News

To support their growth ambitions, London based SME Weeding Technologies has secured £450,000 in loan funding from The FSE Group, via The Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF). This includes £250,000 in conjunction with the government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The funding will allow the company to recruit for 4 new positions with a focus on marketing activity, increasing their logistics and new product development.

Keeping our local communities weed free can be a complex and expensive task, particularly given recent restrictions around the use of traditional chemical herbicides. All kinds of municipal organisations – ranging from local authorities, to parks, to schools, to water companies – need to find new ways to weed our public places.

Established in 2011, Weeding Technologies (Weedingtech), primary objective was to provide a sustainable solution for both gardeners and communities to manage their outside spaces, whilst also protecting their residents and the environment around them. Their aim was to develop the best alternative solution possible for those wanting to move away from traditional chemical herbicides such as glyphosate.

Weedingtech developed a herbicide free technology for the control of weeds, moss and algae providing a greener, cleaner and safer way to maintain both gardens and outside spaces. Their “Foamstream” product offers a herbicide-free approach to controlling unwanted vegetation, as well as sanitisation against COVID-19 and cleaning solutions. Products are safe for use around people, animals and delicate eco-systems including waterways, parks and all public places. Accredited for organic use in the UK, Weedingtech products are approved by DEFRA and The Environment Agency and are also available in Europe and the USA.

Leo de Montaignac, CEO and Co-Founder of Weeding Technologies commented: “We are extremely proud that we have developed and can offer safe, non-toxic solutions for controlling unwanted vegetation on all surfaces, in all weather, all year round. Accreditation bodies worldwide have also cleared our products as safe, organic and non-toxic. With the loans received from GLIF via Paul at The FSE Group, we will be able to retain staff to enable the day-to-day operations to continue to run smoothly during these difficult times and look to create jobs and expand our team as the business continues to grow. Our thanks to Paul for helping us with the funding process.”

Paul Shadbolt, Investment Manager for The FSE Group, who manages the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “Leo and his team at Weedingtech have industry-leading, award-winning products offering a highly effective alternative to traditional toxic germ killers. The products use hot water insulated with its specially formulated biodegradable and organic foam, delivered by their patented machinery. GLIF is keen to support innovative high growth businesses in Greater London, and with job creation for the local economy included in their plans we were pleased to be able to offer Weddingtech the loan funding they need to execute their expansion plans. We wish them well for the future.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “‘We believe that it is more important than ever to support the growth of innovative, green technologies that successfully replace highly polluting alternatives. We are extremely excited to provide the extra capital Leo and the team at Weedingtech need to continue and expand their operations.”

GLIF is a £100m initiative to help address the SME finance gap in Greater London, promoting economic growth through enterprise and an inclusive and sustainable economy. £55m of debt funding is available, via loans between £100,000 and £1m, to early-stage and established SMEs looking to scale-up and realise their growth ambitions. GLIF is financed through the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), London Waste & recycling Board (LWARB) and Funding London’s Legacies.

Bude based design studio, YEO has secured a £30,000 loan from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), to enable the company to further grow its high-end furniture brand.

Previously known as James Yeo Cabinet Makers, the business was founded in 2011 by fine furniture maker James Yeo. Life-long friend Adam Hodgson joined the company in 2017, bringing with him his knowledge gained in the construction industry. With its roots firmly in the South-West the team re-branded as YEO and are proud of their UK based operation where they design, manufacture and install high-end furniture, from single rooms to whole-house fit outs, managing the entire process for their clients.

The funding secured from CIOSIF will enable YEO to purchase new machinery to improve production capability and capacity. This will also create three fulltime machinist roles based out of the Cornish workshop, with the possibility of additional roles being created towards the end of 2021.

James Yeo, Founder and CEO of YEO commented: “Adam and I wanted our brand to not only be of a high quality, but to stand out from the crowd. We are committed to creating a space less ordinary, giving our clients interiors which are as unique as their experiences. The purchase of this equipment will allow us to meet demand and further expand the business, along with being able to hire the three new skilled machinists required to operate the equipment. We’d like to extend our thanks to our Business Manager, Mike, for helping us realise the next stage of development and for guiding us through the funding process.”

The deal was handled by SWIG Finance, who are working with appointed CIOSIF fund manager, The FSE Group, to deliver the small business loans part of the fund.

Mike Chapman, CIOSIF Business Manager at SWIG Finance, added: “It was great meeting James and Adam and to hear their story and business journey so far. These skilled craftsmen have carved out an excellent reputation with a strong network of industry contacts. They have developed and built up a strong brand to perfectly match their clients’ needs, be that a bespoke design for one room, or for a whole house fit-out. Benefitting from a solid sales pipeline we were delighted to provide this funding, which will help the team fulfil their orders and grow the business further. These are exciting times for the business and I am really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is operated by appointed fund managers The FSE Group.

Lloyd Brina, Senior Manager  at the British Business Bank, said: “The fund is continuing to invest in growth-minded local businesses and we are pleased to be able to support YEO’s further expansion with this loan. Despite the pandemic we continue to see demand for growth finance and the fund is here to support those ambitions.”

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, said: “James and Adam have built a sound business focused on quality. I’m delighted that the fund has been able to help them move to the next level, including the creation of skilled jobs.”

For more information about the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk  or follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

Read more about YEO at https://yeodesign.co.uk/

Situated in Newbury, Orbit4 is the latest SME in the region to have secured an expansion loan from The Thames Valley Berkshire Funding Escalator to help them implement plans to grow their business. The funding will be used to create ten new positions within the company in line with its expansion plans to grow globally.

Daniel Jones who founded Orbit4, (the umbrella brand name for  FitnessCompared, FitnessFinance, WeServiceGymEquipment and WeBuyGymEquipment), is an entrepreneur with more than twenty years’ experience within the health and fitness sector. When gym and fitness facility owners trade in pre-used commercial gym equipment, he realised the values the owners received were often inconsistent. He wanted to ensure that the sellers and buyers received fair prices.

Orbit4 is the first digital ecosystem to manage and facilitate the entire commercial fitness life cycle of gym equipment.  The company aims to help the fitness industry become more streamlined in purchasing commercial products and more efficient in finding the best price and partners for extended service contracts and residual values.

It is free to register with Orbit4 who make the experience of buying and selling gym equipment faster and better for everyone involved, saving time, money and the planet.

Daniel Jones, CEO of Orbit4, said: “The inclusive nature of Orbit4, provides the perfect environment for all stakeholders to do business efficiently, effectively and with 100% transparency. The funding will be used to further develop and strengthen the hard-hit health & fitness industry with the creation of ten new positions within the business. It will allow us to expand our global presence and our product offering. Our thanks to Cheryl at The FSE Group for guiding us through the funding process.”

Cheryl Weeks, Head of Funds, South East for The FSE Group, commented: “Orbit4 has taken the health & fitness industry by storm, creating an easier way for gyms to purchase, manage and dispose of their fitness assets.  We were pleased to be able to support Daniel to implement his expansion activities that should deliver substantial growth, whilst at the same time, marketing the platform to increase brand awareness and driving more traffic to the website. We look forward to the next stage of their journey.”

TVB Expansion Loan Scheme is part of TVB Funding Escalator, an £11.3m initiative funded by Thames Valley Berkshire LEP. The escalator, which also includes a Trade Finance Loan Scheme and a Growth Equity Fund, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities.

For more information about Orbit4 and to find out how they could help your business, please visit https://orbit4.org/ or email Daniel Jones daniel@orbit4.org

Alton based In-Space Missions, is the latest company to secure funding from the Enterprise M3 Expansion Loan Scheme. The £300,000 loan will help the business grow its innovative “Space as a Service” model.

In-Space Missions was established in 2015 by Tony Holt and Doug Liddle to provide a managed service that would enable customers to access space, reducing their costs and helping them overcome the barriers to entry when breaking into the space market. The company began operations at the BASE Innovation Centre in Bordon and recently expanded into new offices in Alton, Hampshire with dedicated manufacturing facilities.

In-Space Missions are world-class experts with a new space approach offering “Space as a Service” to commercial and government customers. This can involve the design, build, launch and operation of satellites and offers low-cost payload flight opportunities. The In-Space model allows for much quicker and easier access to space for customers who take a ‘slot’ on board rather than having to manage the entire mission themselves. Increasingly it is also becoming possible for a customer to upload their payload onto a satellite already on orbit.

This innovative solution at market disrupting prices, has led to significant demand for In-Space’s services, leading to rapid company growth. The funding will be used to finance the move to the new premises to accommodate additional staff and provide increased manufacturing capability, as well as part-funding the development of a higher performance satellite platform.

Tony Holt, CTO and Co-Owner of In-Space Missions, commented: “At In-Space Missions we are passionate about using our experience and innovative approach to democratise space, opening up the benefits of this sector to more businesses across the globe. This EM3 expansion loan will help us increase our capacity to deliver “Space as a Service” and achieve this goal. The FSE Group has recognised the potential of our business model and we are grateful to Derek and the team for their support in helping us secure the funding to drive our business forward.”

The global space economy is expected to grow by a third over the next five years, taking its value to almost $560billion. This is being fuelled in part by the “New Space” phenomenon: a series of technological and business model innovations that have led to a significant reduction in costs and resulted in the provision of new products and services that have broadened the existing customer base.

Derek Ellis, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, which manages the EM3 Expansion Loan Scheme on behalf of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), added: “The growth in this sector is leading to an increased market demand for affordable access to space. In-Space Missions’ highly experienced team have developed a much sought-after, low-cost satellite solution. With the space industry emerging as one of the most lucrative sectors globally, the team is on the precipice of exponential growth and we are thrilled to be helping them reach their potential.”

Rob Dunford, Director – Business Delivery, Enterprise M3 LEP, comments: “It’s fantastic to see In‐Space Missions expanding in Alton. This is yet another demonstration of how an important company in our Space Cluster is going from strength to strength. The space sector has been identified as a key high‐value sector in our Revive and Renew recovery Action Plan, so to see In‐Space Missions grow and develop this larger space, with increased clean room capacity is both exciting and encouraging.”

 The EM3 Expansion Loan Scheme is part of the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator, £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 LEP. The escalator, which also includes a short-term trade loan scheme and an equity growth fund, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the EM3 area.

For more information about In-Space Missions Limited, visit: https://in-space.co.uk/

Introduction

For over a decade, Woking based Jeremy Brassington has been supporting students who have hearing impairments or dyslexia, to ensure they have the same route to education as able-bodied individuals.

Hearing how it all began

What is now known as Note Taking Express, an easy-to-use application for recording lectures and meetings, originally started out as Conversor, an Assistive Listening Device (ALD).

Typically, students at colleges and universities attend lectures, seminars and tutorials taking pen to paper to make notes from lectures and then write up their rough notes, transforming them into papers, dissertations and theses.

Imagine doing this if you were deaf or dyslexic? You may be able to lip read but may not be able to have the best vantage point in the lecture hall to keep up, or you may have trouble getting the letters in the right order and not be able to make sense of your notes. This can be incredibly difficult and a barrier to demonstrating your understanding of the subject in order to meet the grade.

Listening to advice

Jeremy worked closely with education bodies and further developed Conversor, the Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), into Note Taking Express – an intuitive, feature rich application and PC programme for recording lectures, meetings and tutorials.

This was made possible by, and coincided with, changes to the government’s Disabled Students’ Allowance scheme, which embraced the use of apps and lecture capture systems over digital voice recorders and in-class notetakers, opening up a whole new world to students. No more worrying about sitting in the right place to lip-read or taking down the letters in the right order, just sit back, listen and record.

Hearing loud and clear

Software and technology are improving rapidly and the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator has been proud to support Jeremy on his journey to continue to develop his product, raise awareness and ensure it reaches out to more students, helping them to benefit and assist them to achieve their potential.

Jeremy Brassington, CEO of Note Taking Express: “Automatically generating lecture transcripts, summary notes and key concepts is incredibly valuable for these students. Note Taking Express synthesises information into a format which they feel comfortable using for further study or revision. This means that students have a useful stock of material after each lecture and are free to engage and participate in the lecture while recording it on their phone, tablet or laptop. The financial support, which we received with Derek’s help, has been invaluable and will enable us to assist more students who may otherwise have had a significant disadvantage.”

Derek Ellis, Fund Manager for The FSE Group: “This amazing product will give every student, regardless of ability, access to notes and a note writing platform which suits their individual needs. This could completely change the learning process for students who would otherwise have struggled to fulfil their academic potential. We look forward to seeing what the company can achieve in the next stage of its growth journey.”

Kathy Slack OBE, Enterprise M3 LEP CEO: “I’m delighted Enterprise M3 has been able to fund this innovative and exciting company at a time when students, particularly those with additional needs, are reliant on technology more than ever. Products like this are game changing for young people who need additional help and it’s wonderful that the Expansion Loan Scheme has made such a difference for Note Taking Express and all those whose academic lives will be made easier because of the product.”

For more information about Note Taking Express: Visit https://notetakingexpress.com/ or contact Jeremy Brassington at jeremy@notetakingexpress.com