With widespread disruption from new and emerging technologies facing companies, the financial services sector is still lacking in CEOs with a background in technology, according to recent analysis from specialist recruitment firm, Robert Half UK.

According to the results of the annual Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker, not one of the CEOs leading the FTSE 100’s financial services companies has a background in technology. In contrast, the proportion of CEOs with a background in technology across all sectors has increased by 27% over the past year, as the impact of digitisation is felt across multiple industries and sectors.

Innovative wave energy technology developer Bombora has secured a seven figure working capital facility with the Development Bank of Wales in a move that will help secure the company’s future in Wales.

Last year the company was awarded a £10.3m grant from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. The new working capital facility with the Development Bank will help Bombora to manage its cash flow while the grant is received over the next two years.

Foresight Group has made a £1.5 million investment from the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund into INSPHERE Ltd, experts in measurement and automation using innovative value-added metrology.

INSPHERE was founded in 2013 by CEO Ben Adeline and CTO Oliver Martin, originally providing metrology consultancy, sub-contract management and training to manufacturing businesses including Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover.

Industries such as aerospace, automotive and defence all employ highly automated manufacturing processes which rely on production lines of robots performing precise and repeatable actions.

Fleetondemand, one of Europe’s leading mobility technology providers, has acquired Buckinghamshire-based vehicle management company FleetEurope for an undisclosed sum.  The significant deal was funded by Fleetondemand’s current long-term investment partner BGF, which acquired a minority stake in the technology business following a £5 million investment last year. BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor, has committed more than £2 billion in over 285 growing businesses since it was set up in 2011.

Kernel Capital has led a £1.6m investment in Belfast-based Automated Intelligence, in syndication with private investors. The investment comprises of £750K investment from The Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund (NI).  Automated Intelligence has developed a data management platform AI.DATALIFT, giving customers insight and control over their ever-increasing volumes of data.  This is now a vital component of many significant UK organisations’ information governance frameworks with clients including DEFRA, Crossrail and NHS Trusts.  

The Animal Health Laboratory within the Colorado Department of Agriculture is assisting in a trial of Actiphage®, a new rapid blood test for 

MPC Capital has acquired a 6.5 MWp solar PV project under development in El Salvador. The project has signed a 20-year USD-denominated power purchase agreement (PPA) with CAESS, the local subsidiary of the US-based energy company AES. This is MPC Capital’s second investment in Central America, after Tilawind, the 21 MW operating wind farm in Costa Rica.

A new summit connecting emerging technology fund managers with investors has been launched in London by early stage VC firms, 7Percent Ventures and Luminous Ventures.

Cambridge Touch Technologies Ltd., the leading provider of piezoelectric UltraTouch multi-force-and-touch technology to the consumer electronics, automotive, industrial and military markets, today announced it has closed an oversubscribed $10 million Series B funding round, bringing the total amount raised to nearly $20 million. The round was led by Kureha Corporation of Japan, a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and plastics including piezoelectric polymer film, together with participation from existing investors Parkwalk, Downing Ventures, CM Ventures and Amadeus Capital Partners, and new investment from top Chinese venture capital firm Puhua Capital and Japanese automotive touch panel firm, Futaba Corporation. The University of Cambridge is also an existing investor, while Ascendant Corporate Finance provided advice on the round.

Lingua Custodia, the specialist in Machine Learning applied to financial translation, has closed a €1.1m fundraising operation. This brings the total amount of funds raised since its inception in 2011 to € 2.4m.

Maven Capital Partners has led a £900,000 investment in supercomputing technology specialist, ebb3 Limited. A total of £750,000 was invested by NPIF – Maven Equity Finance (‘’NPIF’’), managed by Maven and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, with a further £150,000 provided by the Maven VCTs. The funding will enable ebb3 to further scale the business, double its headcount and support the growing demand for the company’s complete high-performance virtual workspace. 

QuoteOnSite has announced a cash injection to facilitate aggressive growth over the next 12 months thanks to investment from the Development Bank of Wales and Deri Green.