News
Allica Bank has seen a surge in demand for new business lending since the national lockdown ended, and has just reached the joint milestone of issuing over £250m of approvals in principle in 2020, and over £100m in committed loan offers since June to established SMEs across the UK.
Eagle Genomics, a pioneer in applying network science to biology – particularly linked to the microbiome – has closed $9m in new scale-up funding. It will use the investment to further develop the capabilities of its powerful AI-augmented, knowledge discovery platform and to drive further commercial expansion across Europe and the US.
New research published by Sage plc and Capital Economics finds that unlocking SME digital investment will be critical in helping small and medium size businesses remain resilient as a wave of local lockdowns trigger ongoing uncertainty – and could also deliver major benefits to the UK economy.
Quizlet, the global learning platform and app known for its engaging AI-powered revision tools, announces the launch of its GCSE Resource Centre – a new and completely free, comprehensive online bank of revision resources based on exam board specifications.
As parts of the UK continue to enter regional lockdown and Government incentives to support the economy start to peter out, SMEs across the country have been making the most of well-established Government schemes by claiming £5.1bn in R&D tax relief.
Flexa is very excited to announce that they have successfully raised £250,000 from a consortium of international and domestic investors, including renowned angel investors Simon Franks and Douglas Choi. The round is being led by venture capital firm, QVentures. The funds will be used to support the scaling up of Flexa’s flexible working platform.
OurCrowd and SALT, a global thought leadership forum and networking platform encompassing finance, technology and geopolitics, will broadcast the SALT Talks: Pandemic Venture Investment Series online starting 29th October.
In April 2020, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that 49.2% of adults in employment were working from home because of social distancing measures introduced following the COVID-19 pandemic. With remote working now a necessity for many, companies can adapt by staying on top of the latest trends. Here, Ashmita Das, CEO of Kolabtree, the freelance platform for scientists, discusses some of the trends in remote working.
Vantage Health has announced the full-service launch of AI-powered referral platform, Rego. The first eRS compatible solution to be deployed in the NHS, Rego provides automated GP referrals in one efficient system, which reduces the complexity of outpatient pathway guidance and eliminates manual triage processes.
BrainBox AI has announced a deal with AMP Capital to deploy its Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology across the global investment management company’s entire managed real estate portfolio. AMP Capital, one of the largest investment managers in APAC, now becomes the first organisation in the world to install an autonomous AI HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system across its managed real estate portfolio, which includes central business district office buildings, retail shopping centres and logistics facilities throughout Australia and New Zealand.
British Patient Capital has announced a $35m commitment to The Evolution Technology Fund II. The Fund is expected to achieve a targeted $250m final close in the coming months and is already investing in growing cyber security and enterprise software companies.
There was a bullish attitude amongst attendees at this year’s online version of the Arctic15 startup event that investment in Northern European startups was picking up despite a second wave of COVID-19 across the region.
UK businesses have lost over £6.2m to cyber scams over the past year – with a 31% increase in cases during the height of the pandemic (May-June), new research shows.
Comstor, a Cisco distributor and part of Westcon-Comstor, has announced the immediate availability of the recently launched new Cisco Business Dashboard and Cisco Business Switch solutions as part of its Cisco Designed portfolio.
Bespoke protein and vitamin provider, Personalised Co, has announced the launch of its £300k funding round on Seedrs, to support its rapid growth. Following a successful round in 2019, this latest campaign has already secured over half of its investment target in its early stages.
Knowledgehook, the comprehensive mathematics learning platform, has raised £13.5m Series A equity funding, led by a UK-based EdTech investment fund with participation from Mesoamerica’s Alexandria Corp., Nelson Education, Ideal Ventures, and Nicoya Ventures.
WeWork, the global flexible workspace provider, has this week opened applications to its new Diverse Founders Programme in collaboration with award-winning social enterprise, Foundervine. The programme, available to both existing WeWork members and non-members, will provide founders from ethnically diverse minority backgrounds access to 100 WeWork Labs memberships through its community Labs platform, as well as hot desk spaces, starting in January 2021.
Quinyx has announced it has acquired Widget Brain, a company that leverages AI to help automate and optimise workforce scheduling.
Officially launching this month, Earthly is a tech platform providing businesses with a new way to lead the fight against climate change. Businesses already partnered with Earthly include Garnier, Planet Organic, JoJo Maman Bébé, WhatAMelon Water and Neal’s Yard Remedies.
Gradfuel, the innovative data-driven graduate hiring platform, has successfully secured £200k in seed investment amidst ongoing market uncertainty in light of COVID-19. The graduate recruitment platform, valued at £1.05m, has fuelled interest from investors and top-tier employers alike. Investors from a range of backgrounds, including ex-Managing Directors from J.P Morgan, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, as well as early investors for Patch Plants and Mindful Chef, have backed the company in its seed round.
