Growth Capital Ventures, a growing North East financial technology company has hit a series of milestones as it celebrates its fifth anniversary.

Watersport and sailing enthusiasts will be setting sail from Lydstep when the Pembrokeshire Performance Sailing Academy opens a second centre this Easter, after securing new funding from the Development Bank of Wales.

DSW Angels, the business angel network, is celebrating a milestone after receiving its 1,000th application for funding within two years of its launch.

The business, which was started in the North but expanded to other regions in recent months, has also become one of the largest in the UK with over 100 investors. Last year it was selected as the first partner on the British Business Investments’ £100 million Regional Angels Programme.

YFM has completed a significant investment in West Midlands-based Innovative Safety Systems (ISS), a commercial vehicle safety specialist. This represents the final new investment from YFM’s Buyout Fund I, with the second fund having already announced a first close.  

ISS was founded in 2009 by CEO Gavin Thoday and the business has grown rapidly in recent years through its commitment to product innovation, exceptional customer service and expertise in the waste management sector where it is a market leader.

Crowdcube, the leading equity crowdfunding platform, is partnering with Episode 1, backers of Zoopla, Shazam, carwow, to invest in the next generation of infrastructure and deep tech startups in the software sector. This partnership will see the £100m fund, which has invested in the likes of Ori, Webiny and CloudNC, back businesses from this space alongside retail investors on Crowdcube. Selected businesses will receive investment from Episode 1 to lead a funding round on Crowdcube. To qualify for initial consideration, the businesses will need to be registered in the UK and raising between £250k-£3m.

The national SPRINT business support programme has formed a strategic partnership with Knowledge Transfer Network's Geospatial Special Interest Group (SIG) to promote funding and developmental opportunities for UK space and non-space businesses.

KTN helps businesses to get the best out of creativity, ideas and the latest discoveries, to strengthen the UK economy and improve people's lives. The partnership with SPRINT (SPace Research and Innovation Network for Technology) will enable a shared engagement between the two programmes to highlight opportunities for UK businesses to develop and grow.

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has published the latest list of its 21 dividend heroes, the investment companies which have consistently increased their dividends for 20 or more years in a row. 

A Manchester-based technology business that has created a platform for people to confidentially and safely report workplace harassment has secured a £1.35 million investment in a funding round led by Praetura Ventures, a VC firm which targets early stage businesses in high value sectors. GC Angels joined the round and invested £100,000. 

Assetz Capital has become the first property-focused marketplace platform to receive funding from British Business Investments (BBI), a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank.

Despite the strides that have been made towards workplace equality in recent years, women in businesses are still feeling largely under-represented and underpaid.

Skyports, the urban air mobility infrastructure provider and drone delivery operator, has extended its Series A funding to now total £6 million ($8 million) with investment from Irelandia Aviation.

LSP, the leading life sciences investor in Europe, has held its final close of LSP 6 at the $600 million hard cap. This is the largest fund ever raised in Europe focused on life sciences ventures. LSP currently has $1.1 billion of capital to invest across LSP 6, the LSP Health Economics Fund and LSP’s public fund and mandates.