AnswerLab, an independent UX research firm, has secured a strategic investment from Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm specialising in media, entertainment, communications and related sectors.  The investment will drive continued growth and expansion of AnswerLab’s service offering and team as it seeks to deliver critical insights for enterprises looking to improve engagement, reduce costs and increase conversion on their digital products.   Founded in 2004 by CEO Amy Buckner Chowdhry, AnswerLab helps enterprises with their digital transformation efforts by offering research services in digital strategy, optimisation and measurement across the product development lifecycle. With its suite of research

Souter Investments, a private equity focussed family investment office, is to sell Stone Technologies Group (Stone), a provider of Circular IT solutions, to Toronto Stock Exchange listed Converge Technology Solutions Corp. (Converge), a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider. Souter acquired a majority stake in Stone in 2019, investing alongside the Company’s management team and a syndicate of investors managed by private equity house RJD Partners. Since acquisition, Stone has grown strongly and expanded its range of products, services, and solutions. This includes the roll out of the market leading Stone 360 IT recycling app, which makes management of end-of-life

Stellus Capital Management, a specialist in middle market direct lending, has partnered with +SUBSCRIBE, an order management and electronic subscription document platform for the alternative investments industry.   Stellus joined the +SUBSCRIBE platform with the goal of providing the firm’s limited partners with an innovative digital experience for investor onboarding, electronic subscription documents, and integrated transaction workflows with the fund administrator and other service providers. +SUBSCRIBE provides institutional investors, fund managers, and service providers with the alternative investment industry’s leading order management system for alternative product transactions.  The platform includes reusable universal investor profiles, eSubDocs, a digital offering that automates

The INVL Renewable Energy Fund I, managed by INVL Asset Management is to acquires six solar projects in Romania with a total capacity of 102.7 megawatts (MW). Following the completion of these transactions, the INVL Renewable Energy Fund I portfolio of projects under management in Romania will increase to 268.7 MW. In addition, all the solar projects within the Fund’s current portfolio have already secured approved grid connection terms. Subsequently, the fund’s overall investment into Romania will now exceed EUR200 million, factoring in existing solar power plant projects that have been in development there since June 2022. It is also

BCN Group, a Manchester based IT cloud and managed services specialist, has acquired Evo-Soft, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central specialist. The acquisition follows a recent investment in BCN by growth-focused mid-market private equity firm ECI Partners. BCN is a digital transformation solutions and managed service provider delivering cloud first data strategies, including Microsoft Modern Workplace, Microsoft Azure, analytics, development, and IT security services to the mid-market and public sector organisations. The acquisition of Evo-Soft provides BCN with an exceptional platform to provide solution driven services for businesses across the UK. The move enhances the group’s focus on and capability

Skip Protocol (Skip) has raised $6.5 million in a seed funding round led by Bain Capital Crypto to support its development of a platform to bring the multi-billion dollar market for transaction prioritisation, reordering, and bundling (often known as “Miner Extractable Value” or “MEV”) to the Cosmos blockchain ecosystem and other fast-emerging proof-of-stake ecosystems.  Jump Crypto, Galaxy, Robot Ventures, Lightspeed Faction, IEX Group, Informal Systems, Sommelier Cofounder Zaki Manian, Celestia Chief Operating Officer Nick White, and JUNO Cofounder Jake Hartnell, among others, also participated in the round. Founded in 2022 by veteran software developers Barry Plunkett and Maghnus Mareneck, Skip’s

AccessFintech has raised $60 million in a Series C funding round, led by WestCap. As the lead investor, WestCap brings deep experience building and scaling transformational software for capital markets with companies including Ipreo, iLEVEL, BrokerTec, Tradeweb and SIMON Markets. Additional investment was secured from BNY Mellon and Bank of America, with further participation from Series B investors Dawn Capital, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Citi Group. The company’s latest funding round follows a $20 million Series B and brings the total capital raised to $97 million since 2018.  The additional funds will be used to accelerate AccessFintech’s growth as it

Technology and healthcare-focused buyout firm LLR Partners has made a growth investment in transportation management platform PCS Software. Existing investor Capstreet remains a minority shareholder in the business. PCS runs AI-driven transportation management platforms that automate transportation logistics operation via a single comprehensive web-based solution. LLR’s investment will support continued organic growth and product innovation plans as well as the pursuit of strategic acquisitions.  Kevin Johnson, principal at Capstreet, said: “Over the last three years, we have built out the PCS management team, invested in sales and go-to-market initiatives to expand into new customer segments, upgraded the software architecture, and completed

Technology-focused private equity firm Vector Capital is to make a $100 million strategic minority investment in real-time cyberprotection business Malwarebytes. Vector Capital Managing Directors Sandy Gill and Dave Fishman will join the company’s Board of Directors as part of the transaction. Founded in 2008, Malwarebytes detects and mitigates cyber threats for customers through intelligence, AI and machine learning.  The new capital will be deployed for product innovation, scaling the channel partner program and grow its Managed Service Provider business, the company said. The funding by Vector Capital follows investments led by Highland Capital Partners and Fidelity Management and Research Company.

Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS) has sold its remaining 30% stake in Shields Health Solutions to Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) for $1.37 billion, based on the exit multiple agreed at the time of Walgreen’s September 2021 investment in Shields Health. WBA’s full acquisition of Shields follows the increase of its stake to approximately 70% in September 2021. Shields runs specialty pharmacies in the US with nearly 80 health system partners representing approximately 1,000 hospitals nationwide. It delivered pro forma sales growth of 57% for the first nine months of fiscal 2022, driven by key contract wins, further expansion of