How Powdr Helped MaterialsInformation Build Confidence, Credibility – and a Clearer Path to Investment

By Soni Zaman, Powdr, in conversation with Andy Reilly, MaterialsInformation founder and Powdr user.

At Powdr, we’re proud to support ambitious founders and forward-thinking businesses as they turn financial complexity into clarity. In this series, we spotlight the journeys of businesses using Powdr to unlock confidence, raise capital, and build with greater conviction.

In this edition, we speak to Andy Reilly, founder of MaterialsInformation, about his business and how Powdr helped him on his journey.

“The future’s a lot less scary now”

When Andy Reilly set out to build MaterialsInformation, a specialist B2B SaaS business focused on advanced materials data, he knew his biggest challenge wasn’t just technical – it was financial. To attract investors and enterprise clients alike, he needed more than a solid idea. He needed clarity, credibility, and confidence in the numbers.

“I’ve had a huge amount of help from you guys – it’s been amazing. The support has been exceptional.”

Powdr provided the tools and guidance Andy needed to move from rough assumptions to robust, investor-ready forecasts. The result? A sharper strategy, a better pitch, and more confidence in every conversation.

MaterialsInformation: Transforming How Materials Power the World

MaterialsInformation is redefining how engineers and innovators use materials data – especially in high-performance industries like aerospace, defence, automotive, and electronics.

“People who care about their materials know how much value they contribute – to performance, sustainability, and security. But the systems they use today are out of date. We’re building what comes next.”

Andy and his team bring decades of sector-specific experience, having helped develop many of the legacy systems now ripe for replacement. Their new platform is designed to meet modern demands around performance, sustainability and compliance – helping clients move faster, with more certainty, and fewer risks.

“We’re working with exciting people, doing fun things as quickly as possible. We’ve got the industry knowledge, the technology, and the commercial traction. Now we’re scaling.”

Getting Investor-Ready with Powdr

When Andy first approached Powdr, he had a basic framework of numbers inspired by Innovate UK funding work – but it wasn’t enough to support the kind of conversations he wanted to have with angels and VCs.

“The difference wasn’t just the numbers – it was the confidence. Being able to say: this is what we plan to do, this is how we’ll get there. The stress goes down, the confidence goes up – both for me and for the investor.”

Powdr paired intuitive financial modelling software with one-to-one consultancy to help Andy validate his approach, challenge assumptions, and explore new options. More than just getting ready to raise, Andy was able to interrogate different scenarios – including a bootstrapped route – and build a financial story that worked both for him and for future investors.

“You’re not bending the model to make it look good. You’re building it honestly – then deciding where you want to flex. That’s so powerful.”

Building Credibility and Options

One of Powdr’s greatest strengths is its flexibility – letting founders test growth paths and funding models without being locked into a single narrative. For Andy, this has proven invaluable. “The model’s now something I can hand to someone with more financial expertise and say: run with it. That frees me up to get on with the product.”

He’s now able to involve team members in the financials, share the logic behind the strategy, and create alignment internally and externally – a huge win for both clarity and scalability.

The transparency has also reshaped how he approaches fundraising. “We’re asking for a modest investment – but one that drives immediate, high-impact results. Powdr helped me prove that with clarity.”

Supporting a Founder’s Journey

Alongside the software itself, Powdr’s team supported Andy with tailored advice, hands-on guidance, and deep experience of early-stage funding dynamics. “I really valued hearing about the team’s own journey – it helped me stay grounded. You don’t always get that from investors or networks. It’s usually just: ‘We backed this.’ You never hear what happened before that.”

This practical, supportive approach – coupled with a tool he can revisit any time – has changed the way Andy views the startup journey. “It absolutely ramps up my capacity. The future’s a lot less scary now.”

Frustrations with Funding – and What Needs to Change

One of Andy’s biggest barriers hasn’t been traction or clarity – it’s the mismatch between the size of his funding ask and how investors are geared to operate. “We don’t need millions. But we need enough to prove things. That’s what small-scale, high-impact investment should support – and often doesn’t.”

He points out that many early-stage investors claim to back innovation but only want ‘de-risked’ bets or standard metrics. “The journey to profitability is clear. The ask is small. The upside is big. It’s just hard to tell that story without the right tools. That’s where Powdr helped.”

Stronger, Smarter – and Still Moving Fast

With Powdr, Andy has been able to:

• Build and validate a credible, defensible financial model
• Interrogate different growth paths – from investment to bootstrapping
• Collaborate more easily with colleagues on finances
• Reduce stress and increase clarity in investor conversations
• Shift from static forecasting to ongoing decision-making

“You don’t feel like you’re making it up. It’s real. It’s robust. That changes how people react to you.”

What’s Next for MaterialsInformation?

MaterialsInformation is now active in accelerator programmes, winning commercial consultancy projects, and building out its SaaS platform. It’s a business designed to scale – with deep IP, proven expertise, and a clear product-market fit. “The UK has an amazing legacy in materials science – academically, commercially, and industrially. We’re tapping into that and pushing it forward.”

As Andy continues building – and engaging with the right investors – he’s clear on what he wants to say: “Let us prove it. The model’s there. The impact is clear. The money just needs to land in the right hands – and we’re ready.”

Want to Learn More? 📩 If you’re an investor interested in the future of advanced manufacturing, sustainable materials, or specialist SaaS, get in touch with Andy Reilly and the team. ☎️+447496883166
🌐http://www.materialsinformation.com

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