Mercia Fund Management is to partner with Innovate UK’s £8.5million Investment Accelerator initiative, a pilot programme which provides simultaneous grant funding and venture capital.

Octopus Ventures backed eve Sleep has announced its IPO on AIM, with a market cap of c.£140m - the first retail IPO of 2017 in the UK.  

White Bull Summits, producers of Europe’s exclusive technology entrepreneur and investment summits, Pathways, has today announced the 60 finalists for this year’s Bully Awards, recognising outstanding European startups. The finalists were shortlisted based on excellence in product innovation, leadership and performance, growth and growth potential.

YFM Equity Partners has closed its first buy-out fund, YFMEP 2016, at £45m, 50% above its initial target.

Takumi, the leading European and original “micro-influencer” marketing platform which connects brands to these influencers to create impactful grassroot Instagram marketing campaigns, today announces the successful completion of a Series A funding round worth $4 million (£3.2 million) to fund its US and global expansion.

Innovation Birmingham Campus start-ups, Kaido and Quickcode Labs, have been announced as two of just three West Midlands businesses to top this year’s global Digital Leaders DL100 list.

GENBA Digital Limited, a Midlands-based digital logistics platform that bridges the gap between publishers and resellers of video game content, plans to scale up after receiving a growth investment boost of £400,000 from early-stage technology investor, Mercia Fund Management.

10 May 

Organised Health Technologies Ltd, a recognised company in the fast growing Digital Health startup market, has secured investment worth £150,000 and a multimillion pound valuation from a Scottish Angel Investor. This funding is in addition to the £500,000 of bank funding that Organised Health secured in 2016.

Downing-managed funds have invested £1.82 million in Populo Energy Ltd to acquire the entire share capital of C&G Renewables Ltd, which owns and operates two wind turbines in Ayrshire, Scotland.

The Local Residue Energy (Loreen) project, which is developing a cost-effective combined heat and power (CHP) plant fuelled by the gasification of unprocessed, dry biomass residues from agriculture and wood-based manufacturing, is celebrating a stellar first year.  Milestones since the projects inception in 2016 have included securing €2.9 million investment from InnoEnergy

YFM Equity Partners (YFM) has today announced the appointment of James Savage as Portfolio Director. Based in the London office, James will focus on actively managing YFM’s growth and buy-out investments as part of the portfolio team led by David Bell.

Pharmacy2u.co.uk, the UK’s leading NHS approved online only pharmacy, has secured a further £7m of investment from BGF (Business Growth Fund) and other shareholders to continue to support the rapid growth of its home delivery repeat prescriptions service for NHS patients.