Driving the growth of SMEs, improving their productivity and developing ‘globally distinctive’ industries are key priorities for Manchester’s economy, according to the city council’s Chief Executive Sir Howard Bernstein. Addressing some of the city’s leading financiers, he invited them to suggest ‘smarter ways’ to use funding to help SMEs expand and to incentivise firms to
Valuechain.com – the Lancashire-based company which supplies advanced manufacturing software – has acquired Surrey-based Tricorn Systems with the help of a six-figure loan from Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Finance. The deal is the first of a series of acquisitions which Valuechain.com is planning and will create ten new jobs at its Preston headquarters over the
University of Bristol spinout developing slow-releasing chlorhexidine for dentistry and medicine Mercia Fund Management (MFM), a leading technology investor, has invested its first round of funding in Pertinax Pharma Ltd, a company developing a solution to improve the efficacy of chlorhexidine-based products, based on years of research and development from the University of Bristol’s School
Vickers Electronics, whose energy management systems are used by some of the biggest names in UK industry, has secured a loan of up to £412,000 from Enterprise Ventures SME Loans. The funds will be used by the company to support its continued growth and to build its presence in export markets. Vickers’ systems help to
A Liverpool technology start-up which has developed a way to safeguard Wi-Fi networks and devices from cyber attacks has secured £350,000 investment from The North West Fund for Venture Capital, managed by Enterprise Ventures, to help bring its technology to market. Traffic Observation via Management Ltd (TOM) was founded by telecoms expert Professor Alan Marshall
Innovative advertising audit tool PERCEPT becomes latest addition to MFM’s digital portfolio. Mercia Fund Management (“MFM”), a leading technology investor with a focus on the Midlands, the North of England and Scotland, has completed its first SEIS investment into Afternoonify Ltd, the developer of an innovative automated digital advertising audit tool, PERCEPT, which offers cost
Two Lancashire entrepreneurs have joined forces to set up a new low-energy lighting factory, with backing from Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Finance. CFE Lighting, which is based in Trawden, Colne, will manufacture energy-efficient LED luminaires for industrial and commercial customers, using components from local suppliers. The company has already created six new jobs and expects
Smart Antenna Technologies (SAT), a spin-out from the University of Birmingham, has announced the launch of SmarTenna®, the technology trademark for its advanced antenna systems. SmarTenna® is a patented antenna technology that is used in all SAT antenna systems for a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartTVs, mobile phones and tablets. The single antenna
Tyres on the Drive – the online mobile tyre-fitting company backed by Enterprise Ventures – has been named as one of the winners of the 2016 Northern Tech Awards. The company won the Judges’ Award for Leadership at the event at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel. The awards recognise the fastest-growing tech companies in the North of
Enterprise Ventures is pleased to announce the successful flotation on the London Stock Exchange’s junior market, AIM, of Blue Prism. Blue Prism, which is part of the RisingStars Growth Fund portfolio, is a market-leader in developing and supplying a virtual workforce powered by software robots, known as Robotic Process Automation (“RPA”). It has a blue-chip