Critical Start, a provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) cybersecurity solutions, has secured a $215 million strategic growth investment from Vista Equity Partners (Vista).

International insurance broker Howden has acquired SPF Private Clients (SPF), subject to regulatory approval, from private equity fund manager Cabot Square. SPF will join Howden’s UK & Ireland business to further enhance its position as the leading independent insurance distributor in the region.   SPF was formed in 2011 after a management buyout and rebrand of Savills Private Finance, the financial arm of Savills plc, before Cabot Square Capital (Cabot) acquired a majority stake in the business in 2018. 

Azzure IT, a Sheffield-based IT services provider, has been acquired by Content+Cloud, the UK arm of Nordic IT services group Advania. The deal provides an exit for NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, and which has achieved a return well in excess of 2x its initial £2 million investment.    Founded in 2011 by Craig and Sharon Such, Azzure is a leading Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provider and has previously featured in rankings such as Deloitte Tech Fast500 EMEA and the Financial Times 1000 list, which recognise

PayArc, a payments technology company formed by co-founders Zachary Martinez and Jared Ronski, has secured a strategic investment from Bregal Sagemount, a private equity firm providing capital and strategic assistance to companies in high-growth sectors. PayArc will use this first round of financing to invest in new sales and marketing channels, target strategic acquisitions, and expand its value proposition to all constituents.

Ultrahuman, a metabolic fitness platform, has acquired consumer-focused wearable company LazyCo famed for creating the Aina ring wearable. Ultrahuman is a venture-backed startup that has raised $25m to date. Their investors include Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI), which is backed by DisruptAD and managed by Falcon Edge, Steadview Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Blume Ventures and Utsav Somani’s iSeed fund, and a range of marquee founders and angel investors including Tiger Global’s Scott Schleifer.    LazyCo will integrate with Ultrahuman’s global in-house hardware development team as they seek opportunities to enhance the user experience and help improve global metabolic health standards. Ultrahuman

Lawyers from Carey Olsen’s corporate team in the Cayman Islands have advised web3 and blockchain security firm Certik on its $88 million Series B3 funding round, bringing its valuation to $2 billion.

Silverfort, provider a Unified Identity Threat Protection platform, has closed $65m in Series C funding round led by Greenfield Partners, alongside several VC’s and strategic investors, including GM Ventures, Acrew Capital, Vintage Investment Partners and existing investors StageOne Ventures, Singtel Innov8, Citi Ventures, Aspect Ventures and Maor Investments. The new investment, which brings Silverfort’s total funding to over $100 million, follows rapid growth which saw Annual Recurring Revenue triple with hundreds of customers – including Fortune 100 companies. The funding will be used to scale the business and team globally and continue to expand the platform’s unique technological advantage.

Numinus Wellness is to acquire Novamind Inc in an all-share transaction, by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement, for total consideration of approximately CAD26.2 million on a fully diluted in-the-money basis. Following the Transaction, the combined company will operate 13 wellness clinics and will be positioned as a leading psychedelic-assisted therapy provider in North America, leading its peer group in revenue with approximately c$10 million in annual pro-forma revenue based on the trailing four quarters.

Growth equity firm PSG has led a $200 million investment round in media technology company Backlight. The investment supports the company’s launch and the acquisition of five five media software businesses: ftrack, iconik, Celtx, Wildmoka, and Zype. Backlight’s mission is to serve media, entertainment, and video-forward customers with cloud-based solutions that improve every step of the media content lifecycle. The investment will be used to support Backlight’s pursuit of additional add-on acquisitions of technology platforms that serve the media content lifecycle.

Splend, a vehicle subscription business for rideshare and delivery drivers, has secured a new senior secured credit facility with Pollen Street Capital. The new facility will support Splend in accelerating its transition to green mobility and help the growing number of on-demand workers earn an income and be successful.