Pembroke VCT, the venture capital trust focused on building the brands of tomorrow, has made an initial investment of £1.75 million into Dropless, the eco-friendly vehicle maintenance company revolutionising its sector.

Dropless was launched in 2018 by co-founders Christian Duncan and Mike Grindy, to bring digital and sustainable innovation, alongside exceptional customer service, to vehicle owners globally.

BGF, the UK’s most active growth capital investor, has invested in secure lock and hardware supplier, Brisant Secure, which is based in the East Midlands and West Yorkshire. The investment will support Brisant’s ambitious long-term growth plans and enable the company to develop further innovations and opportunities.

BGF has invested in Northern Building Plastics to support its growth ambitions.  Northern Building Plastics is a specialist distributor of high-quality uPVC plastics and building products to trade customers. Led by co-founders, Judah Wilson and Richard Lindop, the business opened its first super depot in Leeds in 2010, followed by a second site successfully opened in Bolton in May 2018 on the back of strong growth and a proven model.  

UK-pump specialists, Hydromarque Ltd, is set for significant expansion following its acquisition by a specialist private equity backer. BCF Equity Partners has acquired Peterborough-based Hydromarque in a deal totalling £2.7m.

Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), whose equipment automates the final stage of the 3D production process, has raised £2.5m secured funding from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, Foresight Williams Technology, the government’s Future Fund, DSM Venturing, the global startup investment arm of Royal DSM and private investors.

Cox Powertrain, a leading British manufacturer of high-powered diesel outboard engines for the global marine industry, has raised £9 million from existing shareholders, together with a £3 million loan from HSBC UK Equipment Finance, to allow the company to expand and ramp up production of its CXO300 diesel outboard.

The investment follows a year of significant progress in 2020, where production of the CXO300 began and engines were shipped to Cox’s international network of distributors, including in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The amount raised from existing investors signals their strong confidence in the business and its potential, with a strong order book for 2021 and beyond. 

Steel manufacturer, Hi-Tech Steel Services, has secured a £8.75M funding facility, which includes a £750,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBILS) from Independent Growth Finance (IGF). The Merseyside-based steel processor required additional working capital to support growth and assist the business during the height of the pandemic.  

Ai Build has raised $1m in a funding round led by SuperSeed, a London based VC that specialises in Business Automation and Industry 4.0 investments. Also joining the round is William Tunstall-Pedoe, the British entrepreneur who was one of the inventors behind Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant.

Specialised chemical manufacturer, FIS Chemicals has secured a £1.7 million asset based lending facility from Independent Growth Finance (IGF). The funds raised through invoice discounting and a property loan, were used to support an MBI and to provide working capital to support the growth of the business.

Foresight Group has made a £4.5 million investment into iMist Holdings Limited, a manufacturer and installer of water mist fire protection systems for homes and residential buildings. 

Foresight Group has made a £5 million investment to support the buy-in management buy-out of Plantexpand Limited, a well-established specialist plant and vehicle maintenance provider servicing the utilities industry. The investment is made by the £100 million Foresight East of England Fund, an evergreen patient pool of capital, cornerstoned by the Cambridgeshire Pension Fund that supports growing SMEs across the East of England.

Private equity house, Chiltern Capital, has completed an investment in a leading waste management incinerator manufacturer with support from a multi-million-pound lending facility from Shawbrook Bank.

Inciner8 Ltd, based in Southport, Merseyside, was acquired by Chiltern in a deal that will enable the business to capitalise on its strong market position as well as grow its product range, service offering and global reach.

Inciner8 designs and manufactures incinerators for a range of uses across the waste management industry, supplying incinerators to corporate, government and non-governmental clients globally. Its products are often used to safely reduce the mass and disposal of hazardous waste that would otherwise end up in landfill. Its incinerators are environmentally friendly thanks to their ability to retain and reburn harmful exhaust gases.