NVM Private Equity has fully realised its investment in international marketing communications group MSQ Partners following a £37.5 million management buy-out by LDC, providing NVM funds with a 2.7x return. NVM first supported MSQ Partners with a £7.8 million investment in in July 2014.

Quotevine, a provider of SaaS solutions for the asset and automotive finance industries, has received £2.2 million in funding from private-equity firm, NVM. The UK based investors’ backing of Quotevine is validation of its mission to help asset and automotive finance companies modernise operations and create opportunities from disruptive technologies such as IoT and Artificial Intelligence.

Octopus Investments, part of Octopus Group and the UK’s largest Venture Capital Trust (VCT) manager1, today announced the launch of a new £20 million fundraise for its Apollo VCT.

Investing in a range of proven UK smaller companies, Apollo VCT is the UK’s seventh largest generalist VCT with £117m assets under management.2. It is also one of Octopus’ four VCTs that support the next generation of UK business through their growth cycle, providing seed to later stage funding, including to businesses recently listed on the AIM market.

A Greater Lincolnshire-based horticulture producer and supplier has secured a £200,000 debt funding package from Maven Capital Partners and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.

Jepco Glebe Limited will use the finance to invest in a new hydroponic lettuce production facility - the first of its kind in the UK.

Now in its third generation, the family-run company produces and sells a wide range of salad and vegetable products to the manufacturing, retail, food service and wholesale sectors in the UK and overseas markets.

Maven Capital Partners has led an investment, alongside existing shareholders Par Equity and the Scottish Investment Bank, in Edinburgh-based Symphonic Software Limited, a leading player in the Identity and Access Management market. The funding will be used to further scale the business, investing in sales and marketing resource, as well as product innovation, to ensure Symphonic continues to offer customers a best-of-breed solution in this important and growing market.

Mobeus has sold Plastic Surgeon, the surface repair and restoration specialist, to Polygon Group. Plastic Surgeon is the UK’s largest cosmetic surface repair specialist, with particular expertise in fine finishing services. The company provides high quality, long-lasting repairs to any hard surface, including ceramic, UPVC, brick, stone and glass, in diverse industries from house build, through construction and insurance, to facilities management.

Established North West capital finance advisory firm Acceleris Capital has announced a return to Greater Manchester as part of a formal spin-out from Seneca Partners Limited. The spin-out is on the back of increasing demand from regional SMEs for capital advisory services, fundraising support and post-transaction assistance.

NVM Private Equity continues to expand the VCT team with the addition of Alex Wilson and Stephen Johnson. NVM’s recruitment strategy has been to build on their existing strong regional presence with a growing VCT team to help develop the business in a changed environment by bringing in people with experience in new, fast-emerging technology, finance and life science sectors.

Maven Capital Partners has provided a £450,000 debt funding package to Reed Thermoformed Packaging Ltd (trading as “iPac”) via the North East Development Capital Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund. The funding will enable the company to continue to invest in its state-of-the-art facility to deliver on its ambitious expansion plans.

iPac is a manufacturer of thermoformed packaging supplying bespoke and standard packaging for the food and non-food packaging sectors. The business offers innovative solutions to packaging challenges, combining ingenuity with extensive process, tooling and design expertise to deliver aesthetically and functionally superior packaging to food processing businesses, packers and retailers.

Pure Pet Food, the award-winning manufacturer of dehydrated and freeze dried pet food has secured a £2m investment from NVM Private Equity to accelerate its plans to make healthy choices for pet owners easy and accessible. Their low processed natural recipes have become the go-to option for pets suffering with a range of ailments and sensitivities. The innovative Yorkshire based company formed by childhood friends Mathew Cockroft and Daniel Valdur Eha has quickly grown from a tiny business which started life in Daniel’s kitchen, to a brand that is now sold around the world and in major retailers such as Pets at Home.

Maven Capital Partners has led the management buyout of CMS Window Systems, a leading end-to-end provider of premium window and door solutions, and one of Scotland’s fastest growing manufacturing businesses. The transaction includes the largest equity cheque written by Maven as well as debt funding from Clydesdale Bank led by its Corporate and Structured Finance team, and additional equity from the Scottish Investment Bank. Exiting investors include mid-market private equity firm, LDC.

As the tax year draws to a close, the Downing FOUR Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Healthcare Share Class remains open for end of year tax investments as part of a £10.2m top-up offer.