Inflexion Private Equity has acquired Times Higher Education (“THE”) from TPG Capital, the global private equity platform of alternative asset firm TPG. THE, formerly part of Tes Global, has been carved out as an independent entity as part of the investment from Inflexion. The investment was made by Inflexion’s dedicated mid-market buyout funds.

With the backing of an equity investment package of £500,000 from the Development Bank of Wales and a further £600,000 from private investors, OpenGenius has its sights on global expansion and stock market flotation.

Cardiff-based OpenGenius, which develops high-tech software for innovators and creative teams, has enjoyed increasing momentum over the past few years.

Task management app, DropTask, has attracted a worldwide customer base, with teams and individuals at Harvard University, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Coca-Cola and McDonald's, among others, all joining its client list. Whilst iMindMap is an all-in-one Mind Mapping and visual thinking tool – the software is used for creative ideation by a large number of varied industries; ranging from education to finance.

In 2017, OpenGenius became the first Welsh company to be selected for the international 'accelerator' training and networking programme (ELITE) at the London Stock Exchange. A scheme which has helped them develop their scalable business model as well as building new strategic partnerships, increasing sales and raising awareness of their brand and pioneering products.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are key to the innovative small businesses that are set to make up a significant proportion of the Government's future industrial strategy. 

AdoRx Therapeutics, a UK based drug discovery company, has announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC* and the Lung Cancer Initiative at Johnson & Johnson to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of lung cancer. 

The British Business Bank has announced the accreditation of Robert Owen Community Banking Fund (ROCBF) as a lender for the term loan variant of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) Programme.

Based in Newtown, Mid Wales, ROCBF has recently launched an enhanced range of ethical loans for businesses, individuals and communities across Wales. These business loans, ranging from £1000 to £50,000, are available to support a spectrum of local enterprises.

Vortex IoT, a Swansea-based Internet of Things (IoT) company has received a six-figure investment from the Development Bank of Wales to help the business continue its impressive trajectory of international growth.

With an industrial focus, specialising in heavy industry, smart infrastructure and rail infrastructure, Vortex IoT builds sensors and networks for a variety of harsh environments where conditions are hostile, power supply is limited, AI is needed, or data security is critical.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is revolutionising the way many industries operate, with more and more products connecting to the internet, it is possible to have instant access to information and data which can vastly improve business operations.

Angel CoFund backed energy technology company Limejump is to be acquired by Shell*.  With this deal Limejump’s technology and management team will enable both companies to continue to take steps to support the UK energy system’s transition to a lower carbon future.  Upon completion Limejump will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell.

The next generation of innovators met TeenTech patron HRH The Duke of York KG at Buckingham Palace to share their bold inventions, designed to make life ‘better, simpler, safer or more fun’ using the power of science and technology.

Two in five (40%) private equity industry professionals believe that a change in UK government is the biggest risk to their investment appetite in the UK, compared to 20% who selected a no deal Brexit. This is according to new research* conducted by JCRA, the independent financial risk advisor which works with clients in the real estate and private equity sectors, amongst others, to develop hedging strategies that reduce costs and protect returns.

London-based investment manager Downing has appointed Torsten Mack as Investment Director to its growing healthcare investment team.

Aston University and University of Birmingham Enterprise have teamed up with Minerva, one of the UK’s largest traditional angel investor networks, to expand the funding opportunities available to start-up businesses in the West Midlands by launching a network of ‘business angels with insight’ for Birmingham. 

Minerva Business Angels is part of the University of Warwick Science Park. The new Minerva Birmingham network will meet regularly at Aston University to provide access to investment for innovative businesses in the region looking to grow.  University of Birmingham Enterprise will provide pitch training and mentoring for those local businesses seeking investment from the network, while Minerva will contribute its tried-and-tested angel investment model.

Nivaura, a regulated FinTech company focused on automating the issuance and administration processes for financial instruments, has closed a strategic funding round, raising $20m in seed and seed extension capital from a number of prominent partners.