Stealth-mode Shutl says it now has money

[UK] They are still playing their cards close to their chest, but stealth-mode Shutl, the UK-based startup, is today sneaking out the news that it’s secured a £0.5m investment from a group of Angels led by Angel investor Simon Murdoch and Big Bang Ventures in Belgium.

Murdoch is well known and respected in the UK tech scene after setting up online bookstore Bookpages in ‘96 and selling it to Amazon in ‘98. The other investors include the likes of Bebo co-founder Paul Birch, Robert Dighero (formerly of QXL) and Mark Zaleski (former DailyMotion CEO).

Murdoch joins the board as non-executive chairman and Chris Öhlund as a non-executive director. Öhlund is Chairman of the Supervisory Board at ricardo.de.

Shutl is the new project from serial entrepreneur Tom Allason, who is founder and CEO. Allason founded eCourier.co.uk via £8m from Angels and a VC, in 2003, leaving it in 2008 with £7.5m in turnover and 250 staff.

Shutl says it “promises to re-define e-commerce” which is a pretty broad statement. We understand it might well be back in the courier/distribution space Allason knows so well.

The startup is due to “officially launch later this year” though the counter on its site puts its launch date in 73 days – or December 31. Which is pretty late this year.