Hometree, the online-led boiler installation service, has secured $8.5 million in financing from a group of leading investors led by AV8 Ventures in its Series A funding round. Hometree, launched in 2016, has been spearheading a much needed shake-up of the UK boiler market by putting control back into the hands of consumers, where previously the industry has been opaque and uncompetitive, with limited consumer knowledge.

BGF has exited its minority investment in NewVoiceMedia, the market-leading cloud customer contact platform, as the business is acquired by NYSE-listed communications provider Vonage Holdings Corp for $350m.

BGF invested in the London-headquartered business in 2015, joining a round of funding to accelerate NewVoiceMedia’s international growth plans, which was principally focused on the North American market.

SLAMcore, a UK company developing spatial artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for robots and drones, has raised $5m in funding led by global technology investor Amadeus Capital Partners. Existing investors Mirai Creation Fund and Toyota AI Ventures joined the round alongside newcomers MMC Ventures and Octopus Ventures.

“The robotics revolution may seem just around the corner but there is still a big gap between the videos we see on the internet and real-world robots,” said CEO, Owen Nicholson. “SLAMcore is helping robot and drone creators to bridge the gap between demos and commercially-viable systems.” 

British Business Bank plc has appointed Catherine Lewis La Torre as CEO of the Bank’s patient capital activities delivered through its commercial arm.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) is marking another milestone as it celebrates backing £100 million of investment across the Northern Powerhouse region.

NPIF - Maven Equity Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, one of the UK’s most active SME investors, has invested £500,000, in inTech Business Solutions. An independent network of end-to-end technology consultancy set to revolutionise specialist support services for SMEs, the funding secured will fuel Intec’s recruitment drive to strengthen the team creating over 40 new jobs and help the company to develop and grow their network.

Founded in 2016, Intec is a recent entrant to the business technology sector, building a network of mobile partners and provide specialist support services and solutions to their customers. Intec works with SMEs and business leaders to help them to identify and design technology business models offering a fully scalable solution with technology that can grow with the business.

Talis Capital, a London-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies, has announced it has led a $3 million seed funding round into Edge Intelligence, developer of the first geographically distributed analytics platform built for both edge computing and hybrid cloud environments.

National investment group Mercia Technologies PLC has announced that its direct investment, VirtTrade, is partnering with Valiant Entertainment 

Zencargo, the digital freight forwarder has raised a seed plus round, led by LocalGlobe, with participation from Samos Investments and Picus Capital bringing total funds raised to over $4m. 

The company works with hundreds of businesses - from high-growth scaleups to FTSE-listed businesses and will use the new funding to accelerate its product development process and build a presence in China.

The North East Development Capital Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Maven Capital Partners, has completed its first deal investing £350,000 in Sunderland-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, Rokshaw Ltd.

Approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Rokshaw is a highly accredited Pharmaceutical Specials Manufacturer and NHS accredited Unlicensed Medicines Supplier.

Inverleith LLP, a Scottish headquartered private equity firm, has successfully closed its first institutional fund, Inverleith Limited Partnership, at its hard cap of €60 million, following strong support from leading European investors.

IP Group tops Beauhurst's list of the top investors of Britain’s university spinouts since 2011 .