s Guide’s most recent Access Survey, 91% of disabled people search for access information before visiting a new place. Accessibility barriers play a significant role in limiting social participation for disabled people, who are almost 4 times more likely to experience loneliness and social isolation than non-disabled people.

A wheelchair-user himself, Matt Pierri (33) founded Sociability whilst a student at the University of Oxford, where he faced significant barriers to finding accessible accommodation.

In the UK, disabled founders are 400 times less likely to receive venture capital funding. Big Issue Invest and UnLtd’s fund for underrepresented entrepreneurs, the Growth Impact Fund, has invested a quarter of a million pounds to help Pierri expand the capabilities of the app and map even more locations across the UK.

Matt Pierri, founder and CEO of Sociability, said: “The heart of what we’re doing at Sociability is a mission to empower those who society most overlooks. Those who are marginalised, forgotten or actively excluded because they look, sound or move differently to others.”

Sociability is free to use and has data for more than 15,000 venues across the country, with almost 10,000 of those in London. In the past 12 months alone, it has fielded more than 320,000 searches for accessible venues on its platform. The Growth Impact Fund’s investment will help the company use AI and machine learning to reduce the time it takes to map locations, with the goal of expanding to other locations around the UK and growing its enterprise work.

Alison Kerry, Head of Communications at disability equality charity Scope, an investor in the Growth Impact Fund, said: “We’re delighted to support disabled social entrepreneurs though the Growth Impact Fund. Disabled people have a right to make the most of their communities but too often they’re effectively barred from visiting so many inaccessible venues. We know that can lead to isolation and Sociability will be a great platform to help them plan visits, avoid the disappointment disabled people face on a daily basis and enjoy their lives to the full.”

The Fund’s investment in Sociability and Ruka highlights the scope of its portfolio and a new vision for the Fund, engaging entrepreneurs further along in their business journey. Ruka Hair’s vision is to become the definitive consumer innovation brand globally for textured hair, by developing products, IP and knowledge that hold the hair industry accountable when it comes to safety, sustainability, and health outcomes for the black consumer. Research has found that 80% of more than 4,000 beauty products marketed toward Black women contain at least one moderately hazardous ingredient. Ruka exists to tackle this head-on, and the Fund’s investment will help them scale their work into the US market and impact.

Tendai Moyo, CEO and co-Founder of Ruka said: “The Growth Impact Fund investment amplifies our shared mission to democratise textured‑hair care and to build supply chains that uplift, not exploit, the communities behind them. We’re inspired by GIF’s track record of rolling up their sleeves alongside founders — challenging us to think bigger while celebrating the empathy and care we weave into every product, salon activation and education initiative.”

Aimee Bryan, Head of Investment at UnLtd, said: “a lack of accessibility infrastructure plays a significant role in limiting social participation for disabled people, but Sociability addresses this head-on. By mapping accessibility features in the real world, Sociability can empower disabled people to identify for themselves if a space will be able to accommodate them. As a Fund, our mission is to champion equity and address systemic barriers that exist within society and Sociability aligns with our vision for the Fund and a fairer society.”

Hana Hussain, Investment Director at Big Issue Invest, said: “Ruka’s mission aligns closely with our ethos as a Fund. Many women of colour face systemic barriers to scaling their businesses and are also subject to the detrimental impact of dysregulation on them and their bodies. By tackling the issue of haircare, Ruka are facilitating greater inclusion, and support the long-term health and wellbeing of women across the world.”

Big Issue Invest Fund Management (BIIFM) is the fund manager for the Growth Impact Fund, and the fund is addressed to professional investors only. Capital at Risk. BIIFM Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) FRN 610618.