老九品茶

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Evaro, an NHS-licensed digital healthcare platform serving over two million patients, has closed a Series A funding round of around 拢18 million.

The platform already partners with period-tracking app Clue and sexual wellness retailer Lovehoney, embedding prescription services directly into their customer experiences.

The Norwich-based firm says the round will accelerate Evaro’s healthcare-as-a-service model across three markets: consumer brands seeking new revenue streams, healthcare organisations expanding digital capacity, and employers deploying health benefits.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

LegalTech Summize has completed a 拢40 million funding and reinvestment round to accelerate global expansion.

The Manchester-headquartered scaleup is an AI-powered contract lifecycle management provider with a growing presence in the United States.

It has offices in Boston and San Diego, and a new headquarters location in Manchester.

Alongside Maven Capital Partners, new investors Kennet Partners and Federated Hermes Private Equity, and existing investor YFM Equity Partners, also participated in the round.聽

The transaction has enabled Maven to deliver a profitable partial realisation for its VCT investors of 3.7x the original investment, which includes the value of a retained equity stake.

 

London-based Flowla, which builds AI-assisted automation for sales and customer success teams, has raised $2.5 million (拢1.8m) in a seed funding round.

It was led by Revo Capital, with participation from AI Startup Factory, T眉rkiye Development Fund, APY Ventures, Sharks & Partners and Salesforce-experienced angel investors.

The platform targets execution gaps in B2B revenue teams, where manual follow-ups, slow reactions to buying signals and poor handovers between sales and customer success often stall deals.

The business was founded by Turkish cousins Erdem and Oguz Gelal.

Funding will be used to enhance its automation engine and content generation capabilities and to establish a US-based go-to-market team.

Wealth intelligence technology provider 1fs Wealth has announced a partnership with professional services group S&W to deliver digital wealth management solutions to the firm鈥檚 family office, trust and ultra-high-net-worth personal clients.

Headquartered in London and with a growing global customer base, the 1fs Wealth platform enables wealth owners to consolidate their assets, control risk, manage ownership and derive AI insights around their portfolio through the efficient use of data.聽

The company鈥檚 AI-driven solution is used by wealth owners and family offices across the world, who particularly value its ability to support long-term stewardship and succession planning.

S&W is the latest high-profile name to enter into a strategic partnership with 1fs. Launched as a standalone professional services business in March 2025, S&W draws on the heritage of Smith & Williamson, which was founded in 1881. The company has more than 2,000 employees and more than 130 partners based in the UK and Ireland.

The Lancashire Innovation Board has strengthened its leadership with the appointments of Dr Robert Holdbrook, director of science and technology at eco-chemicals firm Thrive, and Professor Andy Schofield, chair of the North West Regional Defence and Security Cluster.

The additions bring deep expertise in environmental science, biotechnology, defence, security and advanced manufacturing as the county accelerates delivery of its Innovation Plan.

Separately, Lancashire County Council-owned Fraser House co-working hub in Lancaster has appointed Rebecca Latham as business development and community manager to grow membership and develop new revenue opportunities.

Manchester-based startup Voxelo has raised 拢300,000 in the first close of its pre-seed round as it brings an AI-powered 3D product content studio to market.

The platform is looking to allow retailers and brands to generate 3D, AR and product imagery from a single uploaded video, using its proprietary UG3D technology to create digital twins in around two hours.

Voxelo is already working with early customers including Cosatto and British Attire and has received backing from Innovate UK and multiple accelerator programmes.

The round remains open, with the business now progressing towards a final close as it scales product development and go-to-market activity.

Injection moulding specialist MGS Technical Plastics has been acquired by its three directors in a full management buyout.

Long-serving owner John Sturgess sold equal shares in the Blackburn-based business to chairperson Neil Garrity, managing director Judson Smythe and commercial director Mark Preston.

The directors said operations and strategy will remain unchanged as the business continues to focus on customers, community and long-term growth.

The deal completes a transition to full management ownership following an increase in the directors鈥� stake in mid-2024.

Just Eat has launched a new AI voice assistant on iOS and Android, allowing customers to place orders by speaking naturally rather than browsing menus.

Rolling out first in the UK, the tool is designed to reduce 鈥渃hoice overload鈥� by acting as a personalised delivery concierge, recommending restaurants, cuisines and products across food, pharmacy, beauty and electronics.

The assistant understands informal, conversational requests in multiple languages and can switch between voice and touch, improving accessibility for users with limited mobility or visual impairments.

Early trials showed rising usage and higher conversion rates among customers using the feature, which is now live within the app.

Kinaxia Logistics has announced a multi-million-pound investment in technology to boost the digital transformation of its nationwide logistics operation.

The group has selected 蚕补谤驳辞鈥檚 transport management software and Samsara鈥檚 connected operations platform to improve customer visibility, route efficiency, driver safety and sustainability performance.

The rollout will provide real-time freight tracking, automated proof-of-delivery and invoicing, and enhanced operational insight, alongside telematics, in-cab cameras and digital vehicle inspections to boost safety and reduce downtime.

Headquartered in Greater Manchester, the business operates a national network delivering end-to-end logistics services across sectors including retail, food and drink, leisure and manufacturing.

Multiverse has acquired StackFuel, Germany鈥檚 leading data and AI training provider, to accelerate AI upskilling across Europe鈥檚 largest economy.

The combined entity has set an immediate target of training 100,000 German workers.

StackFuel works with major corporates including Mercedes-Benz, IAV and Telef贸nica, and its founders Leo Marose and Stefan Berntheisel will join the senior leadership team of the combined business.

The acquisition strengthens Multiverse鈥檚 European expansion strategy, combining the London-based unicorn鈥檚 AI-led learning platform with 厂迟补肠办贵耻别濒鈥檚 strong German market presence.

The British 老九品茶 Bank has committed up to 拢10 million to Ascension Ventures through its Regional Angels Programme, which aims to address regional imbalances in access to early-stage equity finance.

The funding will be deployed alongside Ascension鈥檚 existing EIS and SEIS funds, as well as its institutional impact vehicle, Ascension Fund III.

The commitment is designed to improve access to patient capital for early-stage technology businesses outside London and the South East.

Ascension is one of the UK鈥檚 most active seed investors and has been recognised in recent years for its work in both technology and impact investing.

The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association has formally rebranded as UK Private Capital following member approval at its AGM.

The change reflects the evolution of the association, which now spans private equity, venture capital and private credit and supports around 13,000 UK companies, employing 2.5 million people and contributing 7% of GDP.

The new name is intended to better reflect how the sector describes itself and to strengthen its voice in public policy, research and political engagement.

GoCanopy, an AI-powered operating system for institutional real estate investors, has raised 鈧�2.1 million (拢1.8m) in seed funding led by ISAI, with backing from BNP Paribas 顿茅惫别濒辞辫辫别尘别苍迟, Yellow and a group of angel investors.

The platform is designed to solve data fragmentation across real estate investment and asset management teams by turning unstructured documents into a single, AI-driven system of record.

Founded in 2023, it enables investors to analyse historic deals, support investment decisions and proactively manage portfolios using a shared 鈥渋nstitutional memory鈥�.

The funding will be used to develop its enterprise platform and support international expansion, including opening a London office alongside Paris.

Houlihan Lokey has appointed Mark Ward as a managing director in its business services group.

Based between Manchester and London, Ward will focus on expanding the firm鈥檚 IT services coverage, working closely with senior colleagues.

He joins from DC Advisory, where he advised clients across IT consulting, software development, data analytics and managed services, and previously held roles at Clearwater International and PwC.

The appointment further bolsters the New York-listed firm鈥檚 European platform in business services M&A and corporate finance.

Sage has reported a strong start to FY26, with first-quarter revenue rising 10% year-on-year to 拢674 million.

The growth has been driven by continued momentum across its cloud-based products, with Sage 老九品茶 Cloud revenue increasing 15% to 拢574m.

North America led regional performance with 13% growth, alongside increases in the UK, Ireland and Europe.

The listed North East-based tech giant will continue to invest in AI-driven innovation to support productivity for small and mid-sized businesses.

Revenues rose at AIM-listed Dotdigital in the last six months of 2025, with total group revenue up 4% to 拢44.2 million.

Recurring revenue from the core CXDP business increased 11% to 拢37.3m, accounting for 84% of total revenues, while forward-looking contracted ARR grew 13% to 拢75.4m.

The London-headquartered business, which provides cross-channel marketing automation technology to marketing professionals, ended the period with 拢36.1m in cash.

This followed a $20m consideration payment for the Social Snowball acquisition, which has delivered around 30% annualised ARR growth since completion.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Orreco has acquired Jennis, the women鈥檚 health and performance platform co-founded by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill.聽

The Galway-based SportTech says the move creates the 鈥榤ost advanced, women鈥檚 performance ecosystem in the world鈥�.聽

The deal brings together 翱谤谤别肠辞鈥檚 proprietary AI platform with its FitrWoman product, Jennis鈥� hormone-intelligent IP and DDSA鈥檚 elite computer vision technology, which is already an Orreco-owned business.聽

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Listed firm Big Technologies has reported a drop in annual revenue and EBITDA after agreeing a 拢38.5 million settlement with disgruntled former investors.

The company – trading as Buddi – said both revenue and EBITDA were expected to be marginally ahead of FY25 market consensus, coming in at聽approximately 拢49.7m (2024: 拢50.3m) and 拢24.6m (2024: 拢27m) respectively.

It said the drop in EBITDA聽reflected a change in margin mix and investments made in strengthening the group’s management. Following cost-saving action, these are expected to be cost neutral in future periods, it added.

It had a strong balance sheet at the year-end with cash of 拢93.4m; including the initial payment of 拢31.5m paid in relation to the recent settlement of the Buddi litigation, cash at 31st December 2025 would have been 拢61.9m.

Author: Patrick Killeen

Northcoders has reported a challenging trading year after major changes to the UK Government鈥檚 skills funding system led to a sharp fall in funded learners across the sector.

The AIM-listed technology training and consultancy group posted unaudited revenue of 拢5 million for 2025, down from 拢8.8m the previous year.

It pointed to structural reforms introduced by the Department for Education that disrupted regional procurement and funding allocation schedules.

Despite the revenue decline, the Manchester-based firm said it maintained strong gross margins through disciplined delivery and careful management of direct costs, alongside a deliberate move away from lower-margin funded provision adopted by some parts of the training sector.

Northcoders also secured Department for Education contracts in Lancashire and with the Greater London Authority during the year.

Counter, its challenger consultancy brand led by managing director Amul Batra, delivered strong growth during 2025.

Mobile consultancy Apadmi is forecasting 20% revenue growth in 2026 and is kicking off the year with new client work.聽

Building on a firm foundation of growth in 2025, which included acquisitions in Poland and the Netherlands as well as new client wins across Europe and Asia, Apadmi is already off to a fast start in 2026.聽

Among the new clients are Britain鈥檚 largest organic food brand Yeo Valley Organic, leading consumer and trade tile seller Topps Tiles and omni-channel retailer Matalan.聽