Scotland’s leading impact investor, SIS Ventures, has secured £1 million for its pioneering investment fund – Impact First - from Chroma Ventures.

Green Angel Syndicate, the UK's largest network of specialist investors fighting climate change, has invested in a £3.8m investment round into Swytch.The funding will be used to launch Swytch's brand new product: the world's first pocket-sized eBike battery, which converts any bicycle into an electric bike.

The new Swytch eBike conversion kit features a pocket-sized battery (the "Power Pack") which is similar in size to a large smart-phone. The battery provides 250W of power and enough range for your daily commute, whilst weighing only 700g (1.5lb) and can be recharged in around 1 hour.

SETsquared Bristol member LatchAid, an award winning breastfeeding and early parenthood support innovator, has closed its seed funding round with an ultra-competitive £510k Innovate UK Innovation Loan, bringing total investments to £1m, as testament to its ground-breaking technology and user traction.

Since 1994, Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) have been an important tool in the investors’ kit, but many potential investors worry that EIS-eligible businesses are too high risk. Craig Harman, a tax specialist at Perrys Chartered Accountants, explains everything you need to know about Enterprise Investment Schemes, and the tax savings you might be missing out on if you’re not getting involved.

It's Easter, and James Murdoch wonders if perhaps it's time for investors to think of being kinder to failed entrepreneurs.

By Peter Finnie, partner and patent attorney at full-service IP law firm Potter Clarkson.

Turning car finance on its head putting consumers in the driving seat, Carmoola, a newly launched motoring fintech has raised £27M in investment from Jaguar Land Rover’s investment fund, InMotion Ventures, VentureFriends, BCI and California-based Clocktower Ventures.

DBIC Ventures has led a €1.6M funding round in industry cloud CRM company, Clarity CX1, along with angel and other investors. The investment will be used to fuel Clarity CX1’s global growth plans, supported by 30 new jobs over the next two years.

State-of-the-art start-ups came face-to-face with influential investors at an innovative pitch event filmed by University of Essex students.  

A start-up inspired by an adventurous granny and co-designed by a team of retirees has raised £1.1m in funding to tackle the loneliness epidemic amongst older people. The Joy Club is a community-based platform designed to help retirees discover events, passions, and friendships that will enrich their lives.  Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen has invested in the round, alongside Calm/Storm Ventures, Alma Angels, and other notable angel investors.

Catalyst has announced a new partnership with all-island female entrepreneurial community, AwakenHub, to support and empower the next generation of female entrepreneurs and innovators in Ireland.

Turquoise, the UK merchant bank specialising in energy, environment and efficiency, has made a £150k investment in Electric Miles. Low Carbon Innovation Fund 2 (LCIF2) led the £776,000 equity round which included co-investors Vipul Amin, founder of uSwitch and owner of Kelkoo; and Blue Lake VC, which focuses on B2B and software start-ups.