The biotechnology startup received the grant to scale up manufacturing processes for green cosmetic compounds.
"This collaboration with Teesside University, led by Associate Professor Dr. M. Safwan Akram an expert in Synthetic biology and BiBerChem Research led by Professor Bernard Golding a Synthetic Organic Chemist brings together our complementary strengths and expertise, and we are excited to see the results of our joint efforts in this important area"
The funding round was backed by Mercia, the MEIF Proof of Concept and Early Stage Fund, the Angel Co-Fund, and private investors.
"The world of work has never been more complex, so it is important that organisations make decisions based on accurate data. At HR Datahub our mission is to give them the analysis and the insights they need. The funding will enable us to add a new level of sophistication to the platform and roll it out to an even wider audience."
The funding round was led by BGF and Downing to support the rollout of the company's respiratory diagnostics business.
"COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world and prevalence of respiratory diseases is rising. But the current clinical pathway for COPD diagnostics is stuck in the 1800s and is ineffective, inefficient and expensive. In England alone, the NHS estimates that a third of people with hospital admissions from COPD have not been diagnosed, by which point their disease has progressed, their quality of life has deteriorated and the cost to the healthcare system has ballooned."
The funding round was backed by investors including Ananda Impact Ventures and Brighteye Ventures to support the launch of a new entrepreneurial MBA.
"Following a successful fundraise of £8.25 million, we are hugely excited to launch our new MBA programme, which is just the first step in creating a broader education system around entrepreneurship."
"We’re delighted to complete our crowdfund and gain more vehicle obsessed, money-saving focused investors. With this fundraising complete, our plan is to launch and get to the heights of MoneySuperMarket in the vehicle-comparison world. We want to shake up the whole vehicle buying process and enable consumers to make informed decisions before they part with their cash. Karfu is a totally unique proposition: it will be the first site ever to include a range of vehicles – not just cars or bikes – and we also calculate the vehicle’s lifetime CO2 impact. Now more than ever people want to make decisions that are sustainable for the environment and Karfu helps them to do that. It’s about the total ownership cost. Most of the time people might base their decision just on a monthly PCP deal, for example, but they might be comparing apples with oranges. By assessing people’s needs with a few basic questions, we can establish whether it’s best for a consumer to buy outright, lease, hire purchase or even go down subscription or sharing routes. It’s all in the mix. The rising cost of living means consumers need to be smarter with their money. By considering all the options, even those that traditional consumers feel they know little about, Karfu will help them be better informed and able to make decisions that save them time, money… and the planet."