LawtechUK has published a feasibility study and proof of concept for a new technological approach to the late payment challenges facing British business  – an ‘SME online dispute resolution’ platform, produced in partnership with a consortium of legal, technology and alternative dispute resolution experts from the University of Oxford, Oxford Computing Consultants, Resolve Disputes Online and Jur. 

PALATINE-backed Construction Testing Solutions (CTS), a leading provider of construction consulting and testing services, has completed the acquisition of Silkstone Environmental Limited (SEL), a multi-disciplined consultancy specialising in minerals and waste management planning & permitting, site investigation, environmental monitoring and surveying.

After a year of record growth, national courier company Speedy Freight has announced investment from BGF – the UK’s most active growth capital investor – to accelerate its ambitious expansion plans.  

Your FLOCK, a remote work tech startup that helps increase employee engagement by discovering a team’s core values, has secured £240k from GC Angels and a private angel to bolster its development team and scale the product’s growth.  Based on pioneering methodology from Stanford University and the University of Manchester, Your FLOCK helps employees become more engaged and businesses to become more productive and successful by helping to develop cohesive and employee engagement driven company cultures. 

M40 Offices has received a £250,000 funding package from the East & South East Midlands (ESEM) Fund, managed by Maven Capital Partners, through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).

Tech Nation has launched the Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit; a comprehensive guide to address diversity challenges in tech companies and the UK tech sector, in order to help build a strong, diverse and inclusive tech sector.

A software platform that helps businesses to connect with staff is aiming to double in size after raising a £780,000 investment.

WorkBuzz has secured the funding from Mercia and Foresight, both investing through equity finance from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) alongside private investors. The Milton Keynes-based company, which currently employs 16 staff, is planning to create 15 new jobs this year - and to achieve 100% growth in each of the following two years.

Malt, the leading European freelance consulting marketplace, has entered into exclusive negotiations for a new funding of 80 million euros, led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity and Eurazeo, to accelerate its tech development and international expansion. This funding will enable Malt to reinforce its leadership position within the freelance consulting market, currently estimated at 350 billion euros in Europe alone, by providing a "one-stop-shop" where freelance talent and companies can join forces to fuel digital transformation.

Foresight Group has made a further investment into Fresh Relevance, following  on a record quarter of growth for the Company, to accelerate product roadmap roll out and support scaling. Some of the management team have participated in the funding round, demonstrating strong support for the business and its growth.

As part of its activity to support Scale Up Week (18 – 21 May), NatWest has today launched a new flagship programme open to all SMEs across the UK, to help their business grow throughout 2021. Each year a specialised team of NatWest’s Acceleration Managers will host over 200 sessions across the UK, helping 1,400 businesses to scale up.

Churches Fire, a Southampton-based provider of fire safety and security compliance services, has secured a significant £75 million refinancing package from HSBC UK and HSBC Asset Management, Northleaf Capital Partners and Siemens Bank.

BGF has completed a £5.2 million investment in Odro, a Scottish-headquartered technology business that provides video interviewing and engagement software to the recruitment industry.