VentureFounders has appointed Michael Gray to work with the company to build its Channel Islands presence.

Michael (pictured) is the founder of MMG Consulting Limited (MMG), a consulting advisory firm, as well as a Non-Executive Director of various global companies and private equity groups in Europe, UK and Japan.

Expandly, a Milton Keynes-based company whose e-commerce software allows retailers to sell across multiple channels worldwide, has closed a £580,000 funding round led by Mercia Fund Managers.

The investment, which will create five new jobs, includes £250,000 from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund which is managed by Mercia for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, £250,000 from Mercia’s EIS Fund and the remainder from angel investors.

Axminster Carpets Ltd has secured £3.375 million of funding from Independent Growth Finance (IGF) as it continues to develop a strategy which meets the needs of discerning customers, both in the UK and Internationally.

Axminster Carpets are the inventors of world-renowned Axminster weave and has been a byword for quality and craftsmanship for over 250 years. The company continues to weave luxury carpets in Devon and combine thoughtful design with experience and innovation to deliver high performance natural floor covering for the Royal Household, stately homes and luxury hotels.

Beauhurst has added a new hub to its website which will tracking every UK startup with a billion-dollar valuation in one easy to reach page. They ranked by the date they reached such a valuation, meaning you can now see how the club has grown over time. 

$1b startups are the pinnacle of the UK's startup ecosystem. Of the 20,000 businesses who have fulfilled our triggers for high-growth since 2011, just 14  have achieved such a high valuation. Beauhurst has publlished its up-to-date list of UK unicorns. 

Eos Venture Partners, the specialist venture capital fund investing in insurance technology (InsurTech), has made its first two investments. The fund is one of the first global, strategic InsurTech investment funds targeting early and growth stage investments.

The first two investments are in Concirrus, a marine insurance analytics platform and in Digital Fineprint (DFP) an SME-focused lead generation and underwriting solution.

A line-up of the most influential investors in European innovation will land in Paris this month for Invest Europe’s Venture Capital Forum, to discuss how to propel further the industry’s strong growth.

Last year, investment by European VC firms reached a ten-year high of €6.4 billion, while fundraising reached €7.7 billion, its second-highest result since 2007. Invest Europe, the association representing the European VC industry and its global investors, is hosting its annual Venture Capital Forum at the Pullman Tour Eiffel in Paris on 18 and 19 October. The programme includes a packed roster of panel discussions, roundtables and keynote speeches.

London-based investment fund Fuel Ventures has raised £20 million in its third fund since launching in 2014, having grown to a portfolio of more than 20 companies. Founded by award-winning entrepreneur, Mark Pearson, best known for founding several high profile online ventures such as MyVoucherCodes and with a team of experienced entrepreneurs in its principal team, Fuel Ventures was created by founders for founders. It’s one of the rare funds that gives 100% EIS tax relief to UK investors, with others investing alongside.

Inverleith LLP, the specialist consumer brands investor, has taken a majority stake in Planet Organic, the London health and wellbeing supermarket, food-to-go chain and online retailer.  Inverleith has injected equity into the Company to expand the existing store footprint in London, to more than double the current portfolio of stores over the next 5 years.

Exciting sports start-up BATFAST, now the UKs leading cricket simulation company, has raised over £600,000 through private investment to fund its future growth.

The British company, whose clients include the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), designs, builds and manufacturers intelligent cricket simulators to help make cricket accessible and fun to all ages and abilities.

Notable investors include MasterCard Chairman Rick Haythornwaite, who has invested a substantial sum in BATFAST. The company is looking to capitalise on the expected cricket boom in England over the next few years, with 2019 seeing the Cricket World Cup hosted in England as well as a home Ashes series. The company projects revenue of over £3 million by the end of next year, rising to £11 million by the end of 2020.

In-app ad-verification platform Pubguard has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of the former president and chief operating officer of SYZYGY as its chairman.

Andy Stevens founded online media planning and buying agency Unique Digital in 2001, which he then sold to SYZYGY in 2010. Andy has a wealth of experience and has previously worked with a number of global blue chip clients, including Avis, Mazda and O2.

Elements Talent Solutions, a disruptor to the $200+ billion worldwide recruitment market, has received a £3.45m investment from BGF to accelerate its growth across Europe, the US and the APAC region.

While recent years have seen no shortage of technological innovation in the hiring market, Elements has pioneered a model which focuses on people and seeks to change the fundamental “transaction” mechanics of the industry. Its ‘embedded model’ involves Elements consultants working on-site within the client’s hiring function and partnering with them on every stage of the hiring process.

Piper, the leading specialist investor in consumer branded businesses, has led a £15m investment into Bloom & Wild, the online flower gifting brand that is disrupting Europe’s £14bn fresh cut flower market.

Founded in 2013 by Aron Gelbard and Ben Stanway, Bloom & Wild has transformed the online flower gifting market, pioneering the concept of ‘letterbox flowers’. Its offering allows customers the ability to gift beautiful, high quality, long-lasting, fresh flowers in a convenient slim box that fits through the receiver’s letterbox. More than 50 million flowers have been shipped to date across the UK, France and Germany. Piper’s investment will fuel further growth for the business which has doubled its revenue year on year since 2016 and is set to do so again this year.