BGF – the UK & Ireland’s most active investor – has announced a successful exit from Semafone, a leading provider of data security and compliance solutions for call and contact centres, after it was acquired by Livingbridge.

Distill Ventures is committed to increasing diversity within the drinks industry through a range of global initiatives, 

Callum Rummer, founder, By Bits, gives some useful advice to startups on securing investment during COVID.

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Epipole, the video retinal imaging specialist, has started work on a €1.1 million collaborative project to develop a technology solution for the diagnosis of intracranial pressure (ICP). The project is funded by the Eureka Eurostars programme, and is a collaboration between Epipole, Denmark’s Statumanu ICP and the University of Southern Denmark.

James Murdoch discusses his reduced appetite for investment these days and analyses some of the reasons behind this decision.

Evie Mulberry, MD, Astia asks whether the start-up ecosystem’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on women entrepreneurs.

Checksteps, the UK startup providing advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) products for contextual content moderation to social media and enterprise platforms, has raised seed funding of $1.8m alongside the key hiring of Kyle Dent as Head of AI Ethics. The raise will advance its scale-to-market plans and enable further hires to enhance AI functionality - continuing its journey towards offering end-to-end content moderation processes. The round is led by Shutterstock’s Founder Jon Oringer, the former CBO of Uber Emil Michael and Microsoft’s former head of Corporate Strategy Charles Songhurst and is supported by VCs, Angel and private investors that share Checkstep’s vision of a safe, inclusive internet for all. 

UK-based agency Wooshii, which provides video content and software tools for blue-chip companies around the world, has received additional investment from YFM Equity Partners’ (YFM) managed funds to support its continued growth trajectory and further technology investment.

Founded by CEO, Fergus Dyer-Smith, over the last 10 years, Wooshii has reinvented the video production offering by giving clients the convenience and quality of a traditional production service with the additional benefits of a decentralised, global creative network, connected and enhanced by proprietary technology.

Insurtech platform Nayms has announced a new cohort of investors who have subscribed to a future listing of the project's native token, NAYM. This new cohort includes some existing investors, including XBTO, Maven11 and Coinbase Ventures, whilst welcoming in the likes of Spartan Ventures, DFG, LD Capital, Cadenza, Woodstock, and Kin Insurance CEO, Sean Harper. These investors are among 20+ funds and angels across the digital asset and insurance market who are partaking in the NAYM token round.

Haatch Ventures launched their first SEIS Fund in March to complement their flagship EIS Fund. The new SEIS Fund was oversubscribed within 2 weeks, showing how popular the Haatch approach to investing has become.

M40 Offices has received a £250,000 funding package from the East & South East Midlands (ESEM) Fund, managed by Maven Capital Partners, through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).