ZOA Robotics has secured seed investment from the British Robotics Seed Fund (BRSF). The £85,000 investment is the first of a series that have been made by the UK’s robotics-focussed investment firm, and is in a company that is raising further investment on the new and complementary robotics crowdfunding platform Britbots CROWD (http://crowd.britbots.com).

YFM Equity Partners has backed a £1.5 million investment into e2E Engineering Limited, a leading technical consultancy operating in the telecommunications market, with particular expertise in satellite communications. YFM’s funding comes from its two advised VCTs, British Smaller Companies and British Smaller Companies 2.

Mercia Technologies PLC announces that it is rebranding its fund management subsidiaries, which include Enterprise Ventures and Mercia Fund Management, to Mercia Fund Managers. As part of the Mercia Group’s continued growth and development, the company has also relaunched its website with a new, refreshed look at www.merciatech.co.uk

Startup founders should be prepared to put their money where their mouths are if they want to secure investment from business angels, according to research from University of Edinburgh Business School and the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School. In a study of more than 100 UK established investors – often known as business angels – 87% said they would find it too risky to back an entrepreneur who had not made a significant financial investment in their own venture.

Everyone has been talking about the Patient Capital Review, possibly the most important Government consultation to engage the angel world in living memory.  The inferred threat that HM Government might severely limit the S/EIS and VCT schemes either by constraining what types of company can receive investment and or a reduction in the tax breaks on offer was enough to get everyone pretty excited.  My LinkedIn post to encourage people to respond to the consultation received over 11,000 views in two days!

For the more sophisticated entrepreneur, crowdfunding can be a chore. Why strut your stuff in front of an uncaring public – who may throw $100 a piece at your idea - when you could be gladhandling clever, sophisticated institutional money?  Well, the odds of securing that dream VC “dream ticket” are often slim. Yet they can be enhanced. Execute a successful crowdraise, and the venture capitalists will be more likely to follow suit.

Here are 10 trends to watch out for in the angel market this autumn.

Frederick William was King of Prussia between 1713 and 1740. He gained fame, or perhaps infamy, in Europe both for an austere lifestyle, and for his short temper (beheading his son’s male lovers at the slightest provocation for example). However, his careful financial management included a deal of canny investment.

We're a couple of days late, but never mind - the cause is the best.  This month we encourage you to donate £1 to Macmillan Coffee Morning for every meeting you have wiith a cup of coffee or tea.

Another exit to an overseas buyer provides yet more evidence of the Chinese desire for UK tech companies.  BGF has agreed to successfully exit its minority stake in aircraft seat manufacturer, Acro Aircraft Seating to Zhejiang Science and Technology Investment Company (ZTC) for £55m. 

Lucky for some! 13 investors in the Green Angel Syndicate have bought shares in the syndicate itself. 

To know Baybars Altuntas is not only to like him, but also to respect and admire him.