Maven Capital Partners has led the management buyout of Acton Banks Limited, a market leading UK healthcare staffing business. The transaction is Maven’s third investment from its buyout fund, having earlier this year led an investment in Manchester-based hardware designer and supplier UAP Limited and Glasgow-based John McGavigan Limited, a leader in decorative technology used in the automotive sector.

UK dividends rose 4.1% to £32.3bn in Q3, breaking a third-quarter record, according to the latest UK Dividend Monitor from Link Asset Services. Underlying payouts, which exclude special dividends, reached £31.6bn, a rise of 6.9% year-on-year. 

Raremark, the leading patient-data platform in rare disease, has raised £3m in funding from investors, led by AlbionVC and Ananda Ventures, with participation from Oltre Venture and from existing major investor the Cass Entrepreneurship Fund.

When founders share the same vision, ambition and dedication for a great business idea, the sky is the limit. The flip side is that when founders are at war, their business will be lucky to survive no matter how great the idea.

The UK’s leading tech clusters are competing head to head with European capitals, according to new analysis of company growth, in a sign that the success of the UK tech sector is pushing far beyond its London heartland.

Following the IPOs of Farfetch and Funding Circle, the UK is now home to 15 unicorns and six cities have produced so-called unicorns - $1bn tech companies - according to research prepared for Tech Nation and the Government’s Digital Economy Council by venture capital analytics company Dealroom.co. This latest research is published ahead of the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s first meeting with the Digital Economy Council on 24 October 2018.

Foresight Group has made a £1m investment into Nottingham-based Alpkit Limited on behalf of the Foresight Nottingham Fund, alongside bank funding provided by HSBC.

Alpkit is a fast-growing designer and retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment. Targeting the outdoor adventure enthusiast, Alpkit provides high quality clothing and equipment at an affordable price and offers over 500 lines across clothing, equipment and bikes. All products are designed at the Company’s HQ in Newthorpe, Nottingham, with a focus on technical performance, providing their customers with “gear that costs less but works harder.”

ADM Capital Europe LLP announces that its Cibus Fund, the global agribusiness investment fund, has been designated as a Guernsey Green Fund, making it the first regulated fund to achieve this status. 

The Guernsey Financial Services Commission launched the Guernsey Green Fund in July 2018 and it is only awarded to those funds which meet strict eligibility criteria designed to reassure investors that funds are invested in line with appropriate environmental standards.

Kindaba, a private visual messenger for families, has secured investment from Gareth Williams ahead of their CrowdFunding Campaign. Kindaba helps customers stay connected with the promise of no adverts and a commitment to respect privacy and protect their data. 

The company aims to globally launch their new visual intelligent messenger for families and establish themselves as thought leaders in the FamTech (family technology) space over the next 12 months.

IW Capital has announced senior loan funding of £1.1 million to assist in the acquisition of Troika Systems Ltd, a global leader and specialist supplier to the printing and packaging industry.

Troika Systems Ltd is a long-established and award-winning UK manufacturer and distributor of 2D and 3D microscope scanning and management systems. Fresh Equity Limited, the Midlands-based SME investor, will be working with the management team to further grow the sector profile of Wiltshire-based Troika and its presence in the global marketplace.

Master Investor's "Investing in the age of Longevity" takes place on 1st November 2018 at the Wellcome Collection in London

Maven Capital Partners, a leading UK property and private equity manager, has sold Marketgait Apartments, a 116 bed purpose built student accommodation development in Dundee to 90 North Real Estate Partners LLP. The asset has been sold for £9.5 million generating a return in excess of 2x Multiple of Money for Maven’s clients in little over three years.

Maven purchased the property for £1.55 million in April 2015 and, following a comprehensive £5 million internal refurbishment, Marketgait Apartments opened in time for the start of the 2016/17 academic year. The property enjoyed 100% occupancy last year and is fully let again for the 2018/19 student year.

London-based investment fund, Fuel Ventures, has invested £500,000 in Manufacturingsource.com, an on-demand manufacturing platform, which connects design and production engineers with suitable and trusted manufacturers to create custom parts. The site, which has attracted a global network of engineers and manufacturers, allows customers to get instant quotes and place orders, from prototypes to full scale production, on a single platform.