Vertical Aerospace, the Bristol firm developing an innovative electric-powered ‘flying taxi’, has delayed its into service by two years as it agrees a multi million pound refinancing. The move means the firm can continue the test programme for its revolutionary vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) VX4 aircraft, with a...
A £50m fund to help the growth of small and medium-sized firms across the South West has been launched by investment group Foresight – with an office in Bristol due to open to support it. FTSE 250 listed Foresight already manages a number of regionally focused private equity and...
A Bristol tech firm at the cutting edge of the integrated photonics industry has raised £600,000 to launch a ‘game-changing’ platform aimed at accelerating product development in the fast-growing sector. Light Trace Photonics will use the capital injection from QantX Ventures, the regional investment firm that backs high impact...
Pioneering ways of meeting the West of England’s economic challenges while building on its strengths are to be explored by a new data and research project. The Brunel Centre, which will officially launch next year, will bring together businesses and universities with policymakers to support regional growth and industrial strategy. It...
Bristol serial entrepreneur Rob Law, best known for his Trunki ride-on kids’ suitcase, has launched his latest venture – a sleep training clock. Called Zeepy, it is aimed at children aged between two and six and uses melatonin-friendly lighting to help foster a more restful sleep. To complement the...
The corporate and mergers & acquisitions team from Bristol-headquartered national law firm Burges Salmon has advised world-leading specialist optical components manufacturer Gooch & Housego on its most recent takeover. The £6.75m acquisition of Phoenix Optical will accelerate Ilminster, Somerset-based Gooch & Housego’s expansion into the UK and European aerospace...
A world-leading plastics reprocessing plant in Bristol touted as being an essential part of the UK’s move to a circular economy when it opened two years ago is to close. Operator Viridor blamed challenging market conditions and a lack of pro-recycling legislation for the shutdown. The firm, owned by US...
A Bristol fruit preserve and chilli jam manufacturer is to double its capacity to meet increasing demand after receiving £200,000 from a specialist South West funder – having had its previous applications for growth finance rejected by its bank. Single Variety Co, which mostly sells to individuals via its...
The sweeping fiscal changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Budget will hit SMEs and business owners hard as the government seeks to plug a ‘£22bn black hole’ in the public purse. In one of the most hotly anticipated Autumn Budgets in recent years, the Chancellor announced the...
A Bristol-based manufacturer and supplier of safety lifting equipment has been acquired by a specialist US group as part of its continued international expansion. Tacklestore, which was launched 20 years ago and has its head office in Avonmouth, is now part of Vertical Supply Group (VSG), a leading supplier...
Three Bristol deep tech spin-out businesses will be vying for investment of up to £2m at a high-profile event aimed at shaping the tech investment landscape. The innovative firms will line up against 17 other businesses at Investment Futures in London, which will also feature panel and roundtable discussions on...
Employers have been heavily impacted by this Budget. Employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will increase by 1.2% to 15% from April 2025. And the threshold at which it becomes payable has decreased from £9,100 to £5,000. That double whammy of tax rises is partly offset by the Employment Allowance increasing...
As widely expected, the Chancellor has increased the rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) from Budget Day itself, so any transactions occurring on or after today are affected. That means that any potential window that could have arisen, had the increase been delayed until April 2025, has been closed. ...
