Orbital Education has received a minority investment from BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor in growing businesses, to support the group’s global growth ambitions.

Headquartered in Manchester, Orbital Education operates premium international schools for local and expat families looking to educate their children within an English-speaking, high-quality school environment. The group was started by serial entrepreneur Kevin McNeany, best known as the founder of Nord Anglia Education, which he led to an IPO in 1997 and is now the world’s largest private education business.

Ometria, the customer marketing platform for retailers, today announces that it has raised $21m in Series B funding to further innovate its AI technology which enables retailers to better understand and better communicate with their customers. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with Sonae IM and a number of other investors participating as well.

Savers in defined contribution pension schemes are missing out on higher returns due to a lack of investment in some of the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative companies reveals a new report.

Retirement savings for the average 22-year old could be increased by as much as 7-12 per cent if schemes made a small allocation to venture capital and growth equity funds. This is according to The Future of Defined Contribution Pensions, a new report published by the British Business Bank and global management consultancy, Oliver Wyman.

Deepbridge Capital investee company Afin Technologies (formerly SurveyMe), has acquired Entertainment - the Michigan-based promotional discounts company.

The deal will see the creation of a business fully focused on the North American couponing market providing new investment to what is seen as a traditional American pastime.

Deepbridge Capital has to date provided over £7m of funding to Afin Technologies via its Deepbridge Technology Growth Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) fund.

Cambridge China Centre  (CCF) has arranged an exclusive pitching event with 14 of China’s top investment firms signalling the continued appetite for Chinese collaboration and investment in UK tech in the face of Brexit.

Next month, up to 30 of the UK’s most innovative tech startups will be making their presentations to the prestigious gathering on the second day of the 2nd annual Cambridge China Forum where investors from TusStar VC, China Science & Merchants Capital Management, ShengJing 360, Beihang Investment, Puhua Capital, Herald Investment Management, UK China Enterprise Fund and the Sino-UK Fund will be among those attending.

The Riverside Company has signed a definitive agreement to invest in German cycling e-commerce specialist Bike24. Bike24’s business focuses on bicycle parts, accessories and clothing, with a strong market position catering to ‘bicycle enthusiasts’ in Germany and across Europe. The acquisition from WiggleCRC is expected to close later this year. 

Bike24 has the largest product and brand assortment in the market paired with ample availability and fast delivery; its niche focus and level of expertise result in enhanced website content and customer service. This is Riverside’s second partnership with the company, having made its first investment in 2015.

Hampleton Partners’ latest global IT & Business Services M&A Market Report reveals that the sector’s total disclosed deal value reached a whopping $97 billion in 1H 2019 – the highest total on record for a six-month period.

Hampleton Partners, which specialises in international technology M&A and corporate finance, also noted a significant rise in valuations, with overall median disclosed deal amount reaching $43 million in 1H 2019, up from $23 million in 2H 2018.

A fast-growing clothing brand with a mission to become the ‘Levi’s of the women’s outdoorwear market’ has raised £350,000 in a funding round led by Dow Schofield Watts Angels (DSW Angels), the business angel network.

ACAI Activewear was started by husband and wife team Joe and Kasia Bromley with a sewing machine on their kitchen table. The funding will allow it to expand its product range and keep pace with rising demand.

ACAI’s skinny trousers have proved popular with audiences ranging from dog walkers, horse riders and outdoors enthusiasts to animal workers and other professionals. Kasia, who moved from Poland to study fashion at Edinburgh College of Art and worked at couture houses including Alexander McQueen, came up with the idea while designing for a cycling wear company.

Edge Performance VCT, the creative industries VCT managed by leading creative economy specialist Edge Investments, has exited its investment in deltaDNA by Unity Technologies, creator of the world’s leading real-time 3D development platform based in San Francisco.

Launched in 2011 by games industry veterans Chris Wright and Tim Christian, and big data expert, Mark Robinson, Edinburgh-based deltaDNA provides games developers and publishers with cutting edge analytics and a real-time engagement platform which drive the commercial performance of the games. Since inception, the business has continued to expand its activities and has developed to become the platform of choice for over one billion users looking to augment the gaming experience.

Lookiero, the online personal shopping service for clothes and accessories, has closed a $19 million funding round led by venture capital fund MMC Ventures with support from existing investor All Iron Ventures, and new investors Bonsai Partners, 10x and Santander Smart. The funding will allow the company to continue its international expansion and strengthen its leadership position within its main markets: Spain, France and the UK.

Leading European social media management platform Agorapulse has announced a growth investment round of £14.7 million from three investors - Hi Inov Dentressangle, Cipio Partners and Entrepreneur Venture.

The company, headquartered in Paris, employs more than 65 highly skilled team members from all over the world and has rapidly grown a user base of over 22,500 users across 6,200 accounts to date. Agorapulse has been bootstrapped since its inception to achieve £9 million in ARR, with year-on-year growth exceeding 65%. Agorapulse marks one of the few European companies in the SMB sector that has excelled in the UK market. Agorapulse currently sees an annual UK revenue of  £500,000 and with this new investment Agorapulse plans to continue its expansion across the UK and Europe.