Minority Stake Taken in Hotbox.co.uk

NewMedia SPARK PLC
9 December 1999

   
                              
                       NewMedia SPARK
                              
    INVESTS £500,000 FOR A MINORITY STAKE IN HOTBOX.CO.UK


NewMedia SPARK plc ('SPARK') announces that it has invested
£500,000 for a 27% equity stake in hotbox.co.uk.
Hotbox.co.uk (soon to change its name to Firebox.com) is an
early stage E-Commerce company selling a growing range of
lifestyle products aimed at men in the 18-34.age group. The
business is already operational and profitable, and its
revenues are growing rapidly. It is intended that with
effect from January 2000 the business will be based in
SPARK's new purpose built offices in Soho, London, with the
intention of developing the business substantially.

Commenting on the investment Michael Whitaker, CEO of SPARK,
said:

'We  are  delighted  to be investing in  Hotbox.co.uk.   The
founders  have  built a very promising business  and  sought
outside finance to step up their rate of growth.  They  have
demonstrated  creativity  and an intimate  understanding  of
their   target  market  both  in  sourcing  innovative   and
desirable  products  and in attracting  customers  to  their
website.  We were attracted by a Business-to-Consumer  model
which   is   already  profitable,  which  has   successfully
addressed a highly net literate demographic group and  whose
management has signed partnership agreements with  a  number
of  leading  internet players. When NewMedia Spark  and  its
associate NewMedia Investors move to bigger offices shortly,
they will be sharing office space with us and drawing on our
experience and contacts in the Internet arena. '

Hotbox is the sixth investment by SPARK since its shares
began trading on the Alternative Investment Market on 28th
October 1999. Its previous investments were in
Skillvest.com, Easier! , Digital Animations Group plc,
Bridge4u.com, and Linkguard. SPARK recently raised a further
£35.4m to fund further investments and a significant
increase in the scale of its activities.

   
                              
For further information, please contact:

NewMedia SPARK
Michael Whitaker                           0171 887 4510

Buchanan Communications
Tim Anderson / Lisa Baderoon               0171 466 5000

Peel, Hunt & Company Limited
David Davies                               0171 418 8900