Foresight Group announces the £1.5m growth capital investment into Inovo Robotics Limited on behalf of the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund.

Inovo is developing a low-cost collaborative robot (“cobot”) that can integrate into existing workforce processes. Inovo’s modular design means the cobot can be easily adapted to varying customer requirements.

Henry Wood and Jonathan Cheung, previously senior engineers at Northrop Grumman, founded Inovo in 2016. Both founders possess deep technical expertise and experience of delivering complex engineering development projects and, between them, they have more than 30 years of combined experience in robotics and engineering.

Oxford Capital would like to extend an invitation to Angelnews investors to their Future of Mobility Investment Showcase on Thursday 15^th November at the IET in London. It is free to join and you can register here: https://oxcp.com/showcase

The £4.75bn transport sector is undergoing one of the largest and most radical fluctuations in its history. The way people and goods travel from point A to B is changing, driven by converging technologies and social trends, resulting in the advent of self-driving cars and electric vehicles, which are smart and connected into our day to day lives.

 
Over the last year Oxford Capital have been at the forefront of investing into this sector and are now proud to showcase some of the companies leading the way in software and artificial intelligence used in.

Companies presenting will include Latent Logic, UltraSoC and Snap. 

Comment by Mark Browridge, Director General of EISA

The Modern Industrial Strategy and its varying facets serve as a vital vein of progression for the nation’s network of self-start businesses. Pockets of innovation and entrepreneurial prowess in new-age sectors extend well beyond the capital, the traditional dominance of sectors such as Manufacturing in the Midlands, Financial Services in London and Technology and Media in London and the South East are by no means the complete picture.

Foresight Group has announced a £1.7 million investment from the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund into FreeFlow Technologies Limited.

FreeFlow is developing a patented e-bike system technology that promises to be lightweight and compact, providing a higher power density than existing solutions. The Company’s novel design will improve the ride experience and bike aesthetics as it can be packaged within the bicycle frame. The Company has additionally developed an innovative mechanical transmission system for fixed wheel bikes that allows the rider to freewheel, whilst retaining the smooth ride quality of fixed wheel.

As part of the investment, Martin McCourt, former CEO of Dyson, will join as Chairman. Martin has extensive industry experience and is Chairman to a variety of companies from electrical heating to the hospitality sector. Neil Edwards, who was Group Operations Director at Dyson for 5 years will join as CTO and become a director.

By Martin Sherwood, Enterprise Investment Partners

If you are considering investing in the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) this year, here are a few tips to bear in mind. The tax benefits of SEIS are very attractive, but there are a few pitfalls you need to avoid.

Deepbridge Capital has confirmed its Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) and Seed EIS (SEIS)  product range for the 2018/19 tax year.

Paragraf, the graphene technology development company, has rapidly followed its seed investment of £2.9m, announced in May 2018, with the opening of a groundbreaking, new facility north of Cambridge, UK. The site represents a turning point for graphene-based technologies, enabling Paragraf to drive large-scale development of mass-market, graphene-based electronic devices. 

Paragraf’s proprietary production technique overcomes the quality, contamination and reproducibility barriers faced by other graphene production methods. The customised equipment at the Cambridge facility will allow Paragraf to convert its cutting edge laboratory research into novel products, including next generation sensors, solid state electronics and energy storage cells.

Kuber Ventures has added two new SEIS funds to its business platform, accompanied by new iterations of two existing funds, further enhancing the fund range available.  Kuber has also appointed a new non-executive Chairman David Moss. 

Martin Sherwood, a partner at Enterprise Investment Partners, highlights the attractions of SEIS investments in light of the recent changes to EIS rules.

The North East Development Capital Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Maven Capital Partners, has completed its first deal investing £350,000 in Sunderland-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, Rokshaw Ltd.

Approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Rokshaw is a highly accredited Pharmaceutical Specials Manufacturer and NHS accredited Unlicensed Medicines Supplier.

By Belinda Thomas, a Partner at Triple Point, whose recently launched Impact EIS will offer investors a portfolio of fast-growing companies across four key sectors – the environment, health, inequality and children and young people.

By Christian Elmes, Enterprise Investment Partners

The UK’s tax-efficient investment landscape is constantly evolving, and the past year has seen some significant changes: new rules in the EIS sector, more emphasis on investment-led strategies, and greater scrutiny of investment activity and dealflow.