Ophelos, a, AI technology firm and pending B-corp focused on the debt resolution process in the UK, has raised £5 million in a seed funding round led by AlbionVC.   Contributions were also made by Vast Ventures, an early investor in Coinbase and Tala, regulatory and public policy experts Form Ventures, as well as existing investors Connect Ventures and Fly Ventures. A group of angel investors – including Matt Robinson (Co-Founder, GoCardless & Nested), James Meekings (Co-Founder, Funding Circle), Jonah and Noah Goodhart (Co-Founders, Moat), and more – also participated.  AlbionVC’s fintech investing track recored includes Quantexa and Credit Kudos.

Foresight Group (Foresight), a listed private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has made a £600,000 growth capital investment in Lillicoco Limited (Lillicoco), using equity finance from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). Lillicoco is an e-tailer of women’s affordable luxury antique jewellery, including rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants – ranging from £100 to £5,000 per item. Each item is authenticated and certified in-house. It is then listed on Lillicoco.com with a detailed condition report, as well as high-definition photos and videos. The Company boasts a 4.9/5 Trustpilot score, making it the most positively reviewed and trusted online operator in the

Claira (www.claira.io), a document intelligence fintech, has secured a strategic investment from Citi Spread Products Investment Technologies (SPRINT), the strategic investing arm of the bank’s Global Spread Products division.

Cosmetique Totale, a portfolio company of BB Capital Investments, has acquired injectables specialist Van Lennep Kliniek. Cosmetique Totale is a market leader in the Benelux in the field of skin care and laser therapy. With the support of BB Capital, the business has now added the three branches of Van Lennep Kliniek in The Hague and Oegstgeest, having last week announced a multi-million Euro financing from international private debt fund Kartesia.  The acquisition of Van Lennep Kliniek marks the twelfth add-on acquisition since BB Capital acquired a majority stake in Cosmetique Totale in 2020.

FFL Partners (FFL), a private equity firm focused on growth investments in tech-enabled business services and healthcare companies, has completed a strategic growth investment in Abacus Group (Abacus), a financial services-focused IT Managed Services Provider (MSP) specialising in hedge fund, private equity, venture capital and family office clients.

British private equity investor Actis LLp is to acquire a 10 per stake in Brazilian renewable energy company Omega Energia in a deal worth around $147 million, according to a report by Private Equity Insights.

WiredScore, a specialist in technology in the built world through education and certification, has raised $15m in a Series B funding round led by Beringea. Cushman & Wakefield, Crow Holdings, and Taronga Ventures also participated in the round, in addition to core returning investors Fifth Wall, Bessemer Venture Partners and Jona Capital.  This round brings WiredScore’s total funds raised to date to $28 million. Capital from this round in particular will be aimed at further accelerating WiredScore’s vision of becoming recognised and trusted as the leading voice for tech in the built world.

Sutton Coldfield-based heating, electrical and security services firm, Butco Heating Limited (BHL), has secured a £300,000 funding package from MEIF Maven Debt Finance, part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), managed by Maven Capital Partners (Maven) and backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme. Butco Heating Limited provides a range of heating, electrical and security services and will use the funding to expand its offering to installation, servicing and repairs of home boilers, smoke alarms and home security systems, including rewiring and repairs. Trading in the West Midlands for over 60 years, Butco Heating is committed to its growth across

FloWorks International (FloWorks), a specialty flow control distribution platform backed by Clearlake Capital Group, has acquired netMercury, a specialty parts and services distributor. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.   Founded in 2000, netMercury is a distributor of critical parts and services to the global integrated circuit fabrication and technology industries with three locations in Dallas, Austin, and Phoenix. The Company’s family of products includes system controls, temperature controls, high purity valves and fittings, fluid pumps, liquid flow controls, cleanroom equipment, consumables, vacuum pumps, and wafer process equipment, among others. netMercury also provides project management, including repair

Mill Point Capital, a private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the industrials, business services and IT services sectors, has sold KKSP Precision Machining LLC (KKSP), North American manufacturer of precision metal components, to Pine Grove Holdings (Pine Grove), an executive-led operations and investment firm focused on companies with high engineering content. Mill Point will maintain a minority stake in the business going forward. Since its 2017 acquisition by Mill Point Capital, KKSP has experienced tremendous success through the enhancement of technical capabilities, strategic M&A and rapid expansion into the Northeastern United States region and catalog components market.