The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has published the fundraising figure for Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) for the 2017/18 tax year. 

Chargifi, the foundational technology for scaling wireless power, has announced that it has raised a £5 million funding round.  The investment was led by Accelerated Digital Ventures (ADV), with other investors including Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and firstminute capital.

This investment will enable Chargifi to accelerate sales and marketing, and international growth across US and Asian markets at a time when the demand for wireless power is on the rise – according to Global Marketing Insights the wireless charging market is set to be worth $25billion by 2023.

Mercia Technologies PLC last month completed an all cash sale of Science Warehouse Limited, one of the Group's leading direct investments, to Advanced Business Software and Solutions Limited, for a total cash consideration of £16.9million. Mercia will receive proceeds of £10.5million (net of transaction expenses) and will recognise an immediate realised gain of £0.6million, compared with the holding value of £9.9million as at 30 September 2017. The sale represents a return to Mercia of 14.2% on its total investment cost of £9.2million.

William Armstrong was an inventor, scientist, industrialist and philanthropist. He is most famous for revolutionising artillery during the Crimean war.

The Financial Conduct Authority has released a statement on the requirement for firms offering crypto derivatives to be authorised.

The number of new tech companies being set up in Scotland rose by 77 per cent in 2017 according to new analysis by RSM.

In total, there were 440 software development and programming businesses incorporated in Scotland in 2017, a 77 per cent increase on the 249 companies set up in 2016.

Idinvest Partners, a leading investor in SMEs across Europe, has announced today the first close of its third digital fund at €180 million, as the 

New data from eFront shows that, once biases are eliminated, European venture capital has consistently matched the performance of US funds over the past 20 years.

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The Week That Was is released by OFF3R. At OFF3R you can compare investments from leading equity crowdfunding and peer to peer lending sites through to robo-advisors and stocks and shares ISAs.

Spotify makes its market debut, a flurry of fintech floats & turbulent tech stocks.

Read the latest blog published by Simon Murdoch at Episode1 Ventures.  Simon will be a keynote speaker at our Great British Private Investor Summit on 24th May.  Hope you can join us.  Get your ticket here.

With the new tax year upon us, why not make some resolutions to be a better investor next year?