Yobota has announced its partnership with Tranch, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) startup platform on a mission to deliver more flexible payments to fast-growing businesses. Founded in 2016, London-based core banking provider Yobota has built a fast, flexible, cloud-native core banking platform that allows clients to create and run financial products. The announcement follows news that Tranch has raised £3.5 million ($4.25 million) in pre-seed equity and debt funding to expand its B2B offering.

ACA Group (ACA) and Foreside Financial Group (Foreside), two of the leading providers of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions to clients in the financial services industry, have completed their merger. Foreside’s distribution business will be rebranded as ACA Foreside and will become a division under ACA. Genstar Capital (Genstar), a leading private equity firm, is the lead investor in the combined business. ACA’s current CEO Shvetank Shah will be the combined entity’s CEO.   The combined firm has over 1,250 employees and 18 offices globally and will serve over 6,300 clients.

Biosynth Carbosynth (Biosynth), a supplier of critical materials to the life science industry, has acquired Aalto Bio Reagents (Aalto), a developer and provider of biological materials to the in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) and vaccine development industry in the field of emerging disease. The acquisition represents a further milestone in Biosynth’s development, which broadens its capabilities and offering to the IVD industry. Aalto’s product portfolio includes an extensive range of proteins, antigens, antibodies, disease state human plasma and biospecimens used by the leading diagnostics and vaccine development companies around the world working on emerging diseases and disease variants.

OGCI Climate Investments (OGCI CI), a specialist decarbonisation investor, has participated in a Series D preferred stock financing in ZincFive, a producer of nickel-zinc (NiZn) battery-based solutions for immediate power applications. OGCI CI made the investment after ZincFive demonstrated the significant emissions reduction impact that could be achieved in commercial and industrial sectors using its proprietary technology.    The investment demonstrates the maturity of opportunities within OGCI CI’s impact investment mandate and their potential to deliver scaled impact. ZincFive becomes OGCI CI’s Catalyst Fund I 27th portfolio investment.

Cairngorm Capital Partners’ portfolio company, Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) has acquired Independent Roofing Supplies (IRS). Established in 2000, IRS is an independent roofing merchant in the South East, serving roofing contractors across London, Sussex and Kent. It provides a comprehensive range of products for pitched and flat roofs, from its three locations in Bexhill, Newhaven and Hove.

Cybersecurity training platform Hoxhunt, Finland’s fastest-growing SaaS company according to Deloitte, has raised $40 million in a Series B round led by New York-based Level Equity Management.

Transine Therapeutics (Transine), a biotechnology company developing a novel class of therapeutic RNAs based on its SINEUP platform technology, has raised £4.6 million in an additional seed funding round led by new investor Epidarex Capital. Existing investor the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) also participated in the round.   The new funds will enable Transine to further exploit its unique SINEUP platform and accelerate the development of its product portfolio, building on recent advances with its lead programmes in Central Nervous System and Ophthalmology indications with key in vivo data expected this year.

Synaptic, an alternative data insights start-up, has closed a $20 million Series B funding round led by Valor Equity Partners.

Private investment firm Sun European Partners has acquired TENAX, a manufacturer of chemical products, abrasives and tooling for the treatment of natural stone, engineered stone and ceramic slabs. Terms of the private transaction have not been disclosed.    An affiliate of Sun European has acquired a controlling stake in TENAX from the Bombana family who are reinvesting part of their proceeds from the sale.

Pelican Capital-backed Atech has acquired IMEX Technical Services Limited, a Swindon-based managed service provider. This is the first acquisition announced by Atech since securing an initial £10 million of funding from Pelican Capital in February 2022. Pelican invests in businesses to help support both organic growth, and acquisitions, with flexible capital to align with the aspirations of its portfolio.