A venture capital firm focused on supporting direct to consumer (DTC) entrepreneurs, Fearless Adventures, has invested a significant six figure sum in Manchester-based women’s football e-commerce business, Foudys.

Finalrentals, a Cardiff-based global online car rental web-application business has secured the backing of a syndicate of four business angels led by lead investor Eamon Tuhami and venture capital company Fuel Ventures. The six-figure investment has been matched by the Development Bank of Wales’ Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund.

Eco-friendly clothing care business, Clothes Doctor, has secured £1million of investment to fuel growth of its business, as consumer demand increases for ways to maintain a sustainable wardrobe and prolong the life of loved fashion items. The investment, led by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), also saw Joanna Jensen, founder of Child’s Farm, Founders Factory, FSE Angel Network and existing private investors join the funding round. 

GrandNanny, a new intergenerational childcare service supporting mature job seekers into work and providing vital childcare for working parents, has closed its pre-seed round at £400,000.

A syndicate of nine business angels has joined the Development Bank of Wales and M-SParc in backing entrepreneur Anna Roberts as she prepares to launch Explorage, an online solution for global storage providers and users.

Pembroke VCT has invested £1.5 million, alongside a number of angel investors, into accessible womenswear brand Ro&Zo to drive its direct to consumer offering and expand the business. The deal was managed by strategic advisory firm finnCap.

Ro&Zo is a female-founded brand made by women, for women. Established by co-founders Rosie Bowden and Zoe de Abreu in the aftermath of the pandemic to fill a gap in the market left by the closures of a series of major high street brands, with CEO Rachel Heather heading up the business. Already stocked by major retailers including Next and John Lewis, Ro&Zo create responsible, trend-led pieces for women in sizes 6 - 20, leveraging decades of manufacturing experience with a strong focus on quality. 

Pembroke VCT plc, the venture capital trust focused on backing early-stage businesses led by exceptional founders and management teams, has invested £1 million into VIEVE, the aspirational and purposeful makeup brand transforming the cosmetic landscape, as part of a £5.5 million Series A round. Investing alongside Pembroke VCT are Venrex and Samos (the early stage investors in Charlotte Tilbury), Active Partners and business angels. 

TRIB3, the fast-growing global boutique fitness franchise, has seen significant further investment from its board-level backers to expedite its expansion across the world. Non-Executive Director, Jordy Kool, has considerably increased his stake in the organisation through his investment house, Iron Asset Management, after partnering with the brand in summer 2021 and joining the group board in an advisor capacity.

Koolen Industries, the clean energy investor headed by Kees Koolen, has invested in ParkBee, the leading tech platform for off-street parking in Europe. Other investors are a number of leading (tech) entrepreneurs and investors, as well existing shareholders. Total funding to ParkBee amounts to EUR 30m.

Wild Cosmetics, a design-led personal care start-up who pioneered the UK’s first plastic-free refillable deodorant in 2019 has closed £5m from existing investors to double down on its mission to remove single-use-plastics and unnecessary chemicals from everyday bathroom routines.

The team behind the UK’s first female urinal have raised £250,000 in their first funding round, as they strive to pioneer ‘pee-equality’ for women and make long queues for the ladies a thing of the past.  University of Bristol graduates Amber Probyn, 23, and Hazel McShane, 25, say their flatpack portable urinals made of recycled sea plastics are six times faster to use and produce 98% less carbon than traditional portable toilets.

REHAUS, a marketplace dedicated to matching pre-owned designer furniture with new owners, has announced the launch of its consumer seller platform. REHAUS removes the hassle usually associated with pre-owned furniture online, offering a superior experience for both buyers and sellers. This includes full provenance, direct communication and next day delivery for buyers as well as collection, storage and superior merchandising for sellers.