Groovy UK Limited, a wholesale and giftware business, has received a £250,000 loan facility from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), managed by Maven Capital Partners.

The business is a developer, wholesaler and distributer of giftware products and will use the funding to accelerate the company’s growth plans and invest in its product portfolio and licensing agreements. 

Groovy sources and designs hard-to-get giftware products and supply them to major high street and online retailers. With experience in both designing and manufacturing a mix of original products, Groovy’s clients include the likes of Argos and Harrods. 

Product Guru, an online platform described as ‘Tinder for retail buyers and product suppliers’, has secured a £300,000 investment.

The Scottish company has received financial backing from Asia-based retail technology investor Belmond Capital, Scottish retailer Scotmid and Scottish Enterprise.

Buyers from high street retailers including John Lewis, Tesco and TK Maxx have already signed up to use the technology platform, which allows their buyers to find new products for their shelves.

Maven Capital Partners, has led a £500,000 investment in back & posture care product specialist, Handsome Limited. A total of £250,000 was invested by NPIF – Maven Equity Finance, managed by Maven and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, and £250,000 provided by the GMC Fund, along with the company’s lead China manufacturing partner.. The funding will allow the company to execute its ambitious marketing strategy to expand overseas, invest in product development and will create five new jobs in the region.

An on-demand removals marketplace aiming to bring on-demand technology to the removals and deliveries sector has secured investment from leading London-based VC fund, Fuel Ventures.

Weengs, a smart logistics startup that partners with ecommerce businesses to get online orders to their customers reliably and efficiently, has secured £6.5m in Series A funding. The investment round was led by venture capital firm Oxford Capital and was followed on by Weeng’s seed investors who include Local Globe, Cherry Ventures and Venture Friends. Weengs is using the funding to invest heavily in automation and technology to supercharge their operations to be able to fulfil more than 15,000 ecommerce orders per day.

It’s been serving the community of St Clears with traditional, tasty fish and chips for more than 50 years.  And now Neil’s Fish and Chip shop has new owners Ricky and Hanna Jones who, thanks to a loan from Development Bank of Wales, will continue to ensure that the locals and tourists can enjoy top quality fish and chips.

An adventure skin care start-up Toddle, based in Wrexham, will be launching its child-friendly skin care products this summer following a £200,000 equity investment.

Toddle, which is the brainchild of former RAF officer Hannah Saunders, has secured £150,000 through Angels Invest Wales, the business angel network launched by the Development Bank of Wales last year.

The remaining £50,000 came after Toddle won ‘Pitch of the Day’ at Pitch It Wales, a Dragons’ Den style competition run in partnership between Inspire Wales and BeTheSpark.

Award-winning Mexican quick-service chain Chilango is celebrating one of the most popular alternative investment offers of recent times.  The firm’s Burrito Bond 2^TM, launched in October, quickly smashed its initial £1m target, with over £3.7m invested as the offer closed last Friday; this comfortably surpasses the £2.1m raised by the original Burrito Bond in 2014.

Chelverton Asset Management Limited, a specialist investor in sub-FTSE 100 quoted equities and unquoted SMEs, has confirmed a further investment in VeloVixen, the UK’s leading online retailer of and premier site for female-specific cycling apparel and accessories; VeloVixen has become the ‘go-to’ destination for the latest news, views, hints and tips for female cycling enthusiasts.

Shedul.com, the world’s fastest growing booking platform for salons and spas, has announced a Series B investment of $20 million, valuing the company at $105 million. The round was led by Partech, an investment firm with hubs in Paris, San Francisco, and Berlin, along with participation from Berlin-based Target Global, Dubai-based BECO Capital, and New York-based FJ Labs.

The commercial magic of the Spice Girls remains as strong as ever, as Emma Bunton’s ethical baby product business Kit & Kin, was responsible for the fastest raise in Angel Investment Network’s (AIN) 14 year history. It achieved its target of £420,000 in just one week on the UK’s largest online platform connecting start-up businesses with investors.

AIN has revealed more than £1m was offered in total for her eco-friendly nappies, wipes and skincare business but Kit & Kin decided to only accept £420k at this time, an amount which included a key strategic investor.

Mobility aids specialist Snowdrop Independent Living has new owners after a management buyout (MBO) team was supported by the Development Bank of Wales with a £500,000 equity investment.  The business specialises as a retailer and distributor of mobility aids, including stair lifts and orthopaedic chairs, and was founded 20 years ago by Peter O’Shea.