News

The FSE Group has appointed Laurie Felker Jones as an Investment Manager in its South West team, strengthening its regional investment capability and support for ambitious, purposeled businesses. 

Laurie brings significant experience across venture investment, startup advisory, fundraising and portfolio support, with a strong track record working alongside earlystage and growth businesses. In her new role at FSE, she will work closely with SMEs in the South West, supporting investment activity and helping businesses scale sustainably. 

Laurie has spent the past decade working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investment and impact. Most recently, she has worked as a senior advisor and visiting partner across a range of venture programmes and organisations, including Antler, Techstars and Village Capital. Her work has focused on investment readiness, business modelling, fundraising strategy and supporting underrepresented founders. 

She has extensive experience working with earlystage companies, having supported hundreds of startups globally through accelerator programmes and advisory roles. This includes helping founders refine commercial strategies, prepare for investment, and navigate different forms of finance beyond traditional venture capital. 

Laurie holds an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Social Business from the London School of Economics and has completed the Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Oxford Saïd Business School. 

Commenting on her appointment, Laurie said: “I’m excited to be joining The FSE Group’s South West team and to be working with ambitious businesses across the region. FSE has a strong track record of backing SMEs and taking a practical, longterm approach to growth. I’m looking forward to supporting founders as they build resilient and investable businesses.” 

Ralph Singleton, Head of Equity South West at FSE Group, added: “Laurie brings a depth of experience in venture support, fundraising and impactled investment that will be a real asset to our South West team. Her background working closely with founders will strengthen the support we provide to businesses across the region.” 

The FSE Group is appointed fund manager for £84million of the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, which aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund is increasing the supply and diversity of earlystage 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. 

Funding supports expansion of manufacturing and commercial capacity for SemaCyte microcarrier platform

Semarion, a University of Cambridge spin-out company from the Cavendish Laboratory combining materials engineering and cell biology to tackle unmet drug screening needs, today announced it has raised £2.9 million. The fundraise was led by Parkwalk, and joined by The FSE Group, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Oxford Innovation Finance, Found Capital, Cambridge Capital Group, and Start Codon. The investment will facilitate commercial expansion and scale manufacturing of the Company’s SemaCyte® platform which enables adherent cell models to be handled as assay-ready, barcoded reagents for more flexible, data-rich, scalable drug discovery.

With a growing pipeline of opportunities and strong industry interest, Semarion is focused on broad-scale customer adoption, strengthening partnerships and preparing for its next phase of growth. The funding will be used to drive further commercialisation of the SemaCyte platform, enabling the Company to increase manufacturing throughput and expand the field application support team.

Semarion’s technology has already been adopted by leading global pharmaceutical organisations, including top 10 pharma companies, across the US and Europe, with multiple pilot programs progressing towards broader commercial rollout. The Company has also established collaborations with global life science tools providers including Revvity, which has integrated compatibility for SemaCyte detection into its imaging and analysis platforms, and SPT Labtech, combining the microcarrier technology with SPT Labtech’s liquid handling platform to advance automated cell-based assay workflows.

Jeroen Verheyen, CEO and Co-Founder at Semarion, said: “This funding marks an important step as we scale to meet growing demand from the industry. Scientists are under increasing pressure to generate more cell-based data, improve automation and drive operational efficiency. SemaCytes enable them to do this within existing workflows and infrastructure, and we are now focused on translating that momentum into broader adoption.”

Paul Lyristis, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “Semarion is bringing a genuine step change to cell-based research, offering a practical solution to long standing bottlenecks in drug discovery. The team has demonstrated impressive technical progress and strong commercial traction, particularly with top tier pharma companies. Their technology has clear scalability, strong sustainability benefits and a compelling market opportunity. We are delighted to support their next stage of growth and look forward to seeing the company continue to expand its customer base and product capabilities.”

Premium drinks distributor and brandbuilder Oak & Still Limited has received a £150,000 loan from the East of England Regional Growth Loan Scheme, managed by The FSE Group. The funding will help the business grow its team and bring several new spirits brands to market as it continues to expand across the UK. 

Founded in 2020, Oak & Still helps both established and emerging drinks producers launch and scale premium spirits in the UK. The company works across retail, wholesale, ontrade and online channels, with listings that include major supermarkets, national wholesalers and leading ecommerce platforms.  

Alongside its agency work, Oak & Still is further building its portfolio of majorityowned and jointventure brands, which currently includes the awardwinning Dangerous Don mezcal. Two new inhouse brands are planned for launch in the next 12 months with a runway of innovation-led products to follow over the medium term. 

With the UK alcoholic drinks market valued at £60bn and the spirits segment alone worth £16.8bn, Oak & Still is well positioned to benefit from continued sector growth, particularly the rising demand for distinctive, storydriven products. This loan will enable the hire of new team members to help accelerate brand development and marketing activity and support future scalability. 

Luke Brown, Founder and Managing Director of Oak & Still, said: “This investment from FSE comes at a key moment for us as we accelerate our portfolio development and strengthen our commercial team. Our focus is on building and scaling distinctive brands that resonate with consumers, while continuing to provide our partners with strong market access through our established distribution network. The support from FSE will help us move faster and make the most of the opportunities ahead.” 

Matt Punter, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, added: “Oak & Still has already demonstrated impressive momentum, driven by the team’s deep industry experience and proven ability to get brands noticed. The business combines strong commercial partnerships with a clear strategy for developing its own highmargin products. We are pleased to support the next stage of its growth journey and look forward to seeing the company continue to scale.” 

The East of England Regional Growth Loan Scheme (RGLS) is managed by The FSE Group. Loans between £50,000 and £500,000 are available to established incorporated businesses based within the East of England that have a minimum annual turnover of £100,000. The funding can be used for a range of growth activities as well as to service short to medium-term trade and contract finance requirements. The scheme aims to stimulate job creation and economic prosperity and supports SMEs that have the potential to deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the East of England region. 

iLivestock, the award-winning livestock management platform from Fife-based agri-tech company Duradiamond Software Ltd, is accelerating its commercial growth following a £750,000 loan from the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Scotland via appointed fund manager, The FSE Group.

The platform forms part of Duradiamond Software’s patented, fully integrated livestock management ecosystem, combining software, hardware and an educational support hub. iLivestock enables farmers to capture, analyse and manage real‑time animal data, reducing paperwork, improving animal health outcomes and boosting operational profitability. The company holds patents for its “eWeigh” weighing technology in the UK, USA and South Africa, with further patents pending across international markets.

The funding is supporting a wide range of growth initiatives, including new hires, expanded international sales activity, upgraded marketing capacity, and investment in operational and manufacturing infrastructure. As a result of the first £500,000 instalment, which was received in July, iLivestock has achieved over 300% growth, expanded into eight countries, and won multiple industry awards, including the Scotland Final of the KPMG UK Tech Innovator competition.

With multiple global territories adopting mandatory electronic identification (EID) requirements for cattle and sheep, the latest £250,000 instalment is helping iLivestock to meet growing demand, supported by a robust pipeline of partnership agreements.

Jamie Pugh, CCO of iLivestock, said: “Having built strong global momentum with partners across multiple continents, this funding enables us to accelerate at exactly the right moment. With new markets opening due to regulatory change and rising demand for digital livestock solutions, we’re now able to deliver our technology to significantly more farmers worldwide. This investment allows us to continue innovating, enhance our international presence and ultimately support farmers in improving productivity, sustainability and animal welfare.”

Dave Young, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “iLivestock is a dynamic Scottish success story with a compelling combination of patented technology, strategic partnerships and a highly capable leadership team. The business has positioned itself at the forefront of digital transformation in livestock farming, supported by strong global market drivers and an extensive international pipeline. We are delighted to support the company as it continues its ambitious growth journey.”

Sarah Newbould, Senior Investment Manager at Nations & Regions Investment Funds, the British Business Bank, added: “Through the Investment Fund for Scotland we are committed to supporting ambitious, innovative Scottish businesses such as iLivestock. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this investment will have on the company, the farmers it serves, and the wider agri-tech sector.”

The purpose of the British Business Bank’s £150 million 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 fund will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.

iLivestock’s expansion will help strengthen Scotland's agri‑tech sector by enabling job creation, increasing global export activity, and encouraging the adoption of data‑driven, sustainable farming practices across the cattle and sheep industries.

A company specialising in safe and effective cleaning products is expanding with investment from Finance Yorkshire.

Sky Chemicals develops and manufactures cleaning products using peracetic acid rather than the more traditional ingredient of chlorine.

Peracetic acid is notable for its antimicrobial properties and rapid environmental decomposition into the non-toxic residues of acetic acid, water and oxygen.

The company has moved from its Kelham Island base in Sheffield to Kettlebridge Road, near the city’s Parkway, providing Sky Chemicals with more factory and storage space as well as a dedicated laboratory for new product development.

The relocation is being supported by a £200,000 investment from Finance Yorkshire’s loan fund.

Sky Chemicals founder Mike Joseph and his team have worked closely with experts at Sheffield Hallam University to develop peracetic acid in powder form which is more stable than as a liquid.

The company has also collaborated with University College Hospital London (UCHL) to clinically test its disinfectant products which are used by several NHS hospital trusts for infection control.

Sky Chemicals is still collaborating with Sheffield Hallam on generating peracetic acid and with UCHL on clinical testing. The company’s partnership with Sheffield Hallam has resulted in graduate James Derham who studied to PhD level recently joining the business as Research & Development Lead Chemist.

Mike explained: “Traditional chlorine-based cleaning products have limited effectiveness. Using peracetic acid is safe and more efficacious while being environmentally friendly and sustainable.

“Finance Yorkshire’s investment is helping us to improve our business potential and attract new customers.”

As well as the NHS, Sky Chemicals supplies the Japanese health care market with its Pericide™ products and is seeking to export to other countries. It is also targeting the food industry as a key growth area and plans to add to its eight-strong headcount.

Finance Yorkshire’s investment in Sky Chemicals follows two other recent investments in South Yorkshire based SMEs. Investments from Finance Yorkshire’s growth fund in artisan dessert retailer Batch’d and cereal manufacturer Spoon along with Sky Chemicals total more than £2 million.

Alex McWhirter, CEO of Finance Yorkshire, said: “These are three strong investments by Finance Yorkshire and demonstrate our support for the SME base in South Yorkshire and its local economy.

“Sky Chemicals’ success showcases the strength of innovation in new product development being carried out between the region’s pioneering companies and world-leading universities.

“We are pleased to support Sky Chemicals relocation in South Yorkshire which will enable the business to expand, particularly into new sectors both in the UK and globally.”