Lauxera Capital Partners has acquired a €10 million majority stake in Matrix Requirements, a MedTech quality management software provider. The software editor helps medical device companies meet their growing need for quality and regulatory compliance in a world where the lines between medical devices and software are blurring.  In addition to more traditional MedTech clients, Matrix’s product portfolio is designed to serve the fast-growing “software as a medical device” field encompassing digital therapeutics, connected devices, and technologies leveraging machine learning/artificial intelligence. This is the seventh investment made by Lauxera Growth I, a growth and growth buy-out fund dedicated to investing

Blackford Capital (Blackford), a lower middle market private equity firm, has exited its investment in Grand Equipment Company (Grand Equipment or GEC) through a sale to Cognitive Capital Partners (Cognitive), a Chicago-based investment firm. Grand Equipment is a multi-line equipment dealer offering the sale and rental of a wide range of heavy construction equipment, both new and used, and provides parts and service to a diverse, resilient customer base, primarily in greater Grand Rapids and the broader Western Michigan market.  Blackford Capital acquired GEC, led by founder and CEO Jeff Grasman, through its Michigan Prosperity Fund in 2015. During its

Garnett Station Partners (Garnett Station), a New York-based investment firm, has made a growth investment intWoof Gang Bakery & Grooming (Woof Gang). Founded in 2007, by Paul and Cara Allen, Woof Gang is a pet services and specialty retail franchisor with more than 200 locations open or under development across 18 states.  Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

3i Group (3i) is to invest in Digital Barriers, a provider of IoVT (Internet of Video Things) surveillance and security products. 3i is investing alongside existing investor, Volpi Capital LLP, who will maintain a minority stake in the business.   Headquartered in the UK with offices across the US and Europe, Digital Barriers’ video compression technology allows live streaming over low-bandwidth environments, including cellular body worn cameras, and an ever growing set of commercial applications.    The partnership with 3i will enable Digital Barriers to accelerate its international expansion, invest further in its unique technology, significantly grow its go-to-market capabilities

Insurtech startup BirdsEyeView has closed a seed funding round led by SFC Capital, with the funds matched by the European Space Agency (ESA). BirdsEyeView uses satellite data to structure insurance solutions for severe weather. The funding will be used to grow the team, further develop BirdsEyeView’s tech and match ESA funding.  Parametric insurance is often used by big companies to protect their businesses against natural disasters and severe weather events, but these have so far not been an option for SMEs, and distribution strategies have been poor. BirdsEyeView structures weather-based events insurance products using its proprietary algorithmic underwriting engine, RAPTOR,

Indoor Robotics, an indoor drone technology company that recently launched Tando drone, has closed a $15 million Series A funding round led by Pitango.

Back2Work Group, a UK-based adult learning and pre-employment training provider backed by private equity investor Palatine, has acquired Just IT Training, a provider of IT and digital apprenticeships and skills ‘boot camps’, based in London. Manchester-based Back2Work secured significant investment from Palatine’s Impact fund in late 2020 and Just IT Training represents its first strategic acquisition in the training sector.   Founded in 2001 by Simon Perriton, Just IT Training works with clients such as Sainsbury’s, National Rail, Google, and public sector organisations, such as the NHS and Bank of England. With annual revenues of more than £8 million, the