Innovate Finance, the industry body representing UK FinTech, has announced that Charlotte Crosswell will step down from her position as Chief Executive Officer in May 2021. 

A former Teacher whose passion for upcycling led her to launch her own business two years ago is set to go full circle, with ambitions to launch dedicated workshops later this year to teach her skills and ideas to fellow creatives.

Haatch Ventures has recruited Jeremy Luzinda as Investment Associate after an exciting 12 months that has seen Haatch Ventures invest in 13 new companies and seen its portfolio companies create 250 new jobs.

LawtechUK, the government-backed initiative within Tech Nation to help transform the UK legal sector through technology, brings to a close the Pilot stage of the first Lawtech Sandbox - a research and development initiative for lawtech scaleups - following a successful three month trial period.

A programme that has already nurtured the bright ideas of 200 regional businesses is to be extended by the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC).  Since its launch in 2011, the Innovation Programme has provided advice and funding worth more than £1,400,000 to help companies become more innovative and competitive – creating 128 jobs in the process.

Nyobolt, the original founders of ultra-fast charging niobium-based battery technology, has appointed Mark Newman as CCO and Head of Strategy, following recent investment by IQ Capital.  

Antler has appointed Orson Stadler as a Partner who will be co-heading its London operation. 

BGF has released the first ever report into the attitudes of female leaders at growth economy companies. According to a survey of 152 female executives, board members, senior managers, owners and partners of businesses, 72% of those surveyed are motivated to grow their business this year.

BGF has also been named the leading investor in female-led scale-up businesses last year, according to new research from the Scale Up Institute. In 2020, BGF investments were made into female-led companies in the fields of technology, clean growth, life sciences and retail.

Cofinitive’s #21toWatch is a successful campaign and awards that celebrates the outstanding talent within the disruptive science and tech industries from Cambridgeshire and across East Anglia.  The 21 winners represent the region’s globally recognised excellence in biotechnology and life sciences but also includes other incredibly innovative People, Companies and ‘Things’ in industries as diverse as artificial intelligence-enabled solutions, agri-tech, and water and energy sustainability.

IgniteNI has revealed the 10 game-changing start-ups selected to participate in its renowned accelerator programme for growing technology companies.  Launching in Belfast on Monday 8th March and running until Friday the 28th May 2021, 2 out of 10 early-stage companies chosen to take part are from Buckinghamshire and Sussex, with the remainder from Northern Ireland, Germany, Ireland and the US. Supported by Invest Northern Ireland, IgniteNI is a powerhouse for young businesses that provides mentorship, financial support and access to investors and other supports to help them scale.

Finding Roots, a ‘micro-garden’ subscription service for those living in built up urban areas has been crowned the winner of a nationwide competition to find the country’s best entrepreneurial pitch.

Funding London -  the Mayor’s early-stage investment vehicle - has supported 131 overlooked founders over the past six years. Through its two funds, the London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF) and the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF), over £16.5M has been invested into 39 female founders, 43 ethnic minority founders and four disabled founders.