While the initial shock of lockdown was evident in early April with some deal processes being postponed or even falling away entirely, the surprise has perhaps been the speed of the bounce back in new deal activity in just a few weeks, according to David Gee, an investment committee member at YFM Equity Partners (YFM).

The transformation of a Victorian railway building into an entertainment and business complex is nearing completion having secured a £2.9 million investment from the Development Bank of Wales.

Insulation and fire protection expert Aran Services has secured £1.5 million in working capital from Independent Growth Finance (IGF). The funds, which were raised using invoice discounting, were used to support the recent MBO and to provide working capital to support the continued growth of the business.

Blackfinch Group has launched the #ISOLATIONINTERN platform in partnership with investment industry firms and universities to enable specialist talent acquisition under Covid 19 Restrictions. The initiative aims to supercharge early stage companies and help keep this vital sector of the economy on track.

Countingup, the business current account that automates your accounting, has received the backing of leading fintech investors. The London-based startup has raised £4m in a bridge round of financing led by ING Ventures with co-investment from Triple Point, CVentures and BiG Start Ventures.  All are backing the company’s vision to be the one financial hub for 1m small businesses. In the two years since Countingup launched, it now boasts more than twenty thousand customers and has processed almost £1bn in transactions.

BGF has exited Direct Online Services (‘DOS’), the UK’s leading ecommerce retailer of kitchen worktops, following an acquisition by Broadview Holding. DOS will continue its successful growth strategy and European expansion, following several years of high growth. 

StaffCircle, a communications, performance and culture platform that enables companies to manage employees across many locations, has raised new funds from investors including Blackfinch and Mercia. Blackfinch has invested around £670,000 with additional investment from Mercia Asset Management.

Sukendhu Pal talks about the impact of Coronavirus on London's start ups and offers advice on what they can to help mitigate some of the worst impacts on their businesses.

BGF reported strong investment and financial performance in its 2019 Annual Report and Accounts, remaining the number one growth capital investor in the world by number of transactions in 2019, despite the ongoing economic uncertainty which impacted overall entrepreneurial confidence in the UK.

Zeitgold, the intelligent software platform for small business accounting automation, raised €27 million in Series B funding. The round was led by new investor Vintage Investment Partners, a leading global venture firm. Existing investors BatteryVentures, HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, Saban Ventures, and btov Partners, as well as insurance company AXA Germany (AXA Innovation Campus) and Deutsche Bank, also participated in the investment round. The new round brings the total fundraising of the German-Israeli tech company (with offices in Berlin and Tel Aviv) to more than €50 million.

Scoota , the leader in automated omni-channel digital branding technology, has raised £2 million from Notion Capital, the Angel CoFund and VentureFounders. The growth funding will be used for rapid US expansion plans for the latter part of 2020 and early 2021. 

Peanut, the leading social network for women, today announces the closing of a USD $12M Series A funding led by the EQT Ventures fund, the multi-stage Venture Capital fund which invests in the most ambitious founders in Europe and the US.