By Siobhan Clarke, Episode 1  Ventures

Over a series of blogs, Episodde 1 is focusing on the Seed to Series A step of GTM and sharing what it means to think through the customer experience. This is the 4th article in the series. 

By Matthew Toms, Investment Manager at Heartwood Investment Management

Offering insight into UK investment markets feels like an impossible task, given the fluidity of the Brexit situation and ongoing political volatility. Instead then, let’s focus on a couple of the longer-term issues in UK markets facing investors today. First, the global nature of UK equities; second, the usefulness (or otherwise) of UK government bonds.

CIL, the leading management consultancy, has unveiled its annual State of the Nation Survey of management teams, private equity investors, debt providers and advisors in the UK. The findings show a slight improvement in sentiment about the economic outlook for the UK in the short term (next 18-24 months) with 18% of respondents positive and 34% neutral, compared to 16% and 30% respectively at the same time last year.

Pitch@Palace has hosted its tenth UK Event at Buckingham Palace, announcing BioSURE as the winner, with Stasher and Lilypads as the runners up after competing against thirty nine other finalists. On The Tools secured the title of Pitch@Palace People’s Choice Award winner after a public vote.

The Real Lettings Property Fund² (RLPF²), managed by social impact investment company Resonance and homelessness charity St Mungo’s, has received further investments of £15m each from the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Westminster. The Fund purchases homes around the capital for people affected by homelessness, helping them move on with their lives and into independent living. 

The RLPF² is the second fund from Resonance that is building a residential property portfolio in Greater London.  There is a third Fund, the National Homelessness Property Fund, which purchases homes elsewhere across the UK.  With this latest investment the Resonance homelessness funds under management have now grown to more than £190m providing almost 789 homes nationwide, housing thousands of people who are homeless or vulnerable to homelessness over the life of the Funds.

Albion Capital, the leading independent investment manager, has invested £5 million in The Evewell, a fully-integrated centre of medical excellence dedicated to caring for and protecting all aspects of fertility and gynaecological health.  The centre, which opened on Harley Street in London this month, focuses on both gynaecology and reproductive health to ensure that fertility patients receive the most appropriate treatment and advice to maximise their prospects of conceiving. It offers a fully integrated suite of women’s health services that differentiates it from other clinics. The clinic is equipped with the latest technologies for screening and treatment, and is set in a discreet and luxurious environment that provides a best-in-class service.

CEO of Private investment house IW Capital, Luke Davis, comments on the introduction of a new EIS fund that focuses on knowledge intensive SMEs.

Maven Capital Partners and the Development Bank of Wales have confirmed a £3 million equity investment in Motokiki, Britain’s first truly independent vehicle tyre comparison website.

The investment of £1.5 million by each funder will support Motokiki’s drive to develop new strategic partners, and fund sales and marketing initiatives to raise awareness of the brand and grow its customer base.

Motokiki’s unique comparison engine will provide a whole of market solution, comparing the price of tyres from a large range of manufacturers and suppliers, providing consumers with an impartial comparison across a wide range of retailers. Existing UK websites that provide tyre pricing information, in practice only list prices based on their own stock.

Braham and Murray Good Hemp, the plant based food and drink consumer brand which manufactures consumer brand products from hemp seed, including an allergen free milk alternative, has announced the appointment of Jeremy Schwartz as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

Montezuma’s, a company founded by Helen and Simon Pattinson in 2000, has received investment from Edinburgh-based private equity firm Inverleith LLP. The specialist consumer brands investor has acquired a majority in the Company from the founders.

Montezuma’s has established itself as one of the largest leading independent British manufacturers of premium artisanal chocolate. Montezuma’s manufactures chocolate bars, truffles and gifting products, runs a subscription ‘Chocolate Club’ and has retail stores in the south-east of England and London. Founded by husband and wife team, Helen and Simon Pattinson, with a chocolate shop in Brighton eighteen years ago, the Company has grown into a leading independent player in the premium UK chocolate market.

A constant stream of funding success stories in the media, and the rise of more down to earth and approachable crowdfunding platforms, suggests it has never been easier to raise investment for your business. However, a recent report from the HM Treasury revealed that only 1 in 10 businesses secure seed funding in the UK and, despite shaking up the market, crowdfunding is not much easier with around a 63 percent success rate.

The term resilience has become synonymous for SMEs that can weather Brexit - but what does this actually mean in the context of one of the most seismic events to effect the UK economy and private sector? Jenny Tooth, CEO of the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) comments.