Airponix, an agri-tech company providing systems that allow the growth of high-quality produce with no soil, 95% less water and lower energy consumption, has received investment from four Henley Business Angels members. Their investment contributes towards £255,000 that has already been raised by the Board and current shareholders. 

Fantix, a no-code federated learning infrastructure that allows companies to collaborate on training and building AI models and without sharing user data, has closed its first investment round of $1.6 million. The funds raised will be used to continue the development of the technology.

Shop Circle, a scale-up focused on the creation and acquisition of e-commerce applications and tools which was founded in 2021 in London by entrepreneurs Luca Cartechini and Gian Maria Gramondi, has raised funding from a number of VC and angel investors.

Covesta has launched its new digital platform which enables different angel groups to collaborate on, and easily manage, startup investments.

Developed by angel investors at the 100 plus member Richmond Hill Club (RHC), Covesta solves the problems faced by so many in the sector – such as cumbersome administration, fragmented communications, limited deal access, and lack of transparency.

Artus Air Limited has raised a multi-million-pound investment from BGF and leading venture capital firm Par Equity.

Artus designs and sells game-changing HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units for buildings, with its innovative, elegant design significantly reducing carbon emissions—both by using fewer materials and being more efficient to operate.

Leading pet health-tech platform company VidiVet Limited has raised a six-figure investment from River Capital managed fund:AI.

Despite the number of women starting businesses in the UK rising to record levels, female-led startups continue to receive just a fraction of the equity investment male-led companies do, according to a new report published by The Entrepreneurs Network in partnership with Barclays. 

FINLAND: Finnish Earth observation company Kuva Space has successfully raised €16.6M in funding. The funding round was led by existing investors Voima Ventures and Nordic Foodtech VC, with Singapore-based Earth VC also participating. The round also includes Finnish private investors through a Finland-based growth funding initiative with Springvest and non-equity funding from Business Finland.

Green Angel Ventures has completed an investment in PES Technologies, which claims to be "The Future of Soil Health Measurement".  

San Diego, USA: Digital health startup CARI Health has been awarded an SBIR Fast Track grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to help it bring the world’s first wearable medication monitor to market. CARI Health is eligible for up to $2.8M over three years as project milestones are successfully completed within Phase I and Phase II portions of the grant. The award funding will go toward supporting product development and conducting human clinical studies for CARI Health’s wearable remote medication monitoring device.

For the second consecutive year, the United Arab Emirates has participated in CEATEC Japan 2023, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing innovation, technology, and fostering international business partnerships. This year's participation comes after a successful engagement in 2022 that led to significant collaborations between UAE and Japanese companies.

Fox Robotics Ltd, in collaboration with the University of Surrey and the Agri-EPI Centre, along with three prominent farms – MA & MP Stockwell Barnsmuir Farm in Scotland, Lutton Farm in Peterborough, and Secretts Farm in Surrey – has been awarded a grant of £998,639 for their ground-breaking FLEXBOT project, from DEFRA and Innovate UK.