Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Wales have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the second annual report published by Economic Intelligence Wales (EIW).

The report highlights the initial effects of the pandemic on the Welsh economy and details subsequent mitigation policies from both UK and Welsh Governments as the UK prepares for a recession in 2020.

Robert Walters Fintech: Challenger to Competitor report analyses the four key factors driving the fintech market which has seen a 53% growth in the last three years, an active fundraising scene, and a 20% surge in-demand during lockdown.

Equity investment in the UK’s tech businesses increased by 27% in 2019 to £4.0bn, 

Covid-19 has made investment prospects bleak in many sectors, but a new report by Ceuta Group reveals confidence in consumer health, wellness and personal care remains high despite economic turmoil.

Ceuta Group’s report ‘The Enduring Appeal Of Investment In Healthcare & Wellness Consumer Brands’ argues that health and personal care is one of the few industries that is “pandemic proof”.

The startup ecosystem will take a year or more to fully recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with economic and political risk representing the biggest barrier to innovation in that time, according to new data from Kamet Ventures.

An overwhelming majority (88%) of private equity investors plan to step up their efforts to manage and measure ESG performance in their portfolio companies 

HYCM has commissioned an independent survey of more than 900 UK-based investors (all with investments in excess of £10,000) to find out how they are investing amidst the coronavirus:

A new survey by Intertrust¹, a global leader in providing tech-enabled fund and corporate solutions, reveals how COVID-19 has impacted the decision making behind carve-outs.

During a recent webinar, addressing how best to create value through carve-outs, a third (33%) of industry professionals said they intended to start looking for acquisition opportunities while 11% planned on initiating a strategic review of potential carve-out opportunities.

eFront, the leading financial software and solutions provider dedicated to Alternative Investments, has published its latest research on LBO and VC performance during crises: “Private Markets in Downturns: 3 Observations”. 

No women in private equity report that they see starting their own firm as part of their future ambitions, according to Investec’s 10th edition of their global GP Trends Report.

Down from just 2.3 per cent of women who claimed they would like to start their own firm in 2018, 0 per cent of female respondents for the 2019 survey said that if they left their current firm, they would start their own. This is compared to nearly 15 per cent of male general partners.

The number of businesses with a positive outlook for the next 12 months exceeds the number with a negative outlook for the first time, 

Lenders have approved £27.5bn of emergency finance to businesses during the coronavirus crisis with most coming from the bounce back loans scheme, government figures show, according to a report by Peer2Peer Finance News. Treasury data as of 24 May showed more than 650,000 businesses have accessed coronavirus-linked finance schemes. The coronavirus business interruption loans scheme (CBILS), which launched in April offering loans worth up to £5m, has provided £8.1bn of finance to 43,045 businesses out of 84,607 applications. This is an approval rate of 50.8 per cent.