Esme Loans, the SME digital lender backed by NatWest, has achieved £100million of lending to UK SMEs.

Charity Bank, the loans and savings bank owned by and committed to serving the social sector, has announced both the successful raise of nearly £5 million in subordinated debt and its plans to attract an additional £10 million in new equity investment from charities, trusts and foundations. This capital will enable Charity Bank to grow its support for the social sector and increase its capacity to respond to a growing demand for repayable finance, including the significant unmet demand for unsecured funding.

NatWest is partnering with Moneypenny, the world’s largest and highest rated outsourced communications provider, to bring the 900 entrepreneurs it supports through its Accelerators exclusive access to tools and advice that will help them to grow and develop their businesses.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund Debt Finance, managed by Maven Capital Partners, has provided Telling Architectural Limited, architectural façade design specialists, with a £750,000 loan to expand their facilities, creating 7 new roles in the region.

Architectural specialist, Telling, designs and supplies a variety of façade rainscreen systems, specialising in clay, brick, ceramic and stone cladding as well as Glass-fibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC) cladding in the UK. With offices in the UK and New York, the company has internationally built a reputation for its expertise in cladding, offering clients design services, technical assistance and installation support.

A new ethical loan fund has been launched to help grow businesses who find accessing finance difficult has been warmly welcomed by the FSB as a way of disrupting the market.

The fund, delivered by Transmit Growth Loans, has been created to support small business across England whose growth is stunted because of lack affordable finance. 

It aims to make access to funding fair, flexible and simple, with loans of between £10,000 and £60,000 initially.

Beechbrook Capital, the leading SME private debt fund lender, has appointed Conor Molloy as chairman of its new Irish SME fund which has made its first investment in the Republic of Ireland. Beechbrook Capital Ireland SME I is providing a €7.5 million finance package for Bio-Medical Research Limited (BMR), a world leader in electrical muscle stimulation technology for the fitness and wellness sector.

A six-figure investment from the Development Bank of Wales will enable a waffle company to expand its current production to meet the demands of a national retailer.

Swansea based Medical Connections Limited has successfully completed a management buy-out.

The medical imaging software toolkit company was founded by the late Doctor David Harvey in 1998. As a consultant radiologist, he was passionate about the development of healthcare IT to deliver better patient care.  The Company is a well-established medical imaging toolkit provider and has been recognised as a global leader in facilitating the development of healthcare IT systems to promote interoperability.

Some 63% of real estate professionals believe the secured property debt market is currently attractive for investors,  says research commissioned by secured property lender Fitzrovia Finance.

British Business Investments (BBI), a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, has announced a new £15m Tier 2 capital facility to specialist bank, PCF Bank.

Midlands Engine Investment Fund Debt Finance, managed by Maven Capital Partners, has provided Sleaford Building Services Limited, one of the largest independent Mechanical and Electrical Contractors in the East Midlands, with a £750,000 funding package.

A Cardiff-based business owner has been able to revamp his hair salon and expand chair rental opportunities for other stylists thanks to a micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.