REAL TIME VC & PRIVATE EQUITY DEALS AND NEWS
Business levels in the services sector in the UK are still below the standard, according to the latest CBI Quarterly Service Sector Survey. The quarterly research was conducted from July 29 to August 12 and covered 184 service-sector firms divided into– Business and Professional Services, such as accountancy, legal and marketing firms and– Consumer Services, […]
A Montreal-based manager of seed and early stage venture capital funds, iNovia Capital, announced is investment in Urgent Career. New-York-based Urgent Career secured this Series A Funding to seeks to develop the process of finding, screening, and assessing sales talent to cover the lack of top-performing sales professionals at companies worldwide. In particular, iNovia’s investment […]
Venture capital and small business finance firm Advantage Capital Partners closed its first fund, raising $55m for new investments that will be made in connection with the Illinois New Markets Development programme (NMDP). Fundraising activities were developed in partnership with First Bank, Southwest Bank and U.S. Bancorp’s Community Development Corporation. After the good practice of […]
Coherex Medical, a Salt Lake City-based company focused on addressing structural heart disease and conditions through the development of innovative medical devices, closed a $16.5m Series B preferred stock financing co-lead by vSpring Capital and Oxford Bioscience Partners. After the close of this investment, Coherex has now raised nearly $28m in equity financing from outside […]
After receiving a feedback from businesses around the UK, the Government announced further changes to the Trade Credit Insurance Top-up Scheme.Under the scheme, since May 1st, companies that have had their credit insurance cover reduced have been able to purchase six months top-up cover. Where a business has seen a reduction in its credit insurance […]
Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson today launched the iawards, the first Government backed-awards to celebrate achievements of the UK’s best innovators.The announcement come as a new survey commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills shows that businesses believe British innovators are “unsung heroes” whose contribution to making Britain a better place to […]
GroFin announced the final close of the GroFin Africa Fund at US$170m. The fund, has the target to invest in roughly 500 small and medium enterprises in over a period of five years. To date the fund has committed $17m to 50 transactions and is currently considering investment into a further 24 companies to the […]
Dallas-based manfacturer Syndiant closed a $10.7 million series B funding round with private investors and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which will enable the company to accelerate its mass production ramp and product development roadmap. Syndiant produces small and high resolution light modulating chips used in ultra-portable projectors to embed in handheld electronics such as […]
EIF and Irish First-Step Microfinance signed a guarantee agreement under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) helping to provide enhanced access to finance for micro businesses in Ireland. The agreement will allow micro enterprises in Ireland to access to over 3 million euros of additional funding guaranteed under the CIP which will help to […]
Private equity investments decreased 40% in 2008 to $189bn, a new research from International Financial Services London (IFSL), the independent organisation promoting UK financial services worldwide stated. According to the IFSL’s report Private Equity 2009, one of the main reasons of the fall was due to the difficulties of private equity firms to obtain debt […]
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) increased funding for its innovation voucher scheme to support universities and colleges collaborate more with businesses. The first phase of the voucher scheme, which started in Febraury 2009 , offered universities grants of up to £5,000 to meet the costs of new ventures with small to […]
There is time until the next September 11th to take the opportunity available to companies which can deliver specialist international trade services for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in 4 different regions of England. UKTI is looking for qualified organisations ready to provide specialist international trade information, diagnostic, brokerage and delivery services to the business […]
Hong Kong brokerage CLSA is setting up a 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) private equity fund with Chinese state-owned investment firm Shanghai Guosheng Group. The companies signed an agreement to create a joint venture – named Guosheng CLSA (Shanghai) Industrial Investment Management Co Ltd – by the end of 2009 and launch the fund, which […]
MobileIron announced its $11m Series B financing round co-led by Norwest Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, and Storm Ventures.MobileIron is a company dedicated to making smartphones enterprise-ready, solving problems chief information officials face as enterprise data moves to the smartphone. MobileIron’s Virtual Smartphone Platform uses proprietary mobile data virtualization technology to provide both smartphone management and […]
According to Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, students of the new 14-19 diplomas should be encouraged to see functional skills such as English, mathematics and ICT, as absolutely vital for their present and future success. Commenting on the Ofsted’s report on new 14-19 diplomas, in which it said the quality of teaching of functional skills needs […]