San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) at the University of San Diego (USD), a program in its sixth year that activates accredited angel investors and engages promising early-stage companies, has awarded two startups with angel funding for their potentially disruptive solutions.

Ecodrive took the top prize with $300,000*. Runner up Achieve Clinics was awarded $100,000* in funding.

A syndicate of 15 female investors from Women Angels of Wales (WAW) is helping to improve recycling rates of single-use plastic with an equity investment in Deeside-based Polytag.  With the backing of Collateral Good and Knop Ventures, Polytag has now raised £2.85 million to help fund the growth of its unique, tag and trace barcode technology. The GS1 Digital Link QR Codes allow brand owners and retailers in the food and beverage sectors to track packaging from the time it’s labelled to the moment it’s scanned at recycling centres. Trials are already underway with Ocado, Co-op, Arla, Aldi and Biffa.

The Angel Investor Summit hosted by South East Angels is set to take place in the vibrant city of Brighton on 6th June. Offering a unique platform for active angel investors and those intrigued about getting started with venture investing to come together and explore insights from some of the UK’s most prolific angel investors and innovators, the event has been curated to foster education and networking whilst emphasising a look into the future. 

The Estonian Business Angel Network (EstBAN) has published its annual report for 2023, showing that members invested €13.32m into startup companies during the past year.

The Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) reports a significant decline in angel investments in Finnish startups during 2023, with funding dropping from €37 million to €26 million compared to the previous year. This 30% decrease reflects the cautious stance adopted by investors amidst uncertain financial markets.

The Czech startup landscape stands a significant chance of strengthening this year, as investments in technology companies are expected to increase markedly following a leaner last year, says a report from investment group DEPO Ventures, which is constructing an international syndicate of angel investors in addition to managing angel funds.

Dorset Business Angels will hold its next pitch event on 20th May. It has already confirmed four pitching companies who are seeking funding and will be presenting their businesses at the event.

Cornwall is set to develop its own angel investment network to foster the growth of local businesses.  The Cornwall Angel Network is a joint initiative from the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and the British Business Bank, aiming to help establish a more diverse investment community in the Duchy. Those behind the network are also hoping it will stimulate higher levels of equity investment in the county.

According to the British Business Bank, the network will complement other angel networks, such as Tech South West’s Angel Investor Programme, and funding streams including the lender's own South West Investment Fund which launched last year.

Ready2Scale is an EU funded project that is providing 25 digital and deep tech startups with €1.5 million of funding through 60k equity-free grants. The project will also be providing the startups with a tailored 6-month acceleration program, which includes access to specialised investment readiness training, up to 5 market discovery missions across Europe, access to 100+ expert mentors, and much more.

Empirical Ventures is targeting a £10M fund to lead pre-seed and seed investments for deep science startups in the UK. Founded by two scientists turned entrepreneurs, Empirical Ventures will invest in startups that are redefining what is possible and solving some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity.

LCR Angel Network has made investments in two of the region’s most exciting start-up businesses following a pitch event hosted at Sci-Tech Daresbury and supported by the British Business Bank.

Both Jardin Living, a sustainable lifestyle brand founded by Kavita Basi, and AI Sight, an AI system for diabetic retinal screening led by CEO Steven Powell impressed enough to secure a combined £160k investment that will allow both businesses to scale significantly.

Scaleup Finance has raised an $8million (£6.4million) pre-Series A round to ‘solve the challenge of financial management’ for startup and scale-up companies.

Led by Inveready, alongside Crowberry Capital, Seed X, PROfounders, Fin Capital and CircleRock Capital, the funds will be used to help drive continued growth in the UK and prepare for future expansion into the US.