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Spark RE Technologies has closed a USD5 million Series A investment round led by BDC Capital and Pender Ventures.  Spark was founded with the purpose of streamlining the entire sales, marketing, and management process for real estate developers. Today, Spark is the fastest growing and only comprehensive sales transaction platform in the new development space. “This is a huge step for both Spark, and the industry. From day one, we have always strived to provide tangible value to our clients. As a direct result, we’ve seen developers sell out projects 3x faster, simply by implementing our platform. Another advantage is
The Craftory, a global investment house focused exclusively on championing the world’s boldest, mission-driven consumer brands has invested USD60 million in Freddie’s Flowers.  The progressive flower box subscription brand intends to use the funds to support the company’s rapid growth and international expansion, enhance its range of products and hire new talent, all whilst amplifying its positive impact. Freddie’s Flowers aligns perfectly with The Craftory’s bold vision to deliver best-in-class consumer goods that champion sustainability and challenge their category, benefitting both the planet and society. This new partnership is intended to disrupt the industry status quo and will see The
Patchwork Health, a healthcare staffing platform founded by doctors, has raised GBP3.5 million in a funding round led by Praetura Ventures and BMJ New Ventures. Founded in 2016 by NHS doctors Anas Nader and Jing Ouyang, Patchwork Health’s workforce technology and services are used by over 70 NHS sites to fill vacant shifts and offer staff flexible working, helping to stem the tide of clinicians leaving the health service due to burnout and poor work-life balance. The NHS currently has 90,000 vacancies and one -in-fove staff are considering quitting due to rising levels of stress and exhaustion. Their services have
A medtech company, which has developed a new biomaterial used for 3D printing medical implants, has completed a GBP1.6 million funding round. The investment into Nottingham-based 4D Biomaterials was led by DSW Ventures and backed by the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, Mercia’s own funds, and existing investor SFC Capital.   The funding will be used to develop a range of products through partnerships with medical device companies and expand its team with the creation of five new jobs at its premises in MediCity.  
Just two weeks after its global launch, the Automotive Transformation Group has completed the acquisition of automotive industry software supplier SalesMaster. Connecting consumers and vehicles, automotive ecommerce has thrived and accelerated in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many dealerships were closed around the globe. Having a strong online retail presence, from taking online deposits all the way through to fully end-to-end transactions, has become a prerequisite, along with seamless and integrated back office systems. The Automotive Transformation Group came to market earlier this month to drive such digitalisation even further, by revolutionising the entire vehicle sales process, with a
Westbridge portfolio company APEM Ltd has completed its first acquisition since receiving investment from the private equity firm in March 2019 to support a management buyout. Following significant investment in support functions and material organic growth over the past 18 months, APEM has created a strong platform to support its planned buy and build strategy. Its acquisition of Woodrow, an environmental and sustainability consultancy based in County Sligo, Ireland will extend its geographic reach and expand its service offering. Headquartered in Manchester, APEM employs over 200 staff in 12 locations and provides environmental consultancy to public and private sector organisations
Pollen Street Capital and DBAY Advisors have confirmed that the previously-announced recommended offer for Proactis Holdings Plc (Proactis) has been accepted by a majority of shareholders, and as a result the Company has now been acquired by Cafe Bidco Limited and will be de-listed from the AIM sub-market of the London Stock Exchange.
Hedgehog Markets, a decentralised prediction markets platform built on the Solana blockchain, has raised USD3.5 million in a seed funding round.  Investors include prominent venture and digital asset firms Reciprocal Ventures, Republic Labs, Alameda Research, Divergence Ventures, MGNR, and Manna. Hedgehog also received a grant from the Solana Foundation. Hedgehog will use the new funding to propel its mainnet launch (the platform is currently in open beta), bring on additional key talent, and continue reaching development milestones. Not only will Hedgehog have evolved from idea to live product in less than a year, but it will also be the first
Galway Sustainable Capital (GSC) has entered into a new, broad-based funding partnership with funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management,  (Oaktree).  Under the terms of the deal, GSC secured a minority equity investment and closed a new, multi-year, multi-tranche credit facility with Oaktree. GSC is private equity backed by lead investor Cordillera Investment Partners. GSC was founded in 2020 by three experienced ESG professionals who collectively bring over 50 years of expertise in structured finance, sustainable infrastructure, and yield-oriented investments. GSC provides flexible, full stack debt and equity capital solutions to support companies, developers and sponsors that are accelerating the transition
Avedon Capital Partners is to support staffing agency Pro Industry in its ambitious growth path.  Together with its new partner Avedon, Pro Industry aims to accelerate its organic growth by opening new locations in The Netherlands and Belgium and investing in digitization. The partnership will take place subject to the approval of the competition authorities.    Pro Industry focuses on staffing scarce operator profiles to industrial and manufacturing customers in various end verticals, amongst others pharma, food processing and chemical. The company has over last decade developed in-depth knowledge of its customers’ end-markets and is able to effectively find and

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