A new investor network has launched with the goal of building an ecosystem of entrepreneurialism and investment around the University of St Andrews. The St Andrews Angels of London will be an alumni-led investor group comprising seasoned investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders and alumni. The group will provide investment capital, strategic advice and mentoring to early stage businesses founded by St Andrews alumni or introduced by the group’s members. They will also support spinouts coming directly out of the University.

Bowmark Capital is backing the buy-out of Pirum Systems, the leading provider of post-trade market infrastructure technology for the global securities finance industry, from Five Arrows Principal Investments.  The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to complete in April 2019.

AlbionVC, the technology investment arm of Albion Capital, today published a new study which establishes a clear link between a company’s ‘fitness to scale’ - an analysis of five internal benchmarks - and commercial success. It also identifies certain elements of a company’s workplace culture that enable hyper-fast growth, and others likely to constrain it. 

Keensight Capital, one of the leading private equity managers dedicated to pan-European Growth Buyout[1] investments, announces the first and final closing of its new fund, Keensight V, at the €1 billion hard cap, exceeding the fund target of €750 million.

The fund was substantially oversubscribed with strong support from existing LPs, as well as new investors from Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. The globally diverse LP base for Keensight V comprises c. 90% of subscriptions from institutional investors (asset managers, pension funds, insurance companies, banks and sovereign wealth funds), and c.10% from former portfolio company CEOs and family offices.

BGF has invested £11.6m in Invenio, a UK-headquartered and global provider of business focussed technology solutions and consulting services, to support the business’s continued growth.

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Reading, Invenio provides consulting services and technology solutions for organisations in the media, manufacturing & logistics, and public sector verticals.

London and Tel Aviv based HR tech platform Hibob has raised $20m in Series A+ funding, led by existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, Eight Roads, Arbor Ventures, and Presidio Ventures.

This latest investment will support the company’s next phase of hyper growth, helping to establish Hibob as the platform of choice for mid-size fast-growing companies, accelerating its US presence, expanding to more countries across Europe and hiring more tech talent people into the organisation.

As the tax year draws to a close, the Downing FOUR Venture Capital Trust (VCT) Healthcare Share Class remains open for end of year tax investments as part of a £10.2m top-up offer.

By Sophia Matveeva, CEO and Co-Founder of Enty, talks about why female start-up founders are missing out on billions of pounds of investment and what can be done to change the status quo.

Glasgow based investment syndicate Kelvin Capital has moved into its tenth year of business by completing its biggest investment year yet.

A total of £10.5 million was invested across nine businesses in its portfolio in 2018, made up by eight follow on investments and one new investment. 

The Kelvin Capital portfolio covers sectors including internet and app technology, biotech, life sciences and electronic manufacturing and medical technologies and continues to support disruptive technologies with global ambitions. 

Disruptive Automotive AI start-up Cazana.com has closed its crowd-fundraise at £1.56 million, nearly 160 percent of its original investment target.

London-based VC fund Fuel Ventures has expanded its portfolio of early-stage companies, investing £2 million in CreditDigital which provides instant finance of up to £250,000 to businesses online or at point of sale.  CreditDigital is an instalment payment option where businesses can spread the cost of their purchase over 12 months, whilst their vendors and suppliers get paid upfront and in full.  The platform can approve purchases of up to £15,000 instantly and up to £250,000 within one working day with competitive rates and flexible payment options.

Leading online investment platform Seedrs announces the highly anticipated launch of full customisation in its pioneering AutoInvest product. From today, investors are able to select their personal investment criteria and the product will build them a portfolio of early-stage private companies automatically.