Camena Bioscience, a Cambridge-based company which provides synthetic genes to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, has completed a £7.8m ($10m) Series A funding round led by Mercia Ventures. The new funding will be used to scale operations and continue development of its pioneering DNA synthesis platform, gSynth. Camena is the first company to offer this
One of the leading suppliers of high-speed wifi to holiday parks has become an employee-owned business in a deal backed by an SME loan from Mercia. Leisure Park Internet Solutions provides services to over 100 parks throughout the UK and has developed its own ‘direct to van’ solution that overcomes the challenges of providing high-quality
WorkBuzz, a fast-growing employee engagement platform which is headquartered in Milton Keynes, has secured a £6.2m funding round led by YFM Equity Partners (YFM) and including existing investors Mercia and Foresight Group, which were both investing from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). The funding will enable WorkBuzz to pursue international expansion, enhance sales and
OneUp Sales – whose platform helps businesses to manage and motivate sales teams – has raised £2.25m from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), and Mercia’s EIS funds. The Staffordshire-based team will use the funding to further enhance its
A Sheffield company that provides bespoke supported living accommodation has secured £400,000 from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to open a new facility. The funding will enable SLE Housing to complete the conversion of a Victorian schoolhouse in Greenhill Village to
Texere Publishing – the Knutsford-based business which is one of the world’s fastest-growing scientific publishers – has been acquired by US-based healthcare media company BroadcastMed. The deal provides an exit for Texere’s investors Mercia and AXM Venture Capital, both of which had initially backed the company in 2012 using investment from the North West Fund.
A Yorkshire data consultancy that has more than doubled in size in the past two years has raised £500,000 from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to support its further growth. Oakland Group Services has increased staff numbers from 33 to 80
ParkVia – the Manchester-based company behind a leading global parking reservation platform – has been acquired by CAVU, part of the Manchester Airports Group plc. The deal provides an exit for ParkVia’s investor Mercia, which has backed the company since 2018 via its EV Growth II Fund. The acquisition is part of CAVU’s strategic plans
A fast-growing Lancashire accountancy firm has taken over a long-established practice in Cumbria in a six-figure acquisition backed by Mercia’s SME Loans fund. The deal brings together Brown & Co, which is based in Thornton-Cleveleys, with Ingalls of Kendal, which was founded in the 1930s and serves businesses of all sizes throughout Cumbria including many
A fast-growing Yorkshire law firm has raised £250,000 from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to support its next phase of expansion. Tyr, a commercial law firm based in Leeds city centre, was set up in 2019 by three partners who had