Spearvest, the global wealth management firm, has hired two real estate professionals to its senior team to help spearhead a new real estate strategy. In 2020, Spearvest’s real estate assets under management surged 40 per cent, and these new hires represent a marked strategy for a further 60 per cent growth in this sector for 2021.

Keensight Capital is to sell its stake in Linkbynet, a leading provider of cloud, Devops and cyber security services. This sale would take place in the context of the proposed acquisition of the company by Accenture.

Innovate Finance, the industry body representing UK FinTech, has named Louise Smith as its new Chair.

Louise Smith is Lloyd’s first Chief Digital Officer, and is responsible for the programme of work that supports Lloyd’s to further build its digital capabilities and offering across the insurance industry. She is nationally and internationally recognised as a thought leader on digital innovation, disruptive technologies and the emerging workforce.  She is currently laying the groundwork to ensure Lloyd’s has a strong, consistent digital approach in its Future at Lloyd’s programme of work.  

NPIF - Maven Equity Finance has invested over £7 million in dynamic growth businesses across the Northern Powerhouse region in quarter one of 2021. 

ilumoni, the start-up app that aims to help people to borrow well, has raised £1.2m in an over-subscribed seed funding round after successfully launching in Beta earlier this year.  The purpose-led, AI-driven fintech had previously raised £455,000 in pre-seed funding, which saw the initial build of the first version of the app. The app went on to receive full FCA authorisation in January of 2021 and has already attracted its first beta users.

Money Alive, a regulatory technology business based in Bedford, is set for further growth following a £749,000 financial investment from Foresight Group using equity finance from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) as part of a £1 million funding round together with a number of private investors.

Livingbridge, one of the UK’s leading mid-market private equity investors, has successfully raised £1.2bn for Livingbridge 7, ahead of its final close.

ILC Therapeutics, a UK-based biotechnology company and pioneer in the discovery and development of a new class of interferon drugs, has announced the strengthening of its Board and Management as it prepares to advance its lead novel hybrid interferon drug candidate Alfacyte™.

Airkit, the world’s first low-code Digital Customer Experience platform, today announced it has raised an additional $40M Series B investment led by EQT Ventures, with additional investments from Accel, Emergence Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and other existing shareholders. The new Series B will be used to accelerate the company’s investments in go-to-market and product development.

Yoto, the audio platform for kids behind the critically acclaimed and award-winning Yoto Player, has raised $17 million Series A funding to help facilitate its rapid growth across Europe and North America. The investment was led by Acton Capital with participation from JamJar Investments, Global Founders Capital, Emerge Education, as well as MPL Ventures.

To support ambitious early-stage entrepreneurs developing technologies with the potential to shape the future economy, SFC Capital, the UK’s leading SEIS investor and most active seed-stage investor, has invested £25 million in 120 companies (April 2020 - April 2021). In Q1 of 2021, SFC Capital raised its largest SEIS fund to date, with £5 million deployed in 40 companies in just two months. The funds have been raised from private investors (SEIS and EIS funds), family offices, the SFC Angel Network and a £10 million commitment from the British Business Bank in April 2020 as part of its Regional Angels Programme.

Praetura Group, the Manchester-based debt and equity capital provider to northern SMEs, provided more than £75m of funding to SMEs in the first quarter of 2021, with demand continuing to rise.

The lending division of the Praetura Group, which comprises Praetura Commercial Finance and the Praetura Asset Finance Group, has seen its highest quarterly lending levels since it was founded in 2011.