TravelTech company Sn-ap has raised £3.4m in a round led by ADV and Oxford Capital.

Sn-ap is an intercity coach travel company, which allows passengers to travel ‘on-demand’ as they are matched with other people who want to make the same journey.

The company uses machine learning to set prices, based on predictions of the dates, times and routes that people wish to travel; only becoming available during times of high demand. The aim is to help coaches fill their spots, whilst selling seats at fair prices.

Calverton Finance Ltd, the Invoice Finance specialist, has become an accredited lender under the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme. The accreditation will enable Calverton to increase its supply of invoice and asset based finance to viable, smaller businesses that are struggling to obtain the finance they need. 

Polaris has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority shareholding in ProData Consult, Denmark’s leading independent IT consultancy

European venture capital investment rached its highest amount in a decade with €6.4 billion in 2017, according to Invest Europe.

Invest Europe announces that Nenad Marovac will be its Chair for 2018 to 2019. Founder and Managing Partner of global early-stage venture firm DN Capital, Marovac has over 25 years of investment experience in the technology and media sectors. Founded in 2000, DN Capital has supported early-stage and leading European companies, including British music recognition service Shazam, which is set to be acquired by Apple, and Germany’s leading used-car online marketplace, Auto1, which operates in 30 countries and is valued at €2.9 billion.

UK business could be set for a major exports boost as 47% of SMEs – equating to more than 640,000 firms* - predict their overseas turnover from exports will jump in the next year, according to new data from Smith & Williamson. In comparison, just one in ten (12%) firms expect export revenue to fall over the same period.

Looking at some of the biggest problems that new businesses face, QuoteMyEnergy has identified the ways entrepreneurs can utilise technology today to overcome them. 

Alastair George, Chief Investment Strategist at Edison Investment Research, gives his latest view on the markets.

Matr, the online teaching platform, has announced it has closed a £4.75 million Series A investment round led by the UCL Technology Fund and Downing Ventures, with follow on investment from Ananda and innovation charity Nesta, and Sherry Coutu joining as an angel investor. The company has now raised £8.25 million in funding.

By Kristina Skindelyte, Blue Oceans PR

Social media waits for no brand. And just like everything internet-related, it changes fast. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, Mark Zuckerberg’s Congress hearings, and the General Data Protection Regulation might have shaken the social media world recently, but the process continues. Social media has developed - and is still developing - in interesting ways. Here are the top 5 trends shaping the social media landscape in 2018.

Maven Capital Partners has further strengthened its Midlands team with the appointment of senior investment specialists Chris Rogers, Richard Altoft and Graham Hall, to increase the level of support to local companies across all stages of the investment process and for ongoing business support.

Based in Birmingham, Chris has responsibility for new MEIF investments and will work closely with investee companies throughout Worcestershire. Chris joins Maven after a 22-year career in commercial banking with RBS, as a Senior Relationship Manager, providing structural guidance and financial analysis to SMEs.

UK Business Angel Market report published by the British Business Bank reveals clear regional disparity with 57% of Business Angels based in London and the South East

• 43% of Business Angel investments made in London and the South East
• 75% of business Angels aged over 45 and 21% aged over 65
• Healthcare, Life Sciences, Fintech and Software as a Service most popular sectors for investment