The conversation on private markets is changing among Wealth Managers, according to a recent report by Delio.

Private markets are going mainstream, as Wealth Managers increasingly establish or grow private market propositions. Nine out of ten surveyed already offer private market propositions or are planning to launch one; with direct investments and impact investments emerging more and more in the market.

Healthcare entrepreneurs Richard Anderson and Spencer Kerry have launched Impel Healthcare Catalysts, an investment company designed to be a catalyst for innovation and growth in the healthcare sector. 

Headquartered in Knutsford, Impel will provide growth capital along with strategic expertise, primarily to businesses based in the UK, making use of the management team’s broad healthcare knowledge and track record to deliver rapid growth and strong returns. It will typically invest in companies with enterprise values up to £50m initially, and also has the capability to co-invest with other debt and equity funders. 

SmartWorking startup Abodoo is set to accelerate its UK expansion following a successful crowdfund. The Co. Wexford based business, on a mission to change the future of work by connecting global citizens with remote working job roles, overfunded its £100,000 target within 48 hours.

Abodoo connects professionals needing more flexibility in how they work with employers seeking top talent. The SaaS platform, which provides high accuracy hiring and reduced bias, currently works with clients includingVodafone, Deloitte, Citibank and Automattic to help grow more inclusive and diverse workforces. With 70% of technology employers experiencing a skills shortage – and this figure mirrored across other industries – accessing talent has become critical.  Abodoo has grown its candidate community of 22,000 members across 60 countries in just two years and this is set to reach 90,000 in the next year alone.

eFront, the leading financial software and solutions provider dedicated to Alternative Investments, has published its latest Quarterly Private Equity Performance report, showing that private equity funds globally have maintained a high level of performance, despite falling from the record level seen in 2017. Sharply reduced selection risk and shorter time-to-liquidity signal strong activity and a solid exit and refinancing environment.

Maven Capital Partners has led a £5.3 million funding round in E-Fundamentals, a leading eCommerce insights platform.

London and Edinburgh-based e.fundamentals is a market-leading ecommerce analytics platform that helps many of the world’s largest brand owners rigorously improve the sales and profit performance of their products on retailers’ and wholesalers’ websites. 

Speechmatics, the leader in machine learning and automatic speech recognition, has raised £6.35m in Series A funding led by AlbionVC; IQ Capital followed on in this round along with several angel investors.      

Speechmatics has built one of the most accurate speech recognition technology engines in the world. The technology is currently available in 29 languages, either in the cloud or, crucially, on-premises ­– a critical feature for businesses who do not wish or are unable to share data in the cloud. The diversity of languages and accuracy of the technology sets Speechmatics apart from other global brands in speech recognition.

Leading SME direct lender Beechbrook Capital has appointed Paul Whitehouse as investment director to head up deal origination and execution activity across the Midlands. With over 30 years’ experience, Paul joins from Lloyds Banking Group, where he spent the last two decades focusing on corporate and leveraged finance transactions across the Midlands.

British Patient Capital has established itself as a major player in UK venture and venture growth markets after investing in 12 funds with £334m of new commitments in its first year.

Nu Quantum, a quantum photonics company, has completed a £650,000 pre-seed investment round. The over-subscribed round was led by Amadeus Capital Partners, with participation from IQ Capital, Ahren Capital, Cambridge Enterprise and Martlet Capital, the investment arm of Marshall of Cambridge Group.

Idinvest Partners, a leading investor in SMEs across Europe, has announced the final closing of its third digital fund at €350m, having surpassed its initial fundraising target of €300m.

An international non-fiction book club aimed at open minded thinkers has not only reached, but exceeded its £100,000 crowdfunding target as they continue on their journey to grow the existing model and become the most exciting book club in the world. After successfully growing the club to 700 subscribing members across five European cities in their spare time, the founders are looking to take things to the next level.

Luminous Group, the Newcastle company which is one of the UK’s leading mixed reality experts, has raised over £400,000 to support the launch of a new software to reduce hygiene risks in food processing plants.

The investment round was led by the North East Venture Fund (NEVF), which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia, and included funding from private investors. The firm is now planning to create 28 new jobs over the next three years as it expands its management and technical teams.