Scottish alkaline water pioneers Actiph has hailed hitting £1.2 million with its first crowdfunding campaign.

It comes as the brand saw unprecedented demand during coronavirus pandemic, with sales of over two million units by June.

The Edinburgh-based start-up cheered the total after setting up a £500,000 crowdfunder.

It will be used to drive further distribution across Europe, USA and Middle East and investing in marketing and accelerating new product development.

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Actiph Water was founded by Jamie Douglas-Hamilton, a seven-time Guinness World Record holder, after his world record breaking row across the Indian Ocean led him to discover the power of optimum hydration on performance.

The firm currently exports to 15 countries including US, China, UAE, Ireland, Greece, Qatar, and is set to ramp up global expansion.

Major listings include Tesco, Sainsbury's, Ocado, H&B and Wholefoods.

It is claimed to be the first alkaline ionised bottled water to be launched and made in the UK and is produced by purifying natural spring water, adding electrolytes, then is supercharged through ionisation to pH 9 or higher

Ionised alkaline water was first developed in Japan and approved by their ministry of health in 1965. Since then alkaline water has become one of the fastest-growing categories globally with sales of $883m in 2018.

Mr Douglas-Hamilton said: “Since launching in 2017, we have experienced 300% year-on-year growth and doubled our distribution in the last nine months.

“Raising £1.2 million means we have now built a loyal community of Actiphists and can realise our dream of transforming Actiph into a global lifestyle brand and become one of the top three players in the USA and the leading alkaline water in Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific.

“We firmly believe that we are happiest and most fulfilled when we are most active. It is through expeditions like the one we completed in December, which was the first human powered crossing of the Drake Passage from South America to Antarctica that we intend to inspire and energise our community to live an active boundless life.”

Manufacturer Essentra has reported lower pre-tax profits in the first half of 2020 after the pandemic weighed on revenue.

Shares in the FTSE 250 company nudged lower after it reported a £7.9 million pre-tax profit for the six months to June, compared with £53.1 million for the same period last year.

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The plastic and fibre product supplier said revenue fell 11.7% to £448.8 million for the half-year after the pandemic impacted trading in the second quarter.

It said the outlook remains "uncertain" but it expects to meet full-year market forecasts, barring a second wave of the disease. Shares in the company were 0.8% lower at 309.2p.

Video game developer Frontier Developments said its annual sales are to hit the top end of forecasts as it revealed a slew of new games releases.

Shares lifted higher after the AIM-listed firm said it traded in line with expectations over the year to May following a "strong close" to the period.

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The Cambridge-based company said it expects to deliver revenue within the top half of its current range of £83 million to £95 million for the full-year to May 2021.

The update came shortly after the business announced the release of three new games, including Jurassic World Evolution: Complete Edition, which will come out for the Nintendo Switch in November.

Shares were 7.3% higher at 2232.5p.

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