Yorkshire-based entrepreneur, Tim Whitworth, of private equity house TIM Group Holdings, has backed an exciting new digital marketing start-up. Created by young female entrepreneur Chloe Byrne, Audience was conceived with the primary purpose of connecting smaller businesses with their target audiences.

A company whose software helps hospitality businesses to boost sales has raised £500,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Veremark, the global pre-employment screening service that helps companies verify employee credentials, has raised a $2.8m seed round in follow-on investment from ACF Investors, Triple Point Ventures and SOV Ventures. This brings the total funding to $3.8m. Launched in late 2019, Veremark provides an automated digital first solution that instantly lets companies, large or small, order a wide range of checks like employment history, academic, criminal and credit records checks anywhere in the world.

BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active growth economy investor, has exited its investment in BHR Group, 

GoKwik, an e-commerce enablement company on a mission to democratize the shopping experience and increase GMV realization for e-commerce businesses, has raised a $5.5m (INR 40 crores) Pre-Series A round led by Matrix Partners, which also saw the participation of global investor RTP Global.  Marquee Angels and other leading industry figures have also contributed to the fund, which will be used to expand internationally.

Jordan Dargue, Head of Access to Finance at Innovation SuperNetwork

OLIO, the community sustainability app, has announced a $43million Series B round to fund its fight against the $1.3trillion of food waste created globally each year.  Founded in London in 2015 by Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One, OLIO has amassed a user base of five million people. The app is used to give away unwanted food and other household items to neighbours, for free, with the aim of reducing waste in the home and helping people to consume more locally and sustainably. 

Recognising the critical need for scalable, innovative technology in creating a more sustainable, greener future, Founders Factory has teamed up with G-Force to launch its Sustainability Seed Program -the company’s first pre/seed investment programme dedicated to sustainability and climate-tech.

Pollinate, the global fintech that partners with banks to help business customers succeed and grow, has announced the winners of “Ingenious,” 

Gavin Heys of Envestors Private Investment Club looks at the ins and outs of becoming an angel investor

Trill Impact has closed EUR 900 million in commitments for its inaugural impact mid-market buyout Fund from prominent institutional investors globally, making it one of the largest first-time-funds raised during the COVID-19 pandemic by an independent private investments firm.  Trill Impact was founded in 2019 by Jan Ståhlberg and is today one of the largest dedicated impact investing houses in Europe with more than EUR 1 billion in assets under management across its private equity and microfinance investment advisory strategies.

BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor, has announced a successful exit of The Clearway Group, a vacant property services business, following a new investment into the business by private equity firm, Next Wave Partners.