ReBOUND, the global returns management platform used by online clothing retailers such as ASOS, Gymshark and Charles Tyrwhitt, has received significant investment from BGF to support international expansion and IP development. 

With offices in Telford and Central London, ReBOUND assists retailers with the management of their UK and international returns service, improving efficiency, traceability and customer experience. Founded in 2015 by experienced logistics operators, CEO Graham Best and COO Phil Smith, the business has grown by 400% year-on-year and revenue will double in 2018. ReBOUND now has over 500 customers and manages 35 million returns transactions a year.

British Business Investments, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, has made a £25m Tier 2 capital investment in Secure Trust Bank, demonstrating its continued commitment to improving access to capital for UK smaller businesses.Secure Trust Bank focuses on carefully selected segments of the business and consumer markets and this year signed up its one millionth customer.

VentureFounders has appointed Michael Gray to work with the company to build its Channel Islands presence.

Michael (pictured) is the founder of MMG Consulting Limited (MMG), a consulting advisory firm, as well as a Non-Executive Director of various global companies and private equity groups in Europe, UK and Japan.

Kuber Ventures has added two new SEIS funds to its business platform, accompanied by new iterations of two existing funds, further enhancing the fund range available.  Kuber has also appointed a new non-executive Chairman David Moss. 

Maven Capital Partners has launched new VCT offers to raise up to £30 million. The offers will allow the VCTs and new investors to benefit from the strong pipeline of VCT qualifying opportunities which is in evidence across the Maven regional office network.

Expandly, a Milton Keynes-based company whose e-commerce software allows retailers to sell across multiple channels worldwide, has closed a £580,000 funding round led by Mercia Fund Managers.

The investment, which will create five new jobs, includes £250,000 from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund which is managed by Mercia for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, £250,000 from Mercia’s EIS Fund and the remainder from angel investors.

Preservica today announced a £7.5 million ($10 million) Series B investment from Mobeus Equity Partners to meet accelerating demand for its Active Digital Preservation software technology. The investment provides an initial £4 million with a facility for a further £3.5 million to support Preservica’s continued global expansion plans.

Axminster Carpets Ltd has secured £3.375 million of funding from Independent Growth Finance (IGF) as it continues to develop a strategy which meets the needs of discerning customers, both in the UK and Internationally.

Axminster Carpets are the inventors of world-renowned Axminster weave and has been a byword for quality and craftsmanship for over 250 years. The company continues to weave luxury carpets in Devon and combine thoughtful design with experience and innovation to deliver high performance natural floor covering for the Royal Household, stately homes and luxury hotels.

Locum’s Nest, the app that connects doctors to locum work in hospitals, has raised £3m in further funding from Albion Capital, the leading independent investment manager, and IDO Investments. The new funding takes the total investment in Locum’s Nest to £4.1 million.

Beauhurst has added a new hub to its website which will tracking every UK startup with a billion-dollar valuation in one easy to reach page. They ranked by the date they reached such a valuation, meaning you can now see how the club has grown over time. 

$1b startups are the pinnacle of the UK's startup ecosystem. Of the 20,000 businesses who have fulfilled our triggers for high-growth since 2011, just 14  have achieved such a high valuation. Beauhurst has publlished its up-to-date list of UK unicorns. 

Eos Venture Partners, the specialist venture capital fund investing in insurance technology (InsurTech), has made its first two investments. The fund is one of the first global, strategic InsurTech investment funds targeting early and growth stage investments.

The first two investments are in Concirrus, a marine insurance analytics platform and in Digital Fineprint (DFP) an SME-focused lead generation and underwriting solution.

A line-up of the most influential investors in European innovation will land in Paris this month for Invest Europe’s Venture Capital Forum, to discuss how to propel further the industry’s strong growth.

Last year, investment by European VC firms reached a ten-year high of €6.4 billion, while fundraising reached €7.7 billion, its second-highest result since 2007. Invest Europe, the association representing the European VC industry and its global investors, is hosting its annual Venture Capital Forum at the Pullman Tour Eiffel in Paris on 18 and 19 October. The programme includes a packed roster of panel discussions, roundtables and keynote speeches.