Ladbible and Onthebeach founders back investor led by Steven Bartlett’s former business partner November 5, 2024 The founders of Ladbible and Onthebeach have backed a venture capital firm that is led by the former business partner of Dragons’ Den star, Steven Bartlett. Solly Solomou, the chief executive of Manchester-headquartered Ladbible Group, has invested in Wilmslow-based Fearless Adventures alongside Onthebeach’s Simon Cooper, who will become its chairman. Solomou has invested through his [...]
Cricket, rugby and football stars invest in health start-up November 4, 2024 England rugby international Courtney Lawes and Arsenal footballer Ben White are also among the 60 professional sportspeople invested in The Players Fund.
UK start-up funding falls but life sciences sector picks up October 15, 2024 UK start-ups secured $2.9bn (£2.2bn) in new venture capital (VC) funding during the third quarter of 2024, a sharp drop from the $5.7bn (£4.4bn) raised in the previous quarter, according to fresh data from HSBC. The global VC market also slowed, marking its weakest quarter in over four years, driven largely by a downturn in [...]
Americans do it better (investing, that is) October 9, 2024 British companies are often accountable to passive shareholders, such as pension funds, leading to risk aversion and short-termism. The US invests differently, with much better results, says Tom Focas The UK economy is in dire need of a rejuvenation. Growth is still stagnating, productivity lags behind global competitors, and industries that once anchored the nation’s [...]
UK defence tech investment surges September 26, 2024 Venture capital in European defence technology is set to reach $1bn annually by 2024, with the UK leading the charge alongside Germany and France.
Why launch an AIM VCT now? First in 17 years debuts September 19, 2024 The first venture capital trust focused on the AIM market in 17 years has been launched by Puma, despite fears over the strength of London’s junior market. AIM stocks have not performed well in recent years, with its index falling 40 per cent over the last three years, compared to a 21 rise in the [...]
City minister pledges to work ‘together’ with private equity as tax hike looms September 12, 2024 The City minister pledged to work “together” with the private equity industry today but steered clear of mentioning a looming tax hike which could put the sector on a collision course with the Treasury. In a speech at the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association’s (BVCA) annual summit, Tulip Siddiq said private capital would [...]
Venture capital firm launches UK’s only fund for British pensions September 2, 2024 A venture capital firm has launched the first-ever fund devoted to helping UK pension funds invest in British start-ups and scale-ups. Future Planet Capital’s new British Co-Investment Fund (BCF) will channel pension investment into some of the UK’s fastest growing and most innovative businesses in a move that has been praised as “much-needed” by start-ups [...]
Aviva backs Reeves pension investment push with new venture capital arm September 2, 2024 Aviva has launched a dedicated venture capital arm today as it rows in behind the government’s drive to pump more pension cash into start-ups. The move by the FTSE 100 pension giant forms part of a wider project to restructure its private market arm, which previously focused solely on real assets. In a statement, Aviva [...]
Angel fund backed by former Credit Suisse CEO and Bridgerton star raises over £8m August 29, 2024 An angel fund backed by the former CEO of Credit Suisse and Bridgerton actress Charithra Chandran has raised $10.9m (£8.3m) in its first close. The Arāya Super Angel Fund, run by Arāya Ventures, is set to invest in up to 60 pre-seed and seed stage founders over the next four years in health tech, fintech, [...]