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. 

Bluegem Capital Partners, the European mid-market fund focused on consumer brands,has announced the acquisition of Pool Service, the leading Italian professional hair care group and owner of the iconic Medavita brand, from the private equity house Accord Management and the Cattaneo family. 

BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor in growing businesses, has invested £6.25m into Christopher Ward, the Maidenhead-based premium British watch brand, to accelerate growth.  Founded in 2005 by Mike France, Chris Ward and Peter Ellis, Christopher Ward has grown to become the UK’s leading direct-to-consumer watch brand, with customers in more than 100 countries.  Christopher Ward creates high-quality timepieces that combine British style and innovation with Swiss watchmaking skills. The brand specialises in mechanical and quartz watches, that are designed in the UK and manufactured in the home of horology, Biel, Switzerland.

Bluegem II LP, a European mid-market fund focused on consumer brands, exited from its participation in Liberty, the British iconic brand and flagship store, in a secondary recapitalisation led by Glendower Capital, a global secondary private equity manager.

The transaction valuing the company at ca. GBP 300 million enterprise value reflects the work that Bluegem started nine years ago to transform Liberty from a loss-making department store into a vibrant brand and an iconic destination for the most discerning customers in London.