Regional alternative finance lender South West Investment Group (SWIG) lent a record £14m to ambitious small and medium-sized businesses across the region in the past year, new figures show. The non-profit group, which supports viable businesses that cannot secure sufficient funding from their bank, provided 559 loans to 478...
Transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has appointed three new Bristol-based partners among a raft of senior promotions across its UK offices. The Bristol trio are Ronan Lowney, who advises on tax aspects of transactions, corporate finance team member Alex Fergus and Louise Norman, the firm’s Deputy General...
A specialist insurance firm that has employed hundreds of people in its Bristol head office for more than four decades looks set to be acquired by a rival which also has its headquarters in the city. DAS, which has been a pioneer in the legal expenses insurance market since...
Bristol’s tech talent has swept the board at The SPARKies, the awards that champion the best of the West of England’s tech and digital community. Firms and individuals from the city triumphed in 14 of the 17 categories up for grabs at the awards ceremony staged in Bath’s Parade...
Poku Osei, the founder and CEO of Babbasa, the Bristol social enterprise transforming the lives of young people from ethnic minority and low-income backgrounds, has won a unique social enterprise award. The Cambridge Social Innovation Prize, which was launched five years ago, celebrates five exceptional social entrepreneurs and recognises...
Growth capital investment group BGF’s Bristol team backed fast-growth businesses to the tune of £40m during the first half of this year as the region continued to provide fresh opportunities for funding. Capital investments were made across a diverse range of sectors including technology, healthcare, engineering and manufacturing. Among the...
The Bristol office of Evelyn Partners, the national integrated wealth management and professional services group, has taken on a new financial planning director. Will Thompson, pictured, left, with Evelyn Partners Bristol office managing partner Richard Mikdadi, joins from wealth management firm Rathbones, where he spent three-and-a-half years as a senior financial...
Accountancy group KPMG UK has appointed David Williams as senior partner for its South West region, which includes its Bristol office. He replaces Ian Brokenshire, who is retiring after 35 years with firm. In his new role David, pictured right, will lead more than 700 staff across the region,...
Small and medium-sized firms in Bristol with growth potential can apply to a new £200m fund aimed at boosting innovation and prosperity across the South West. Launched in Bristol by the British Business Bank yesterday, the South West Investment Fund (SWIF) will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage...
Workforce issues, including pressure to increase wages, remain the biggest headache for business based in Bristol and across the West of England, with many raising their prices to fund pay awards. Combined with wider concerns over inflation, this has led to a slump in confidence – with levels now...
Science Creates, the Bristol deep-tech ecosystem, has launched an accelerator programme based in the city for engineering biology businesses as the sector prepares for rapid expansion. The programme will support life science start-ups and innovators in developing ground-breaking advancements in healthcare, the environment and quality of life. Engineering biology...
A healthtech business revolutionising stroke rehabilitation has won the Best Elevator Pitch at incubator SETsquared Bristol’s Tech-Xpo 2023 showcase. SoleSense uses shoe sensors and a real-time biofeedback app to provide personalised digital physiotherapy to stroke patients. The firm, which fought off strong competition from nine other SETsquared-based businesses to claim...
The Bristol office of national accountancy firm Haines Watts has made two promotions within its senior team. Matthew Oldfield, who joined the firm almost nine years ago after previously working for HMRC for more than a decade, becomes an associate from his position as senior tax manager. Meanwhile Elizabeth...
