News

SMEs across Yorkshire and Humber are growing and creating jobs with investment from Finance Yorkshire.

The funding body’s loans fund is supporting businesses expand by investing in technology, marketing spend, new product development and the hiring of new staff.

Finance Yorkshire’s loans fund provides investments to SMEs of between £25,000 and £250,000.

Wetherby based video production and animation company Reel Film Media has received £70,000 from the loans fund. The investment is being used to increase its marketing and sales capacity including the appointment of new staff.

Reel Film will also use the investment to attract potential customers by generating new content for its website. In addition, the company has hired a content creation lead to provide a new service for clients.

Founder Adam Chandler said: “Finance Yorkshire has been great. They saw the vision we have for the business and feel more like a partner rather than just a funder. The investment will make a big difference to our marketing strategy and accelerate where we want to go with the business.”

Finance Yorkshire’s loans fund is also supporting Trustist, an award-winning customer reviews platform company based in York with high profile clients including Timpsons, Johnsons the Cleaners and Max Spielmann.

Trustist enables clients to see their online reputation in one place. It aggregates reviews from different sites which can be viewed, managed and displayed on a single dashboard.

Trustist is using its £250,000 investment to develop its own technology, marketing and hire more staff.

Founder Nigel Apperley said: “Finance Yorkshire’s investment is essential to us being able to grow the business. We are recruiting more developers who will be based in York and have plans to develop franchising as a route to growing Trustist and its reach even further.”

Finance Yorkshire chief executive Alex McWhirter said: “Our loans fund is a key route to access to finance for the region’s SMEs and is supporting exciting growth in a number of sectors particularly creative, digital and tech.

“SMEs see us as a trusted partner in their businesses as witnessed by Reel Film and Trustist who are expanding at pace and importantly creating jobs in Yorkshire and Humber. We are delighted to support them in their growth journeys.”

Finance Yorkshire’s loans fund is aimed at established or growing businesses looking for expansion finance.

To qualify for a loan, companies must be paying business rates in the Yorkshire and Humber region or wish to relocate.

The funding available is to enable businesses to invest in scaling up activities that will deliver substantial growth impact such as sales and marketing; hiring new staff; new product development; entering new markets; purchasing new equipment; and working capital.

Joiin Ltd, an innovative provider of integrated accountancy software solutions, has secured a £250,000 South West Investment Fund (SWIF) loan via appointed Fund Manager, The FSE Group, to support business growth.

Based at Exeter Science Park, Joiin provides low cost fintech solutions that integrate seamlessly with accountancy software to create consolidated and group reports for businesses. By automating this process, Joiin’s platform not only saves time but also enhances accuracy by eliminating human error and offering multi-currency reporting capabilities.

The company has already experienced rapid expansion, boasting an impressive year-on-year growth rate of 89% in 2024 and is now serving thousands of customers across more than 100 countries.

The South West Investment Fund covers the entire South West region and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

Lucien Wynn, CEO of Joiin, said: "This South West Investment Fund loan will enable us to hire new staff members in roles that are crucial for our continued growth and commitment to providing top-tier solutions for our clients. It is great to be working with a funder who understands this and is prepared to invest in our future potential. We look forward to working with the FSE team on this journey."

Clare Lenihan-Thomas, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: "Joiin’s established product, strong reputation, and impressive market traction make them a standout in the fintech space. We believe in their vision and are confident this funding will help accelerate their expansion, ultimately enabling them to take advantage of further global opportunities including in Australia and the US."

Jody Tableporter Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds, at the British Business Bank said: “Joiin is a great example of an innovative business in the fintech sector that is leveraging the South West Investment Fund to drive growth and expand their market presence. By providing critical financial support, the Fund is not only enabling Joiin to scale its operations and create new job opportunities, but is also contributing to the broader economic development of the South West region."

The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. The South West Investment Fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.

New Motion Labs (NML), a developer of innovative drivetrain technology for the mobility and industrial markets, has secured over £890,000 equity investment from the South West Investment Fund via appointed Fund Manager, The FSE Group.

The investment is part of a wider £1.8million funding round designed to support business growth and will bolster a variety of  activities including product development, sales and marketing, and the creation of new jobs.

Exeter-based NML's patented and award-winning Enduo technology has re-engineered the traditional chain and sprocket to reduce wear, enhance component lifetime, reduce energy loss, and lower manufacturing costs, while offering retrofit capabilities.

It has already found success in track cycling and e-bike markets, including cargo e-bikes and shared e-bikes, resulting in significant reductions in energy consumption and maintenance requirements.

NML is now targeting the global industrial sector, where chain failure presents a costly challenge across thousands of manufacturing processes. Applications for Enduo are extensive and NML is poised to deliver reliable solutions across industries such as automotive and food and beverage.

Damien Murphy, NML CEO, said: "This funding marks a pivotal milestone in NML's journey, enabling us to accelerate our growth trajectory, expand our product offering and further penetrate the industrial market. The FSE Group has been working alongside us to help secure co-investors in a challenging investment market and we are grateful for their belief in our game-changing technology and the support of the South West Investment Fund."

Ralph Singleton, Head of Equity Investment at The FSE Group, added: "This experienced and knowledgeable management team boasts an impressive track record and influential industry connections. NML's robust R&D capabilities, strong IP position, and the proven efficacy of their Enduo technology position them uniquely to address critical pain points in both the cycling and industrial sectors. We are confident in their vision and the potential for substantial market impact and look forward to continuing to work with them as they enter this next phase of growth."

Paul Jones, Senior Investment Manager, British Business Bank: “NML have reengineered the sprocket and chain technology for the first time in over a century with the aim of applying it to potentially thousands of industrial and manufacturing applications worldwide. The South West Investment Fund exists to support the growth of innovative businesses in the region and this deal is a great example of that.”

The South West Investment Fund covers the entire South West region and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The purpose of the Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance, breaking down barriers and providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment.

The Aesthetics Club, an award-winning aesthetic clinic providing premier beauty treatments, has secured a £250,000 loan from the Investment Fund for Scotland (IFS), via appointed Fund Manager, The FSE Group. 

The loan will enable the opening of two new clinics located in Glasgow and Edinburgh, expanding services and creating a number of new jobs. 

The £150m IFS covers all areas of Scotland – Greater Glasgow, Greater Edinburgh, Aberdeen and North East, Dundee and Tayside, South of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.   

Founded in 2018 by Fiona Ross, a registered nurse, The Aesthetics Club has quickly established a strong reputation for excellence, experiencing a 100+% increase in business across its existing Glasgow and London clinics since 2021, attracting over 7,000 registered customers.  

The Aesthetics Club is now set to expand its footprint by opening new clinics in Glasgow South and Edinburgh as well as maximising concession and brand partnership opportunities, further broadening its reach.  

Fiona Ross, Founder of The Aesthetics Club said: "We are thrilled to receive this investment to support our expansion plans. Our significant growth, loyal customer base and high wait lists demonstrate the demand for our services but securing funding based on future sales can be particularly challenging for smaller businesses. We are delighted FSE’s projection-led approach means we can access this much-needed funding source from the IFS.” 

Jim Pritchard, Investment Manager at The FSE Group commented: “This is a thriving business with levels of demand that underscore the market opportunity available to The Aesthetics Club. With 100% customer satisfaction, a strong brand identity and limited competition offering a similar breadth of treatments and expertise, this strategic expansion is supported by solid projections that indicate ongoing profitability. We look forward to working with Fiona and her team as they continue towards their growth goals.” 

Mark Sterritt, Director, Nations and Regions Funds, at the British Business Bank, said: “The Aesthetic Club’s growth over the past six years is nothing short of impressive, and it is ideally placed to capitalise on the demand for premium quality beauty treatments. It is great to see the impact that the IFS has delivered for smaller businesses across a diverse mix of sectors in less than a year. Supporting female-led businesses is a key priority for us, and it is inspiring to see leaders like Fiona excel in their respective fields.” 

The purpose of the Investment fund for Scotland is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across Scotland. The Investment fund for Scotland will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for Scotland smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.  

For more information about The Aesthetics Club Ltd and its services, please visit www.theaestheticsclub.com. 

Global Expat Pay (GEP), which delivers global mobility solutions, has secured a £500,000 expansion loan from the Thames Valley Berkshire (TVB) Funding Escalator via appointed Fund Manager, The FSE Group. The funding will be used to increase staff to support GEP’s growing contracts and pipeline.

Founded in 2019, GEP has developed an innovative platform that simplifies and centralises payroll, tax, and immigration management for international businesses when dealing with the movement of employees between countries. This technology-led managed service streamlines data and payment management, automates critical processes, and eliminates duplication of effort. By integrating multiple data sources into a single reporting system, GEP provides actionable insights that enhance global mobility operations.

The market for global mobility solutions is expanding, with GEP uniquely positioned to challenge the Big 4 accounting firms in this sector. GEP’s automated solutions not only integrate seamlessly into customers' core systems but also deliver significant flexibility and cost efficiencies.

Mike Hibberd, Founder & CEO of Global Expat Pay, said: “We are thrilled to be working with TVB and The FSE Group. This investment will allow us to scale our team and meet the growing demand for our solutions. Our mission is to disrupt the status quo in the global mobility market by offering a comprehensive, automated service that outperforms traditional methods employed by the Big 4 accounting firms.”

Cheryl Weeks, Head of Funds at The FSE Group, added: “Global Expat Pay has demonstrated strong growth and innovation, with their blend of expertise in global mobility, data management, and cutting-edge technology positioning them well to continue this trajectory. Their innovative approach has consistently won competitive RFPs against the Big 4 and we are excited to support their expansion and look forward to seeing their continued success.”

With this new funding, GEP is set to further solidify its market presence and continue delivering exceptional value to its customers.

TVB Funding Escalator is an £11.3m initiative funded by Berkshire LEP. The escalator, which includes an Expansion Loan Scheme and a Trade Finance Loan Scheme, provides eligible companies with loans between £50,000 and £500,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities.