Dorset Business Angels have hosted their quarterly online pitch event where members hear from five businesses looking for funding

The team behind the UK’s first female urinal have raised £250,000 in their first funding round, as they strive to pioneer ‘pee-equality’ for women and make long queues for the ladies a thing of the past.  University of Bristol graduates Amber Probyn, 23, and Hazel McShane, 25, say their flatpack portable urinals made of recycled sea plastics are six times faster to use and produce 98% less carbon than traditional portable toilets.

A new social app built for sports fans, Sportening, has officially launched out of beta stage after raising £5.3million in seed funding, with a significant investment from Real Madrid star and Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric.

Green Angel Syndicate (GAS) is the UK's largest network of specialist investors fighting climate change.  Since it was launched in its present form in 2017, it has led the way in delivering specialist angel investment for the innovations we need to fight climate change, backing 28 start-up or early-stage companies across 10 different sectors.  Last week, GAS closed the third round of its EIS Climate Change fund which will support the growth of more pioneering early-stage and start-up companies finding solutions to climate change. 

We asked GAS founder Nick Lyth and CEO Cam Ross to give us some insight into what makes GAS tick, what sets them apart from the crowd and the future for climate change investing.

Cauldron was labelled one of FinTech’s best kept secrets when last summer it spun the gaming studio out of the fintech unicorn, Thought Machine. Their Chief Design Officer, Mark Warrick, announced he was moving on after 7 years to become the CEO of Cauldron with a founding team including the award-winning creative force of Fox Rogers and BAFTA-nominated games director Matt Hyde.

Climate-Tech innovator AgriSound has secured funding through Anglia Capital Group, a leading group of business angel investors in Norfolk and Suffolk.

By combining acoustic technology with environmental sensors, AgriSound’s scientists have developed a range of innovative products that can aid farmers and growers in maintaining an optimal pollination environment necessary for the survival of future pollinators, farms, gardens and ultimately the planet.

REHAUS, a marketplace dedicated to matching pre-owned designer furniture with new owners, has announced the launch of its consumer seller platform. REHAUS removes the hassle usually associated with pre-owned furniture online, offering a superior experience for both buyers and sellers. This includes full provenance, direct communication and next day delivery for buyers as well as collection, storage and superior merchandising for sellers.

The Allergen Neutral™ skincare brand, Oodee has raised £700,000 supported by Angel Investment Network, the world’s largest online angel investment platform. Oodee is the world’s first Allergen Neutral™ skincare range and is pioneering a new solution to the hidden mysteries of allergies, intolerances, and skin flare-ups. 

Green Angel Syndicate has closed the 3rd round of its EIS Climate Change Fund, more than 50% ahead of its target – setting a new fundraising record for the Fund. 

Green Angel Syndicate is leading the way in climate change technology innovation investment. It receives over 700 applications a year, of which only a select few make it through the investment firm’s formidable deal pipeline. 

The Climate Change Fund, which launched in November 2020, has allowed those investors committed to reducing and reversing carbon emissions, to invest in a fund that has the sole purpose of supporting the growth of viable pioneering early-stage and startup companies finding solutions to climate change. 

Before the pandemic struck, 2019 had been a high point in the angel investment market in Scotland, with a record number of deals and a record £86 million invested.

Vertical Future Limited, , which grows crops without soil and with artificial light, has successfully completed a £21m Series-A Equity Fundraise from investors including the Acceleris syndicate of investors participated in this fundraise alongside new UHNW, HNW and family office investors.  The funding is Europe’s largest ever “Series A” fundraising in the emerging vertical farming sector.

Smartia, the leading UK industrial intelligence technology company, has raised £1.7 million, led by 24Haymarket and supported by existing investors. Smartia’s flagship intelligence platform, MAIO, combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep industrial expertise to provide manufacturers with an end-to-end Industry4.0 solution.