A Leeds-based tech company whose advanced remote working software is used by the Home Office and the NHS has raised £400,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), and angel investors.

London-based Period care and sexual health brand Here We Flo has raised £1.7m in an angel funding round, supported by Angel Investment Network, the world’s largest online angel investment platform. 

Here We Flo’s mission is ‘shamelessly natural care for life’s messiest moments’. The brand intends to challenge, shame and disrupt the period, bladder and sexual wellness markets with organic and vegan products. 

Every material is sourced with sustainability in mind and free of any dyes, pesticides, petroleum plastics and other contaminants that may impact health. The product list includes FLO Period Care, glo Sensitive Bladder Care and XO! Sexual Wellness.

In light of the recent Theronos fraud case, as reported in the Times this weekend, James Murdoch considers the question of whether crowdfunding platforms have a particular issue with the quality of investment opportunities compared to 'normal' angel investing, or whether it is just a difference in the visibility of failure.

The British Business Bank’s second annual Nations and Regions Tracker, published today, finds usage of external finance has fallen overall across the UK, as nine out of the twelve regions saw a drop in use of small business finance. In addition, 38% of smaller businesses were using external finance in the second quarter of 2022, down seven percentage points from 45% a year earlier. Core debt products remain the most used and widely available across the UK nations and regions.

Market Dynamics, a pioneering fintech start-up on a mission to democratise systematic trading for retail financial traders, has moved its operations to Brigantine Place, Cardiff following equity investment from the Development Bank of Wales.

Two student start-ups supported by the University’s B-Elevate incubator have been honoured by their founders’ inclusion in a prestigious listing of UK-based women shaping the future of business.  

Extend Robotics, a business that has developed an immersive software interface which allows the use of consumer virtual-reality headset to interact with a robot across the internet in real-time, has received investment from several Henley Business Angels members and guests, contributing towards a funding round of £345k.

Chairman Don McQueen and the Board of Dorset Business Angels Network (DBAN) have welcomed a new director to the Board, the DBAN Marketing Manager, Debbie Frith.

EBAN Vice President Selma Prodanovic, considers why gender bias could mean investors are missing out on the best investment opportunities.

The Development Bank of Wales was among a number of global backers which supported international fintech startup AGAM in a recently-closed funding round.

*US* The Angel Investor Foundation (AIF) has secured a $300,000 pledge to its Seed the Future capital campaign from the Payne Family, a name synonymous with angel investing. This is the second significant pledge from the Paynes and it brings their campaign contributions to more than half a million dollars.

Canada: East Valley Ventures-backed agtech company Picketa Systems has released its flagship product LENS, which allows agronomists and other agricultural professionals to analyze plant tissue in real-time in the field.