Mercia

"Having worked on drug development projects that involve animal testing, I've seen the difference that new drugs can make to patients' lives. However, I felt there had to be a better way and set out to look for an alternative. Our model not only enables companies to move away from animal testing but also improves safety for patients too. We look forward to working with many more clients and scaling the business with a view to global expansion in the future."

"Around 40 per cent of brands with a B2B-focus have still not adopted ecommerce, largely because of the challenge of transferring their business model online. Many companies who come to us do so on the back of a two-year failed attempt to launch a store fit for their business. Shopblocks offers a solution. The funding will help us attract more ‘enterprise’ clients and support our goal to become a £50m turnover business."

"GEiGS is already showing significant potential to transform the safety and efficacy of advanced therapies and we are excited that this new investment will allow us to progress towards pre-clinical candidate selection. We’re pleased to welcome such an experienced group of investors on board, bringing extensive sector expertise which will help us to grow as a company and accelerate the development of targeted, responsive treatments."

"Having grown up in a digital world, today’s students are more likely to make decisions based on reviews rather than marketing material. StudentCrowd is the only platform of its type that offers reviews from verified students and covers universities, courses and accommodation. The company has huge potential for growth. This investment will enable it to establish its position as the leader in the UK market and prepare it for international expansion."

"Enzymes play a wide-ranging role in disease, but current technologies are unable to develop drugs to tackle most of them. Our team at Kuano recognised the need to overcome these limitations."