The value of venture capital raised by UK companies rose to its highest first quarter total on record according to research from Refinitiv. UK companies raised £2.1bn from 137 deals in the first three months of 2020 – up from the £1.9bn in Q1 2019 from 135 deals. This represents a 13% rise in value and a 1% rise in volume year on year. Deal value was also slightly down from the last three months of 2019 which saw £2.4bn raised from 132 deals.

Fintech investment in the UK has exploded by 500% in the last three years, compared to 170% for the USA and 133% for Europe according to a new report released this week from global recruiter Robert Walters and market analysis experts Vacancy Soft – Fintech: Challenger to Competitor.

New tech roles in banks has increased by a staggering +46% in the last three years – making traditional banks the most prominent recruiter for tech professionals.

European VC-backed companies raised $8.8B across 923 deals in the first quarter of 2020 according to the latest KPMG Venture Pulse Report.

Investment in Europe got off to an excellent start in 2020 even with the exit of the UK from the European Union and the sudden uncertainty created by the rapid spread of COVID-19 in February and March. The expanding startup ecosystem across Europe, low interest rates, and a strong base of maturing startups helped drive the continued VC investment.

Over £64.8 million has been invested into 257 businesses by the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), with new data revealing its regional impact just released.  The £250 million Fund, which was launched by the Government’s British Business Bank in 2017 to support small businesses in the Midlands, has helped to create 629 jobs, with 37 per cent paying above the UK upper quartile salary of £36,500 a year.

The new data has been released as part of an Early Assessment Report which charts the Midlands Engine Investment Fund’s progress between August 2017 and September 2019.

Private equity and venture capital fundraising hit €109 billion, up 6% in 2019, and the highest total over a decade, according to new data from Invest Europe. In parallel, the total equity amount invested in European companies increased 10% year-on-year to €94 billion in 2019, the highest level on investment ever recorded.

Qadre, a high-growth fintech trusted by leading institutions to deliver certainty with blockchain technology, has announced a new research report in partnership with techUK that reveals a third of UK fintechs have lost vital funding due to equity management problems. The report ‘Making fintech work for fintechs’ is based on a survey of 59 UK fintech founders and exposes the impact of complex equity management processes on business growth as well as the impact of COVID-19 on fundraising.

eFront, the leading financial software and solutions provider dedicated to Alternative Investments, has published its latest Quarterly Private Equity Performance report, showing that private equity funds globally maintained a high level of performance throughout 2019, as the industry enjoyed benign economic conditions and a late-cycle phase. The consequences of the Covid-19-induced economic slowdown are yet to be reflected in the figures.

Business angel syndicates in Scotland participated in deals which invested over £100m in young entrepreneurial companies in the financial year to end March 2020.

A new survey by Intertrust, a global leader in providing tech-enabled fund and corporate solutions, 

One in ten British businesses face a high risk of entering insolvency as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

eFront, the leading financial software and solutions provider dedicated to Alternative Investments, has published a retrospective analysis of private equity performance, capital calls and distributions over the past 20 years, offering insight into the likely impact on the asset class of the downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.