Managers
Blockchain venture capitalist CV VC has begun Dubai operations in partnership with DMCC Crypto Centre.
As a rapidly advancing blockchain capital and one of the world’s most progressive tech hubs, Dubai is a natural place for CV VC to extend its operations. CV VC has currently successfully invested in 32 early-stage blockchain start-ups from around the world, 22 of which came via its CV Labs incubation program.
Selected start-ups from the UAE will be considered to join CV VCs global CV Labs incubation program and receive an investment of up to USD125,000. The three-month incubation program is driven by
Cala, a company using advanced robotics to make high-quality meals accessible to everybody, has secured EUR5.5 million in VC-backed seed investment.
Other investors to participate in the round are Possible Ventures, Kima Ventures, Quiet Ventures and Acequia Capital. The funding will be used to expand its fully autonomous restaurant chain in France, and explore new locations in Europe.
Cala has built the first fully robotic pasta restaurant in the world. The company created a pasta-making robot to autonomously cook affordable, nutritious, sustainable and delicious meals, and transform the cost and experience of fast-casual dining. Founded in 2017 by engineering students,
Nordstjernan’s wholly-owned subsidiary Etac has made an investment in 100 per cent of the shares in the US company Ki Mobility.
The investment strengthens Etac’s global position in manual complex rehab and will create a strong platform for further growth in Europe, the US and export markets.
Etac is a global supplier of mobility equipment and patient handling solutions used in home care, long term care and acute care. Etac’s sales in 2020 amounted to approximately SEK2,800 million and the company has just over 900 employees. The company’s brands and products include Etac (manual wheelchairs, bathing and toileting aids),
UK marketing group MSQ has acquired the award-winning creative production studio Brave Spark for an undisclosed sum.
The transaction, which was supported by MSQ’s private equity backer LDC, sees Brave Spark bring its video and digital production, design and creative technology to the group, supporting MSQ’s individual agency offers while continuing to offer standalone production capabilities to clients. This latest acquisition will help MSQ’s ambitions to continue to build a future-facing company embracing content, technology, data, and creativity – which meets client needs in an always-on environment.
Rob Drake and Robin Shek founded Brave Spark in 2010 with a
Index provider MerQube has raised USD5 million Series A round led by JP Morgan.
It brings together the venture investing firm, ThirdStream Partners, veteran hedge fund managers Benjamin Smith and Sheehan Maduraperuma, co-founders of Laurion Capital Management, and several other seasoned financial market professionals. MerQube has previously raised USD2 million in its seed rounds in August 2019 and October 2020, with historical investors.
The evolving USD15 trillion index-linked investing market that MerQube serves has moved rapidly from simple market-capitalisation based equity indices 20 years ago to multi-asset strategies. More recently, demand is driving increased customisation with the rise of
Vortex Energy, a global renewable energy platform managed by the private equity arm of EFG Hermes, has entered into a definite agreement with Ignis Energy Holdings, parent company of Spanish independent integrated renewable player Ignis Group.
Vortex Energy will inject over EUR625 million through its newly launched Vortex Energy IV Fund and its co-investors into Ignis via a series of capital injections, which will be deployed over the coming few years subject to certain conditions. This will allow Ignis to fund its growth plans and transform into a fully integrated renewable IPP in Spain and other geographies.
This capital
DWS Group (DWS) has acquired a minority stake in UK-based retiretech Smart Pension Limited (Smart).
The company provides a cloud-native, API-based technology platform, allowing financial services organisations and governments to administer retirement savings plans. Notably, the technology platform powers its award-winning Smart Pension Master Trust, one of the “big four” UK auto enrolment master trusts, and is also capable of being offered to leading financial institutions in the UK and internationally as a Platform as a Service.
Building on its success in the UK market, Smart is now geared for global growth and is focused on establishing its presence in
Verdant Specialty Solutions has acquired Baze Chemical (Baze), an ethoxylate specialty chemical company based in Odessa, Texas, serving customers in the oil and gas production, water treatment, and mining industries.
Baze was acquired from its founder, Curtis Baze. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Through this acquisition, Verdant continues to expand its manufacturing footprint in the US while positioning itself as a long-term partner for specialty ethoxylation on the Gulf Coast. The company also broadens its portfolio of surfactants and other specialty chemistries for the energy and industrial segments.
Founded in 1993, Baze has 82 employees and
RO Capital Partners, the RO Group’s investment arm, has invested in EcoSync alongside other investors including the Oxford Innovation EIS Growth Fund, Silicon Roundabout Ventures, Steve Headington, and KCP Nominees.
A total amount of GBP710,000 has been invested in EcoSync. EcoSync will use the growth capital to fund a dedicated sales team and to further develop its technology.
EcoSync is a cleantech business founded by Oxford University engineers. The business’s dynamic energy management platform adapts temperature control to changing occupancy levels in commercial buildings and helps its customers to achieve 30-40 per cent reductions in energy consumption by identifying
Following three years of partnership with ECI Partners, CPOMS, a provider of SaaS safeguarding software to schools, has been acquired by Raptor Technologies (Raptor), a US provider of school safety software.
The acquisition was made following strategic investments in Raptor by Thoma Bravo and existing investor JMI Equity. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
CPOMS’s pioneering safeguarding platform enables primary and secondary school staff to log concerns relating to student wellbeing, while the CPOMS StaffSafe product strengthens governance relating to staff members and the CPOMS Engage module ensures alignment between schools and local authorities.
The
Events
12 November, 2026 – 8:00 am
12 November, 2026 – 5:00 pm
