A fast-growing clothing brand with a mission to become the ‘Levi’s of the women’s outdoorwear market’ has raised £350,000 in a funding round led by Dow Schofield Watts Angels (DSW Angels), the business angel network.

ACAI Activewear was started by husband and wife team Joe and Kasia Bromley with a sewing machine on their kitchen table. The funding will allow it to expand its product range and keep pace with rising demand.

ACAI’s skinny trousers have proved popular with audiences ranging from dog walkers, horse riders and outdoors enthusiasts to animal workers and other professionals. Kasia, who moved from Poland to study fashion at Edinburgh College of Art and worked at couture houses including Alexander McQueen, came up with the idea while designing for a cycling wear company.

Lookiero, the online personal shopping service for clothes and accessories, has closed a $19 million funding round led by venture capital fund MMC Ventures with support from existing investor All Iron Ventures, and new investors Bonsai Partners, 10x and Santander Smart. The funding will allow the company to continue its international expansion and strengthen its leadership position within its main markets: Spain, France and the UK.

Wagonex Limited, the car subscription marketplace platform is delighted to announce a significant equity funding round as it looks to bolster growth in the U.K. and beyond.

The investment round was led by the Development Bank of Wales technology ventures team co-investing with US investors and UK-based angels with a final close to complete after the summer.

Wagonex has been a leading name in vehicle subscriptions since its inception and now works closely with several global vehicle manufacturers.

A businesswoman has achieved her dream of opening a shop in Cardiff to sell clothes that combine fashion with traditional spiritual values with the help of a loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

Eric Tveter, former Central Europe CEO of Liberty Global, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of London-based start up Veloce Esports.

Tveter’s investment is part of Veloce’s ‘Angel’ funding round, which has now closed with further announcements due shortly. His stake increases the valuation of the multi-million pound company as it now proceeds to Series A funding.

The rapidly growing esports organisation, which officially launched in June 2018, has already claimed a number of successes in its short history as the group has established itself as the number one racing esports viewership network in the world, with a monthly audience of over 35 million.

The founders of a specialist price comparison website have secured £500,000 of seed-stage investment and are now ready to disrupt the UK car leasing market.  Moneyshake.com helps people find the best lease deals quickly by comparing prices from the UK’s leading providers.  The £500,000 equity investment has been provided by the Development Bank of Wales and serial entrepreneur Tim Scholes, a private investor and experienced strategy professional.

London-based start-up Koru Kids, has raised £10 million from its Series A round led by Atomico.

The round also featured participation from AlbionVC, Forward Partners, Samos, JamJar, Rocket Internet’s Global Founders Capital and 7Percent. To date the company has raised £14.1 million in funding.

Koru Kids helps parents find and manage childcare. The new investment will be used to scale the platform.

Maven Capital Partners has led a £750,000 equity investment into innovative ecommerce platform, Aero Commerce Ltd.

A total of £550,000 was provided via the North East Development Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Maven, £200,000 was provided by existing shareholders in this round taking the total investment to date to over £1m. The funding will enable Aero to invest in its sales and marketing activities and open an office in Newcastle. This will also allow the business to create a number of new roles and deliver on its ambitious expansion plans, while continuing to roll out several exciting product enhancements.

Duke & Dexter (D+D), an award-winning footwear label has secured a £2m investment from NVM Private Equity to continue disrupting the men’s footwear market and build its global community of fans. Since launching in 2014 D+D have received international recognition, selling to over 120 countries and working with reputable international retailers including Harrods,  Selfridges, the KaDeWe Group and Level Shoes.

A new indoor climbing centre has opened in the old boathouse in Llandudno, thanks to a £50,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

Blackfinch Ventures has invested £540,000 into innovate start-up Kokoon. The London based company has developed the world’s first sleep aiding headphones, allowing customers to take control of their sleep. Kokoon has developed noise cancelling headphones that include bio-sensors, measuring when the wearer falls asleep.  The product is specifically designed to help the customer sleep using its relaxing audio and soundscapes. The connected app, Kokoon Relax, monitors and tracks the users’ sleep journey, providing suggested audio that is specifically designed to protect the user from disturbances throughout the night.

Green Angel Syndicate has invested in BuyMeOnce, the destination website for long lasting products of all sorts, as part of its £550,000 funding round.