Deals
Evoke Creative, a design-led manufacturer of interactive digital solutions, has received a GBP6 million investment from BGF to support further growth in the UK and overseas.
Based in the Wirral, Evoke Creative supplies interactive digital solutions, including self-service kiosks, video walls, digital signage and payment terminals for blue-chip customers in the retail and leisure sectors. Its systems allow brands to connect and engage with their customers in dynamic and rewarding ways, helping to maximise transaction conversion rates, improve customer journeys and reduce costs.
Led by founders Neil Clark and Dean Ward, Evoke prides itself on creating bespoke solutions and
Eko, a mobile-first collaboration and communications platform for businesses, has raised USD20 million in a Series B financing round led by SMDV, with participation from AirAsia’s digital investment arm, RedBeat Ventures, Gobi Partners, East Ventures and existing shareholders.
The Bangkok, and now London-based, company has seen revenues more than triple in the past year with over half a million recurring paid users across sectors including retail, hospitality, banking, and other service-based industries. This round will provide Eko with funds to further accelerate its expansion in Europe and North America.
It also today announces a significant European expansion, with new
Golden Gate Capital has completed has completed the acquisition of Vector Solutions, a specialist in eLearning and SaaS performance support solutions, from Providence Equity Partners.
CEO Jeff Gordon and the current management team will continue to lead Vector, which will remain headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Founded in 1999, Vector Solutions offers SaaS-based, compliance-driven enterprise eLearning, workforce management and performance improvement solutions to targeted industries in three primary sectors: commercial, public sector, and education. Their innovative products help organisations improve outcomes, optimise performance, and reduce risk in many industries, including engineering and construction, industrial manufacturing, K12 and higher education, and
Ares Management Corporation has completed its conversion to a corporation under Delaware law and changed its name from Ares Management to Ares Management Corporation.
Since Ares had already elected to be taxed as a corporation for US federal and state income tax purposes effective 1 March 2018, no material tax or financial changes are expected from the state law conversion.
Existing common and preferred shares of Ares Management have been converted into Class A common and Series A Preferred shares of Ares Management Corporation, respectively. Following the conversion, the Class A common shares will have voting rights equivalent to
Neotas, a ‘digital intelligence’ business which provides enhanced due diligence and HR screening, has closed a funding round of over GBP1 million backed by Symvan Capital, Force Over Mass and a number of private investors.
The London-based company analyses individuals’ ‘digital trails’ to provide deeper insights into their background, behaviour and networks. The service enables investors and employers to screen key personnel, safeguard their investments, mitigate against fraud and insider threats and evidence compliance standards.
Neotas’ advanced digital intelligence platform, which is operated by former military and intelligence analysts, leverages open source intelligence (OSINT). This includes analysis of international
A business which has developed a better and safer X-ray technology has completed a GBP1 million funding round which will allow it to bring its systems to market.
IBEX Innovations, which is based in Sedgefield, County Durham, has secured investment from the new North East Venture Fund (NEVF), supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia Fund Managers, and an existing investor, IP Group plc.
The funding, which will create 13 new jobs, will help drive adoption of the IBEX technology in the global healthcare market.
IBEX’s systems, which fit to existing X-ray machines, improve
Innova Capital, a CEE private equity fund, is to acquire 33 per cent of the shares in OSHEE, a provider of isotonic and functional drinks in the Polish market.
In the last 10 years, OSHEE became the indisputable leader on the Polish sports and vitamin functional beverage market, selling its products to 45 countries on 6 continents and generating revenues of approximately PLN250 million. In 2017, the Company acquired Kinga Pienińska, a high-quality mineral water producer in Poland. Following the integration of both companies and the expansion of the production facility, the production capacity in mineral water increased almost threefold.
Hogan Lovells has advised Monzo, a UK digital, mobile-only bank, on its biggest ever crowdfunding round. Monzo has just published a prospectus in connection with a GBP20 million raise from its existing customers.
This follows the close of GBP85 million of funding in October this year from General Catalyst, Accel and existing investors, on which Taylor Wessing advised.
The Hogan Lovells team was co-led by London Corporate Partners Richard Diffenthal and Daniel Simons, working alongside Monzo relationship Partner Jon Chertkow, assisted by Nagham Al-Turaihi and Peter Finch. The Taylor Wessing team was led by corporate technology specialists, Adrian Rainey
Private investment firm Atar Capital has completed the acquisition of Microcel Corporation, a distributor of technology products in Canada, partnering with Rick Henry, Founder of Microcel.
Henry will remain a shareholder and will continue as Microcel’s President and CEO. The transaction was officially closed on Monday 19 November 2018.
“We are excited to partner with Rick and the Microcel team on this transaction. We see tremendous opportunity in Canada’s growing retail and e-commerce markets,” says Cyrus Nikou, Founder and Managing Partner at Atar Capital. “Microcel’s best-in-class portfolio of brands within the Canadian consumer electronics space, complimented by Atar’s direct-to-consumer,
Lotus Clinical Research (Lotus) of Pasadena, California, has entered into a private equity partnership with DFW Capital Partners and has added Jeffrey Kinell and Kurt Brykman to its board of directors in conjunction with the investment.
Kinell was previously the CEO of Bracket Global, a leader in the clinical trials technology space, and CEO of CRI Lifetree, a leader in clinical trials for special populations (subsequently acquired by PRA). Brykman was previously a divisional president of PAREXEL International, the third-largest CRO worldwide, and COO of Medpace, a specialty CRO which provides expertise in executing scientifically challenging trials.
Lotus is an internationally
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