Appear Here, the online marketplace for short-term retail space, has secured £1m funding to grow the business across the UK.

Appear Here enables retailers and brands to book short-term retail space online by connecting them with landlords who have the right sites.  

Investment firms Howzat Partners, MMC Ventures and Forward Investment Partners were among thsoe to raise the funds. Appear Here aims to use the cash to scale up its operations to meet increasing demand for its service and add to its technology team.

Since it was founded a year ago, Appear Here has signed up over 3,000 brands and retailers, giving them access to 250 sites nationwide. It has worked with big name brands including Google, Microsoft, American Apparel and Diageo, as well as Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing’s Candy Kittens sweet shop.

Founder and chief executive of Appear Here Ross Bailey said: “Brand cycles are speeding up, average lease lengths are coming down and consumers want rich buying experiences that aren’t confined to the internet. These trends point to a great future for Appear Here.”

Howzat partner Sascha Hausmann said: “We are always on the lookout for potential game-changers and that is what we have found in Appear Here – a company that is disrupting the commercial real-estate market and providing new revenue sources and marketing opportunities to landlords, retailers, brands and entrepreneurs.”