Funding

NALA, a UK fintech company, announces that it has raised $40 million in Series A funding to support its global expansion and enhance the reliability of payments to Africa by developing its payment rails.

Switchee, a social housing technology provider, has announced a £5 million investment from new backer Octopus Ventures and existing supporter AXA IM Alts. This follows a previous £6.5 million funding round led by AXA IM Alts in May 2023.

The UK tech sector has secured nearly one-third of all European VC funding in the first half of 2024, marking a notable resurgence in investment.

Granta Autonomy, a startup in autonomous UAV technology for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, has announced the successful closure of its €1 million seed funding round.

Oshen, a British company pioneering the use of small, wind-powered, self-sailing boats to capture unique maritime, weather, and ecological data, has secured funding from Dhyan Ventures, Amar Shar’s technology investment vehicle.

Samsara Eco, an envirotech innovator, has announced it raised AUD$100 million in its latest funding round. The round was led by global investment firm Temasek and Australian deeptech investment fund Main Sequence, with participation from new and existing investors including Wollemi Capital, lululemon, Hitachi Ventures, Titanium Ventures (formerly Telstra Ventures), and DCVC. This funding brings Samsara Eco closer to its goal of eliminating plastic waste, ensuring it never ends up in landfill or incineration.

PreActiv, a prehabilitation platform, has raised over £500,000 to transform preoperative care. Aimed at reducing patient complications, shortening hospital stays, and saving healthcare providers millions, PreActiv is swiftly changing the landscape of surgical care.

SmartCap Venture Capital Fund has invested €5 million in Antler’s Nordic Fund II, reinforcing its dedication to early-stage startups and innovative tech investment strategies.

Akcela, Norwich’s sole startup incubator, received a £110,000 grant from the Ecosystem Partnership Programme, an initiative led by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, Connected Innovation, and Barclays Eagle Labs to bolster the region’s digital technology sector.

Contrary to predictions of a slowdown in AI funding for 2024, the sector is experiencing a surge. AI startups are not only breaking records but doing so at an unprecedented pace, raising more capital than ever before.

Finding funding for a startup is challenging for anyone. You may worry a lack of degree could hold you back. Fortunately, many have gone before to prove you can confidently handle finances without a master’s in business administration and build a thriving company. Here’s what you need to know and focus on to find success.

Zedify, the cargo bike delivery network, has secured an additional £4 million investment from Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, Mercia Ventures (from its own funds and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund), and Green Angel Ventures.

Securing VC funding is crucial for any startup to transform innovative ideas into reality, fuel growth, and create value. Despite tighter market conditions, early-stage capital remains available for promising teams and visionary entrepreneurs addressing significant industry problems. Late-stage capital is also widely accessible once companies reach scale and prove their business models.

Gendo, an AI platform transforming the architectural design process, has secured an oversubscribed $1.1 million (£855,000) pre-seed round led by Concept Ventures, with participation from Ascension Ventures, Carles Reina’s Baobab Ventures, and notable angels from the AI and architecture sectors, including the former Global Head of Design Studios at WeWork.

Cluby, a Finnish startup changing the way restaurants connect with its customers digitally, has successfully raised €2.9 million in a seed round.

Startup funding options include ‘traditional’ loans with fixed monthly repayments, but also highly flexible alternatives that address the cash flow needs of a new business and bring expensive asset purchases within reach.

LiveEO, a global player in transforming high-resolution satellite data and AI into actionable insights for managing climate risks and resilience, has secured €25 million in a Series B funding round led by NordicNinja and DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF).

Saltroad, founded by a couple from Northern Ireland are looking to tackle the waiting list backlog for accessing speech and language therapy in the UK with a new online platform that matches parents with qualified practitioners. Saltroad is backed by a £575,000 pre-seed funding round, led by Techstart Ventures and London-based Ascension VC.

After a lacklustre 2023 for UK fintech investment, 2024 has shown promising growth for London’s fintech sector. Current sentiment from the city indicates a significant rise in job opportunities as investors return.

Mountside Ventures, an accelerator and early-stage advisory firm in Europe, has unveiled its 2024 ‘Navigating Corporate Venture Capital’ report, produced in collaboration with Love Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm specialising in FinTech, Future of Work, and ConsumerTech.