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A company specialising in software aimed at people over the age of 65, or those with visual or dexterity impairments is the latest company to be supported through the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator.

Guildford based Easology’s bespoke software enables everyday functions on mobile devices to be easier to navigate, with simplified layouts, bigger text, larger icons and a magnification function for reading small print on leaflets and packages, resulting in a more user friendly-experience.

Easology teamed up with Samsung for the release of the Galaxy Tab A9+ and also successfully piloted their software with EE in 2022. From Spring 2024, mobile network providers BT and EE will offer the Easology software on all Samsung Tablets and smartphones.

The £300,000 Expansion Loan will help fund further product and brand development, with a strong focus on sales and marketing channels throughout 2024.  

Dr Peter Ashall, Easology CEO, said: “We are dedicated to helping older generations and people with disabilities keep up with the fast paced technology sector, and work with the ethos that a more user friendly solution doesn’t have to be less powerful. We have put a vast amount of effort into understanding why some groups of people aren’t online and have developed our app to combat difficulties in visibility, navigation, set up and searching, along with other hindering issues. This funding will allow us to roll out our software across different devices and networks both in the UK and across Europe, and therefore help even more people.”

Paul Smith, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, which manages the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator on behalf of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), added: “Advances in technology often leave the older generation and people with disabilities behind. Easology software goes a long way to minimise this inclusivity barrier and enables users to stay connected with their family and friends. We were impressed by the strength of the company’s management team, coupled with the solid financial backing they already have in place. We are pleased to be supporting Peter and his team on the next stage of their journey.”

The Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator is a £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 LEP. The escalator includes an expansion loan scheme, a short-term trade loan scheme and an equity growth fund, and provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £500,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the EM3 area.

The FSE Group has been providing high-growth SMEs with accessible market-gap funding since 2002. We work with stakeholders and partners, including British Business Bank, Finance Yorkshire, Funding London and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to deliver regional funding that supports job creation and economic prosperity. With a range of funds that are driven by an economic impact rationale and are not purely focused on commercial return, FSE is committed to supporting in the long-term, sustainable businesses that will grow, provide employment, and generate economic benefit in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

For more information about the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator visit: https://www.thefsegroup.com/fund/enterprise-m3-funding-escalator or contact Paul Smith: Paul.Smith@thefsegroup.com

A start-up technology company providing 3D visualisation software has secured equity investment from GameTech Ventures and the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), managed by The FSE Group. The £0.5 million funding round will promote the growth of the business, supporting further product development, marketing, and sales.

Amutri Ltd, founded in 2021 as part of the Falmouth Launchpad entrepreneur accelerator programme, has developed technology that enables stakeholders of architectural and engineering projects to create and share 3D content and view rich 3D experiences powered by cutting-edge gaming technology, on any device quickly and easily. This will allow design teams to re-imagine how they work together and engage with their customers, as well as enhance stakeholder experiences to generate better engagement and increase sales.

Although the benefits of 3D Visualisation technology are clear, it’s difficult to adopt and expensive to maintain. Amutri is building a step-change product that delivers a simple path to adopting 3D Visualisation technology, making the technology easy to access, rapid and cost-effective, for the first time.

Michael Calver, Amutri CEO, said: “As a young and ambitious company, we recognise the importance of support in realising our goals. This investment will propel us forward in further developing our innovative products to lower the entry point to 3D Visualisation technology for many industries. We value GameTech Ventures’ and The FSE Group’s confidence in our vision and are thankful for their support at this early stage. We look forward to continued collaboration as we work towards achieving our growth plans.”

The 3D Visualisation industry is worth around USD 23 billion and is expected to grow due to technological advancements and increasing demand across various industries. Real-time 3D visualisation is becoming more popular and could lead to greater adoption of the technology. Amutri’s solution removes time constraints and expands accessibility, ultimately increasing the addressable market.

Meg Salt, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, added: “Amutri is an exciting disruptor in 3D Visualisation. Their technology has garnered positive feedback from end users and has a large addressable market. The experienced team has already established a strong pipeline of international clients for whom Amutri is removing barriers to producing 3D experiences. The company is poised for rapid commercialisation and further functionality in 2024 and we are delighted to be working with them as they continue to grow.”

Lachlan Gowrie-Smith, partner at GameTech Ventures said “Amutri are building a paradigm shifting technology for 3D Visualisation, expanding access and lowering costs for whole new categories of businesses and consumers. Their approach demonstrates the power of games technology to drive innovation across different industries and applications. Michael and his experienced team are perfectly positioned to deliver on the promise of this vision.”

For more information about Amutri, please visit www.amutri.com or contact hello@amutri.com

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund was established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide debt and equity finance to help growing small businesses across the region.

Funding through CIOSIF came to an end in December 2023 but wider funding is now available through the British Business Bank’s £200m South West Investment Fund providing loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m.

CIOSIF has been 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.

ARC Marine, the developer of pioneering low-carbon concrete solutions for use in marine environments, has secured £1million from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF), as part of a £2million funding round, which also includes a Mulago Foundation grant and investment from Mercuria, one of the world’s largest independent energy and commodities groups.

The Truro based business has developed Marinecrete®, a proprietary non-toxic binder, which emits 90% less CO2 than Portland cement and has recently broken new ground on carbon neutral and carbon negative mix designs. It’s patented product, reef cubes®, can be used in a variety of marine applications across aquaculture, coastal defence, offshore wind, reef conservation and eco-engineering.

ARC’s innovation has the potential to transform the offshore wind farm sector by improving infrastructure installation while preserving marine biodiversity and this will be a key area of focus for the business.

This latest funding follows a previous CIOSIF investment in 2021 and will be used to scale up production and application of ARC’s market-disrupting solutions. Since the first CIOSIF investment ARC has more than doubled the number of employees and quadrupled its turnover and the new funding will be used to further increase headcount with the creation of several highly skilled roles over the next two years

Co-investor Mercuria strategically deploys multi-billion-dollar investments across the energy sector with a focus on the energy transition. With a discerning eye for value and impact, the team annually picks a select number of high-potential ventures that align with a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and market leadership. These carefully curated investments are poised for significant scalability and are instrumental in shaping the future landscape of the energy market. By focusing on transformative projects that bolster energy security and transition, Mercuria plays a pivotal role in driving progress within the industry, fortifying supply chains, and fostering long-term economic growth.

Tom Birbeck, ARC Marine founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to have secured further CIOSIF funding, via The FSE Group, alongside our new co-investors. The first investment helped us grow our team and expand operations and we’re well on our way to proving our innovative solutions can work at scale. Mercuria recognises the potential of Marinecrete® and reef cubes® in the natural energy supply chain and their partnership will be instrumental in boosting the visibility of ARC.”

Meg Salt, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, appointed CIOSIF fund manager, added: “Since our initial investment, ARC has secured a number of blue-chip customers including multi-national energy companies. ARC is uniquely placed to support global carbon net zero targets. The opportunity in offshore wind projects alone is significant while there remains huge potential impact across many sectors beyond its current marine setting. We’re thrilled to work with the team as they take the next step in their growth journey.”

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund was established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide debt and equity finance to help growing small businesses across the region.

Funding through CIOSIF came to an end in December 2023 but wider funding is now available through the British Business Bank’s £200m South West Investment Fund providing loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m.

CIOSIF has been 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.

RoleMapper, the AI-powered job management platform, has secured a £1million equity investment from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund (SWIF), via appointed fund manager The FSE Group.

The investment is part of a £2.1million funding round that will support job creation and overall growth of the business. The funding round includes investment from Mercia Ventures, South West-based venture capital firm QantX, and existing private investors.

The £200m 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 RoleMapper deal is the fund’s largest investment to date since its launch in July last year.

RoleMapper’s technology is disrupting how organisations manage jobs, skills, inclusivity and compliance. It can automate and transform how to plan and manage job designs and descriptions, with access to millions of jobs and skills across multiple industries, all integrated within existing human resources (HR) systems.

Sara Hill, RoleMapper Founder and CEO said: “We are thrilled to have the South West Investment Fund and FSE on board as new partners, enabling us to further strengthen our product, unique AI models and build capacity for further roll-out. We look forward to working with all our investors as we continue our growth journey and build on the progress we’ve made helping organisations create better jobs and build inclusive workplaces.”

The Exeter based business is already working with a number of large organisations including well-known global brands, local authorities and NHS trusts.

Ralph Singleton, Head of Equity, South West at The FSE Group added: “RoleMapper has a strong leadership team with experience building and scaling businesses in the B2B and HR space. They have recently pivoted their offering to address an identified market need and their AI powered tech is helping major corporates and public sector organisations manage their responsibilities as equal opportunity employers. We look forward to working with them as they expand.”

Jody Tableporter, Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds said: “Rolemapper has gone from start-up to scale-up in just a few years, harnessing AI technology to transform how businesses and organisations manage their workforce strategy. We’re delighted the South West Investment Fund is supporting their further growth, with what is the fund’s largest deal to date.”

Mercia Ventures first backed RoleMapper in 2022. Rafael Joseph of Mercia added: “We’re pleased to continue to back the team at RoleMapper. They have shown great tenacity against a tough economic backdrop and successfully reshaped their strategy to solve the immediate issues facing clients. As a consequence, they’ve continued to win impressive blue-chip customers, proving the need for their solutions in the market. We expect them to have another strong year in 2024.”

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.

A Worcestershire based e-commerce gym wear brand, has secured a £650,000 investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), provided by The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund and backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme.  

Silverback Gym Wear focuses on the strongman, strongwoman and strength sports markets. Their existing range is popular with professional athletes and avid gym goers alike, who prioritize quality and innovation over aesthetics when choosing their performance clothing. 

The development of their latest product range Fortis will see them branch out into other areas such as professional rugby and MMA. This standalone range has been co-developed with Britain’s Strongest Man, Adam Bishop. 

Silverback Gym Wear boasts 30,000 returning customers and is expanding its reach in the lucrative US market. To help them achieve this, alongside the development of new products, the MEIF funding will be used to create 12 new positions, fund the move to new larger premises and to boost the sales and marketing functions of the business.  

Richard Gardener, Founder of Silverback Gymwear, said: “The next stage in the development of our range is an incredibly exciting one as we branch out into more sports and interests at all levels of  competition. We’ll be releasing new products that are industry leading, accredited and used in top competitions, all utilising designs that are much more user friendly than current alternatives. The new staff hires that we’ll be able to bring on board thanks to this funding will continue this work and help us to expand further and faster as we disrupt the strength based sports sector, bringing more options to the sector.”   

Ryan Cartwright, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “Founders Richard and Pete are fantastically passionate about their brand. They are brimming with ideas and sector knowledge and in addition their enthusiasm for the sector as a whole is evident. The company’s new products and expansion plans are very encouraging and it has been wonderful working with the whole team to help them secure this funding. We look forward to seeing how the business progresses and spotting their clothing at more and more competitions and matches.” 

Mark Wilcockson, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:  The Midlands Engine Investment Fund continues to back smaller businesses across the region, so it’s great to see another business taking the opportunity for continued growth thanks to the MEIF. As we move towards the launch of MEIF II, we continue to remain committed to this objective.”  

The current MEIF investment phase has now completed with the British Business Bank launching the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II on February 29th. 2024. 

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 2014-2022 and the European Investment Bank. The FSE Group manages a section of MEIF that provides investments between £100,000 and £1.5 million to support growing SMEs across the region. For more information visit: www.thefsegroup.com/fund/midlands-engine-investment-fund-debt-finance.