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Situated in Southwark, South London, Hinterview has secured a £500,000 growth loan from the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) which is managed by The FSE Group.

In the UK, the recruitment industry is currently bigger than ever, estimated to be worth over £35billion to the UK economy. Before the advancement of technology, recruitment followed a more traditional path; face to face interviews at the recruiters’ offices with paper CVs faxed off to hiring employers. The “time to hire” was a long process at circa 45 days. As technology came to the forefront and recruitment evolved, the industry modernised rapidly, however there were due to be even more advancements in the sector.

In 2013, experienced recruiters Andy Simpson and Rich McLaren set about to change the UK’s talent landscape even further. They did this by establishing Hinterview: A world leading video platform optimised for interviewing and recruitment. Built by recruiters for recruiters, Hinterview is both hyper secure and fully GDPR compliant, enabling the sharing of candidate videos. The innovative online recruitment platform enhances the recruitment process for candidates and clients, reducing time to hire and increasing placement rates. 

In light of current COVID-19 restrictions, recruitment agencies have come to rely on Hinterview as a way to continue “business as usual” which is particularly useful for reaching out to candidates without breaching social distancing measures. It has also enabled business owners to stand out from the crowd by offering a premium service at a time where competition is at its highest.

Andy Simpson, Co-Founder of Hinterview commented: “Video is the future of agency recruitment. Recruiters are able to engage with their audience in an effective and personal way that previously wasn’t possible. The support of the GLIF expansion loan will enable us to scale-up the team to service current demand and expand sales in the recruitment sector to enter the corporate and education sectors in the UK. Many thanks to Paul from The FSE Group who guided us through the process of securing this expansion loan, we couldn’t have done it without him.”

Paul Shadbolt, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who managed the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “It was a pleasure to work with Andy and Rich. It is rewarding to be able to support successful, innovative local businesses. GLIF helps to support London businesses and has the potential to impact on the economy. This will help SMEs accelerate the growth of their business, through job creation and product development. We look forward to the next stage of their journey.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “Hinterview, has been redefining recruitment for years and during the pandemic their product has been the 'go to platform' for the industry. Andy and Rich have continued to show big ambition to grow their business and required capital to facilitate this. By working closely with the Co-founders, Paul and the FSE team were able to make a growth loan from the GLIF possible.  I am excited about the positive outlook for 2021 and delighted the loan will support the team to scale-up and facilitate sales expansion.

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.

BACKGROUND

Ian Calvert has a wealth of experience within the UK digital sector, having previously held senior positions within some of the well-known big telecoms players in the market.

Ian noted that in some rural, hard to reach areas of Cornwall, good internet connections were well below par when compared with other less rural parts of the UK. Connections in rural areas were at best intermittent, leaving many communities literally digitally stranded. Businessmen and women were unable to successfully work remotely, students were unable to access and submit coursework online and family members living in different locations were unable to connect online.

Having defined the issues these areas faced with their internet connectivity, he set himself a challenge: Ian wanted to establish a business which could provide fast, reliable internet to these hard to reach areas.

The question was “How?”

“LAGGING” BEHIND WITH BROADBAND SPEEDS

The larger internet providers really struggle to access certain areas of Cornwall. Their networks which predominantly use old copper cable networks, cannot always reach rural addresses and if they are successful in some areas, the broadband speed is often slow, resulting in a poor internet connection. These pockets of communities can be overlooked and under serviced by the larger internet providers and as a result were becoming increasingly isolated and left behind.

Ian set about putting his mission into practice, drawing on his knowledge and expertise, he embarked on researching the infrastructure available and how these rural communities could be brought into the 21^st century. He quickly realised that in order to re-connect these areas, he had to use a different type of infrastructure which could provide fast broadband capable of yielding both a stable and reliable internet connection.

BROADBAND – BUT NOT AS CORNWALL KNOWS IT

In 2017, Ian established Wildanet, which is now headquarted in Liskeard, Cornwall. The business set about to deliver a high-tech, low-hassle, fast broadband solution for those hard to reach rural areas which would guarantee broadband speeds. This was key to differentiating Wildanet from the big players who are only able to guarantee an “up to” broadband speed.

Ian comments: “We explained to our potential customers who Wildanet were and our model of providing lightning fast internet for hard to reach areas. Providing we could get a line of sight to the village; we could connect the residents to our service and solve this problem.”

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SPEED

The traditional broadband infrastructure of copper and fibre continues to get clogged up with oversubscription, which is part of the reason the larger internet providers stumbled across difficulties in rural Cornish areas.

Wildanet use an alternative method of delivering high speed broadband away from the traditional methods employed. They have evolved their infrastructure and built a box of tricks to suit the area they are connecting to and have become a hybrid supplier, combining 3 main methods of broadband technology: wireless, 4G and fibre.

So, how does it all work?

By using cutting edge wireless technology which has more capacity than the copper cable network.

• Wildanet use their own network which runs through the air via interconnected wireless hubs
• The state-of-the-art radio technology connects hubs to a property with the help of a small device, called a “receiver” which is placed on the outside of the property
• The receiver is positioned so it has line of sight to the Wildanet hub
• The hubs interact with the receiver connecting the families inside the property to the internet

A “BIT OF A GIG“ SENDS FAST NEW WAVES THROUGH LISKEARD

Liskeard is proud to be the base for the first wireless gigabit connection in Cornwall. Gigabit technology will provide additional choice for broadband technology which will deliver ultrafast speeds to over 500 properties in the area.

A gigabit is now 40 times faster than you would expect to see from your normal broadband provider. Families can be online all at the same time, participating in video conferencing, watching 4K TV and gaming consistently and confidently without interruption or loss of connectivity.

No more missed opportunities with gaming apps, no more furious clicking trying to get the last bid in for a luxury item and unluckily, no more excuses for extending assignment deadlines for students.

FAST FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE

Wildanet has led the way with installing broadband in hard to reach rural areas.

One third of Cornwall has Wildanet technology in or outside their premises. At any one time, families could be accessing a guaranteed minimum internet speed of 30Mb/s, going up to a lightning-fast 1Gb/s.

Ian Calvert, CEO and Founder of Wildanet commented, “We have been fortunate enough to have received funding over £1.35 million from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund and matched funders, to allow us to expediate our growth strategy bringing reliable super-fast broadband to Cornwall’s hard to reach rural areas in the last few years. During the challenging times we have all been facing during the global pandemic, it was imperative that we continue to support existing customers whilst striving to get new customers connected. I am proud to say that during these times, we have connected more homes than ever before and connected vulnerable families as part of our supporting school’s project. Moving forward there is a real opportunity for us to radically improve connection speeds for homes and businesses across Cornwall currently experiencing low bandwidths and to further continue our expansion plans in the South West. We are excited about what is in store for Wildanet in the coming months.” 

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.

Ralph Singleton, Head of Funds Cornwall at The FSE Group adds, “Those of us in towns and cities, well serviced with good internet connections, tend to take it for granted. Digital access is part of everyday life, it is imperative for connecting with family and friends and for business and entertainment. We were delighted to be able to support Wildanet’s plans to help close the digital divide in rural areas. Their technology is top of the range and the future holds exciting opportunities for the business, including area expansion which will create more local job opportunities as they continue to grow.”

If you live in the Cornwall region and would like to find out if Wildanet could become your internet provider:

Tel: 0800 0699909

Email: hello@wildanet.com

Visit: www.wildanet.com

BACKGROUND 

IgniteData was established in 2014, by co-founders Richard Yeatman and Dan Hydes, who met in 2013 whilst both consulting in the NHS. Richard with a focus on systems and technology, seeking to streamline the manually intensive processes with his experience and knowledge of Electronic Health Records (EHR), whilst Dan’s primary focus was on assessing commercial opportunities and potential deals for the NHS.

Introduced through work connections, they discovered that they both had a shared passion for clinical trials and had shared experiences; patient recruitment was slow, inefficient and sometimes expensive. Data collection records from trials was cumbersome. Skilled staff were removed from the critical clinical trials front line, to manually handle inordinate amounts of data for inputting, processing and finally analysis, meaning a large margin for human error which is known to result in huge levels of expensive monitoring to avoid skewing trial results.

The key to solving these issues? Getting the right people and processes in place, using the records ethically and efficiently to support research.

THE SPARK OF AN IDEA

Richard and Dan joined forces, with a shared focus on investigating how they could bring about improvements and streamline processes within the clinical trial sites.

Using EHR data, they originally set-about researching how they could best achieve their goal to improve the whole process of patient recruitment, finding the right patient, assigning them to a trial and then, how to keep them and their data managed once enrolled on the trial. This would hopefully reduce the manual processes at trial sites, improve efficiencies, reduce cost and ultimately help to speed new treatments to patients.

As time moved on and they received greater feedback from the industry, they both realised the technical challenge many wanted to solve, was automating this same EHR data into clinical study databases.

THE FSE GROUP ADDS FUEL TO THE FIRE

Ignite Data was going from strength to strength with their patient recruitment agency and real-world evidence studies consultancy. Processes were becoming joined up and a million miles away from the inordinate systems and duplicated processes of the past.

IgniteData worked with The FSE Group who, via the Thames Valley Berkshire Expansion Loan Scheme provided £300k by means of an expansion loan. This would enable the business to achieve their future growth and expansion plans along with researching and developing new apps.

IDEA TO REALITY – IGNITE DATA IS “GRANTED” FUNDING

To help fund their research and development, Richard and Dan were put in touch with Granted Consultancy who were able to work with the team and guide them through the application process to secure £750k grant funding from the UK Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.

IGNITE DATA AND ITS BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Utilising the grant funding, IgniteData were preparing to create a paradigm shift in clinical research with their cloud-based app known as “Archer.” The beauty of “Archer” is that it can open directly in hospital electronic records, making the collation of certain patient data electronic, more streamlined and negating the need for duplication and manual input (EHR to EDC). This also means that skilled staff remain on the critical clinical trials front line, where they are needed most.

IgniteData offers multiple solutions, but it is “Archer” the digital research assistant, which deals with reducing the manual processes at trial sites to improve efficiency, reduce cost and help speed new treatments to patients. (EHR to EDC). This is all achieved through an EHR communication technology known as HL7® FHIR®.

BURNING BRIGHTLY INTO THE FUTURE

Richard Yeatman, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Ignite Data commented: “For Dan and I, this has been a really exciting journey. We have poured our combined knowledge into designing and delivering smarter solutions in the real-world using EHR data. IgniteData’s technology enhanced solutions allow its pharma and clinical research organisation (CRO) clients to find sites for research and clinical trials, recruit patients for their research and integrate EHR data. Acting as an interoperability aggregator for electronic health records and study database connections, IgniteData plays an important role in connecting the ecosystem. Our deeptech platform integrates key data systems, reducing the need for manual input, eliminating duplication and increasing data integrity.”

Cheryl Weeks, Head of Funds, South East comments: “Working with Richard and Dan was a real pleasure. Having both had similar experiences delivering technology within the NHS, their combined knowledge is phenomenal. Both bring different experiences to the table but with shared experiences of systems and processes, which has led to the success of IgniteData. We were pleased to secure £300k term debt finance to help them further expand their business, grow their team and keep up to date with the technology required to develop new apps.”

Jon Williams, Director, Granted Consultancy: "Assisting IgniteData in securing over £750k of grant funding to accelerate the development of their innovation is something myself and our in-house grant writing team feel very proud to have been a part of. Their technology is a market-leading solution that will help catalyse a radical shift in the way that clinical research is currently conducted. Over multiple successful awards, we've worked closely with the IgniteData team to ensure best fit between grant funding opportunities and the company's strategic needs, so we share their passion for their innovative product and look forward to continuing to support them as they continue to grow and scale their business."     

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.

To find out more about IgniteData and to arrange to speak with an Archer expert, contact them directly or visit their website:

Tel: 0118 453 0403

Email: contact@ignitedata.co.uk

Web: https://www.ignitedata.co.uk/

A Luton-based manufacturer of cutting equipment has secured a £350,000 investment to expand its product line and create new jobs.

Bright Instruments secured the finance from The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund, part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF).

Established in 1937, Bright Instruments specialises in the design and development of cutting equipment used across the medical, education and manufacturing sectors.

The company is set to use the funding to expand its technical, sales and marketing teams - creating seven new roles. It will also increase research and development as the business looks to expand its product offering.

Bright Instruments was bought by its current owners, Harry Nugent and Robert Stanley, in 2015. Both owners are planning on using the finance to further build the company’s reputation for reliability, backed by innovation and imagination.

Harry Nugent, Co‐Owner of Bright Instrument Co, commented: “We are immensely proud of our business and with the support of MEIF, this funding will enable us to reach the next level of growth: expanding our technical, sales and marketing teams, creating seven new positions in 2021. We will also be able to focus strongly on research and development to expand our product offering.

“David, from The FSE Group, supported and helped us through the process of obtaining the MEIF funding and we would like to extend our thanks to him for his guidance.”

David Price, Fund Manager, at The FSE Group, which manages the MEIF Debt Finance Fund adds: “Working with Harry and Robert was great. Their business is innovative and provides valuable products to the health sector. We were pleased to be able to support a long-standing manufacturing business, helping it to unlock further growth potential. We look forward to seeing the business expand and further strengthen its team and product range.”

Grant Peggie, Director at the British Business Bank, said: “This is another example of how MEIF funding is being used to support a growing business and the creation of new skilled jobs. The MEIF works with its Fund Managers across the Midlands, providing important funding to help businesses looking to scale up and grow and we’d encourage other small
businesses in the Midlands to consider the finance options available through the Fund.”

Vicky Hlomuka, SEMLEP’s Growth Hub Manager, said: “This is a significant investment that will enable expansion and job growth for Bright Instruments. It is good to see businesses with heritage in our area looking at investment as a way to grow. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund is a great option for businesses in the South East Midlands.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

For more information about Bright Instruments, visit https://brightinstruments.co.uk.

London and New York based business, A Million Ads has secured a £250,000 loan from the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Acclaimed producer, strategist and engineer, Steve Dunlop, founded his London based dynamic digital audio and video advertising business in 2015, and established the New York branch in 2018. 

A Million Ads are the personalisation experts for audio and video advertising. The company uses contextual data to create personalised ads with more context and more relevance to better connect with consumers.

This innovative platform for producers and creatives, allows them to build millions of versions of an ad quickly and easily. The platform leverages information known about consumers, the brand and campaign to influence the content of the ad, such as the music, voice-over, or sound effects.

The business works with music streaming, internet radio and podcasting services around the world, and has produced more than 960 campaigns to date globally, for world-leading brands such as eBay, Adidas, McDonald’s, British Gas and Sky.

Steve Dunlop, Founder and CEO of A Million Ads commented: “I am passionate about story-telling and bringing tales to life. Tech and creativity may not sound like a natural fit, but for our clients, using A Million Ads technology allows their creativity to flourish, ensuring their brands come alive. The result - telling an engaging and compelling story which effectively communicates their message. This loan has come at a great time to support our business as we have a growing in-house team, consisting of creative, engineering and sales. Thanks to both GLIF and David at The FSE Group who are helping us drive the business forward whilst shaping and strengthening it in line with our future plans.”

David Booth, Senior Fund Manager for The FSE Group, who manage the £55 million GLIF debt fund on behalf of Funding London, commented: “It was great working with Steve and his senior team at A Million Ads. Our aim is to offer support for ambitious high growth businesses and A Million Ads is certainly proof of that as they pioneer change in the digital marketplace. We look forward to being part of their exciting future.”

Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, CEO at Funding London, adds: “We are delighted to welcome ‘A Million Ads’ to the GLIF portfolio. We could see immediately a big ambition to grow the business and a need for capital to facilitate this. By working with Steve and his team, we’ve been able to make the loan to support the team's vision for the year ahead.”

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.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy (BEIS). Deadline for CBILS applications has been extended to 30 November for UK businesses.