Managers
Kuano.ai, a software platform for rapid, cost effective quantum modelling of enzymes, has raised GBP1 million in seed funding from ACF Investors, o2h Ventures and a syndicate of Cambridge-based angel investors.
The funding will accelerate the company’s growth as it moves further towards commercialisation.
Kuano combines quantum physics, artificial intelligence (AI) and medicinal chemistry in a unique approach to transforming the discovery of therapeutics focused on enzyme inhibition. Enzymes represent the largest class of drug targets, with over USD40 billion of pharmaceutical sales attributable to small molecule inhibitors of enzymes. The market is seeing considerable demand for enzyme inhibitors, which
Carey Olsen’s corporate team in Jersey has advised UK-based independent private equity firm Ventiga Capital Partners on the acquisition and funding for a combined group created through the merger of Airpas Aviation and FuelPlus.
The merger sees Airpas Aviation, the leader in cost management for airport, ground handling and navigation charges join with FuelPlus, the industry leader in fuel administration and cost management for airlines.
Headquartered in Germany, Airpas and FuelPlus have, between them, 40 years of experience in the aviation industry, serving 103 airlines across 27 countries and four continents. They annually manage more than USD76 billion of
Listed private equity and infrastructure investment manager Foresight Group, has made a GBP1.5 million follow-on investment in portfolio company Biotherapy Services Ltd (BTS), a pharmaceutical biotech company.
The funds will be used to support the clinical development of RAPIDTM Biodynamic Haematogel, currently in phase 2b/3 clinical trials in the treatment of DFUs.
Based in Windsor, BTS was co-founded in 2013, specialising in autologous regenerative techniques. It has developed a wound care treatment with published results in healing severe DFUs, resulting in 13 of 15 patients (86.7 per cent) at high risk of limb loss avoiding amputation2. Originally marketed as a
London-based fintech firms have already raised more VC investment in the first six months of 2021 than any other year, according to new research from Dealroom.co and London & Partners.
London’s strong performance has also helped to drive record levels of investment into Europe’s fintech sector, with European fintech firms raising USD13.9 billion, up 51 per cent on full year 2020 investment levels. London was at the heart of this growth, with its fintech firms accounting for over a third of all European fintech funding.
The bumper start to the year for VC funding sees the UK capital further cement
Tise, an Oslo-headquartered social platform which enables environmentally conscious consumers to exchange second-hand items such as clothes, accessories, homeware, and tech, has raised USD11 million in funding.
The funding, which comes just six months after the company raised USD7 million, was led by VNV Global ), a Swedish investment firm which has previously led rounds for companies including Avito (the most popular classifieds site in Russia), scooter-sharing company, VOI, and BlaBlaCar, the leading long-distance carpooling service globally. Therese Angel will be joining the Tise board on behalf of VNV.
Tise is revolutionising the way consumers – or “Tisers” – engage
Pan-European mid-market private equity firm Stirling Square Capital has acquired Sustainable Agro Solutions (SAS) in a primary transaction.
Founded in 1989, SAS has established itself as a leading developer and producer of biostimulants, soil and water improvers, defence activators, and specialty plant nutrition solutions for the agricultural sector. Headquartered in Lleida (Spain), the company is present in 90 countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Sustainability is at SAS’s core. This is evidenced from both the product offering, which is respectful of the environment, and allows farmers to maximise yields while minimising soil depletion, water consumption and pesticide
Micropep technologies (Micropep), an agricultural biotech company developing breakthrough peptide-based biological products for agriculture, has raised EUR8.5 million (USD10 million) in an oversubscribed Series A investment led by new investor Supernova Invest with participation from FMC Ventures, and existing investors Sofinnova Partners and IRDI Capital Investissement.
Based in Toulouse, France, Micropep was spun out from Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and Toulouse University in 2016, a centre of excellence for AgriTech. The company has developed a proprietary technology to precisely enhance plant traits without altering DNA by spraying “miPEPs”, a unique family of natural peptides regulating plant microRNAs.
Eurazeo has entered into exclusive negotiations with the French infrastructure investor InfraVia for the sale of its 41 per cent stake in Grandir, an operator of nurseries and schools in France, Europe and North America. The closing of the deal is expected in the coming months.
Through the sale of its Grandir stake, Eurazeo is set to earn a 2.0x return on its initial investment, thanks to the company’s strong growth and international expansion between 2016 and 2021.
Over the last five years, Eurazeo’s mid-large buyout professionals have worked alongside Jean-Emmanuel Rodocanachi and his management team, bringing their expertise
Blockpit, a specialist in the development of legally compliant and audited tax reports for the treatment of crypto assets, has closed its USD10 million Series A funding round.
The capital increase comes from no less than five internationally renowned investors from the FinTech and blockchain sectors. Among others, those venture capital firms are or were also invested in Coinbase and the blockchain protocols Ripple, 1Inch, Near, and Polkadot. The capital increase is intended to further develop Cryptotax, a tax reporting software developed in-house and regularly audited by a Big Four auditing firm. Another goal of the investment is to make
BGF has exited its investment in business travel management company Click Travel. The business has been acquired by global travel management platform, TravelPerk.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Click Travel, is one of the UK’s fastest growing travel management companies. Its online booking platform reduces the cost and complexity of booking travel for their 2,000 business clients, including Five Guys, Red Bull and Talk Talk.
BGF backed Click Travel with a multi-million-pound investment in 2018 to support the business in delivering its vision for the future of travel management.
TravelPerk is a next-generation business travel platform, pioneering the future
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