A young British business owner who was declared “Britain’s best boss” after he let his staff have the day off on full pay when lockdown restrictions lifted last year has raised £2.5M in seed funding for new elderly care search platform, Lottie, just six months after winning initial backing off Monzo’s founder to launch it.  Exasperated by their own experience of searching for a care home for their Grandma, entrepreneur Chris Donnelly and healthcare expert brother Will Donnelly, launched Lottie in July 2021 - a free digital healthcare marketplace, helping families minimize the time, stress and cost of finding quality compassionate care homes.

John Deane and Alex Kennedy of Gannons examine different approaches to repurchasing shares from shareholders; a vital step in resolving most disputes between Company founders. In this article John and Alex discuss the benefits and challenges of Company buy-backs, whether payments for shares can be made in instalments and explain some creative deal structures and how they can help.

A Northumberland-based AgriTech firm has secured a six-figure investment and received innovation grant funding to transform how farmers and rural landowners manage their assets.  Drone Ag established its business delivering aerial crop scouting, spraying, and mapping using drones and smart data-analytics and has gone on to secure a mix of Innovation funding to expand their operation into developing a drone-based solution to soil sampling.

A doctor who has developed an app to help reduce anxiety in children undergoing surgery has raised £1.5m from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), Mercia’s own funds and private angel investors.

Gabriel IS has completed an exit deal with Scottish biotech business CuanTec after the company secured a significant investment from Hive Energy Ltd., one of the UK’s largest renewable energy and cleantech project developers.

Atelerix, a business at the forefront of cell preservation with aims to revolutionise the way we store, and transport cells and tissues, has raised £425,574 investment to help fully commercialise their product and bring it to market.

Angel Academe has made its latest investment is in Dem Dx, founded by CEO Lorin Gresser. Dem Dx’s CE-certified AI clinical reasoning platform helps frontline healthcare professionals to make initial clinical assessments more effectively and efficiently.

Chris Trotter from Clarendon Fund Managers sheds some light on why Northern Ireland's tech sector is attracting the attention of investors - from angels to big VC.

CybExer Technologies, a NATO-awarded cyber range company with global customers spanning international defence organisations, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure enterprises, has announced a €5m funding round to meet market demand and expand its global operations in the face of  a global cyber security skills gap and the explosive growth in increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Nous (to rhyme with ‘house’) a London-based fintech start-up, has raised a $9m seed financing round to build out its service that helps households get smart and stay vigilant as they navigate the imminent cost of living crisis. 

The company, founded in 2021 by a team of serial entrepreneurs headed by former venture capitalist and onefinestay founder & CEO Greg Marsh, has raised funds from a who’s who of angels, entrepreneurs and investors.

SPOKE, a new app that provides music with mindfulness benefits, has secured a £1.1m pre-seed investment led by Ada Ventures. The funding will be used to expand its team, further develop the product and train more artists to create music that can have a positive impact on the mental wellbeing of a younger generation.

Investment Opportunity: Kynder, the worlds first percentage based fundraising platform, is seeking s £250,000 to support its expansion.  For more information please go to https://www.fundingforentrepreneurs.co.uk/ads/.