Brainspark games has secured £1.4m in angel investment and its 7th Innovate UK ‘Investor Partnership’ grant. £700,000 has been secured, with participation from a range of ‘Super Angels’ consisting of seasoned investors, games and education industry veterans, exited founders and institutional investors. 

Over 750 young people, with a passion for innovation, took part in Catalyst’s free work experience programme, Generation Innovation, the highest number of participants since the programme was established in 2018.

Zedify, the UK’s largest cargo bike delivery network, has secured a further £4m investment from Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, Mercia Ventures which was investing from its own funds and from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), and Green Angel Ventures.

Heidi, a fast-growing online tour operator specialising in flexible ski holidays, has raised £5.6m in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures with participation from Active Partners and private investors.

Heidi’s technology allows customers complete flexibility to create their own bespoke package. They can choose from over 6,000 accommodation options in over 400 resorts, select the date of departure and length of stay and sort by features such as quantity of snow or proximity to slope. Customers can also book group holidays that allow members to fly from different locations, and extras such as lift passes and ski hire.

The inaugural Athena Festival is set to take place at Nexus Leeds, bringing together female founders and investors in a groundbreaking event designed to empower women entrepreneurs outside of London. The festival will be held on the 15th October 2024 and aims to drive innovation, foster economic growth, and build a supportive community for female-led businesses in the UK.

Over 100 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and universities have collectively underscored the vital role of SME and university collaborations in a new report from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), Arresting the decline: Unlocking the potential of university-SME interaction in the UK.

London based startup Cryogenx, whose portable body cooling device offers a rapid response for heat-related illness, has secured a £150,000 investment from British Design Fund, as part of a wider £800,000 raise that included existing shareholders, angel investors and a US-based fund.

Vertus Energy, a Waste-to-X* industrial biotech startup specialising in advanced control of bacteria behaviour, has closed a €8.75 million seed funding round.

The funding, led by prominent global investors Energy Capital Ventures^®, joined by Blackbird, the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and Aussie Angels, alongside all their existing investors, will be used to scale the firm’s flagship product, BRIO, into pilot projects. 

OSS Ventures, a leading industrial start-up studio in France, has raised €8.5 million, led by Tikehau Capital, France 2030's French Tech Accélération 2 fund (Bpifrance), Etablissements Peugeot Frères, and business angels including Max Pog.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) has appointed Joanna Jensen as its new Chair. Joanna has extensive experience as one of Britain’s most successful founders as well as an active investor in startups. Joanna’s important work will be key to supporting entrepreneurs across the UK by raising awareness of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) has announced the winners of the 2024 EISA Awards at the House of Lords, Westminster.

The awards, which recognise the outstanding achievements of those who have made significant contributions to the UK's EIS and SEIS startup ecosystem, bring together entrepreneurs, investors, legal experts and financial advisers and more to celebrate excellence made possible by the EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) and SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme).