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Aitua |
| Aitua provides critical support to new bioventures during the first stages of the technology-to-business translation process. It works closely with entrepreneurs and scientists to create and nurture emerging companies from world-class science and technology deriving from the Babraham Research Campus and other life science clusters in the UK. It provides seed and early stage funding, injects specific expertise and provides access to services and facilities. This reduces cash-burn during the formative years and so enables companies to get off the ground. Aitua has a unique offering designed to accelerate the formation of quality, venture-ready early-stage companies. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2006 | www.aitua.com |
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Ardentia |
Ardentia is a supplier of world class healthcare business intelligence solutions. Ardentia is the leading dedicated supplier of healthcare solutions in the UK with customers including Trusts, PCTs and Strategic Health Authorities.
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: February 2000 | www.ardentia.co.uk |
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Autochair |
| Autochair specialise in the design and manufacture of hoists and other aids to assist people with disabilities and reduced mobility. |
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: February 2000 | www.autochair.co.uk |
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BHMG Marketing |
| BHMG Marketing was established in August 2005 and provides a full range of marketing services to a wide range of public and private sector organisations, including Advantage West Midlands and a number of local universities. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: August 2005 | www.hmgmarketing.co.uk |
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Brandenburg UK |
| Brandenburg UK are Europe's leading manufacturer of professional insect control systems, supplying some of the worlds leading Blue Chip companies. |
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: September 2000 | www.b-one.com |
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Cellcentric |
| Epigenetics is the study of the control mechanisms that sit on top of genes and guide the function and fate of individual cells. The field is expected to radically change traditional approaches to many healthcare areas, including cancer therapeutics and tissue regeneration. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2005 | www.cellcentric.com |
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Claresys Limited |
Claresys Ltd has developed a Compact Optically Scanning Enhanced (COSE) pinhole camera. The COSE Camera Lens has an independent internal zoom and internal pan & tilt capability, using novel optical component arrangements, where the camera remains stationary. With no external moving parts it is possible to scan onto any target subject within the instantaneous field of view of the lens (up to 125O) and then zoom in onto it. Its applications cover surveillance, oil & gas exploration and other hazardous environments.
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2009 | www.claresys.com/Nindex.html |
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Comply Serve |
| The Company evolved out of the world's leading provider of requirements management solutions, Telelogic AB, where the founding team discovered a significant and largely untapped market opportunity for project supply chain compliance solutions. Comply Serve Limited is a provider of unique, web-based project and product compliance solutions to clients operating in highly regulated industries. Comply Serve's business focus is in markets where there is a need to address complex compliance and assurance goals on high risk, high value programmes of work. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: July 2007 | www.complyserve.com |
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Concurrent Thinking |
| Concurrent Thinking develops and markets pre-configured cluster appliances that simplify the deployment and support of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Over the past seven years, Concurrent Thinking has been responsible for the implementation and support of hundreds of cluster installations, including several Top500 systems. The companies investors include the Advantage Growth Fund, Oxford Capital Partners and the Forward Group. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: May 2005 | www.concurrent-thinking.com |
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Cytox |
| Cytox is developing a diagnostic test and therapeutic cures for Alzheimer's Disease which is estimated to effect 15million people worldwide. The company is a university spin-out based on groundbreaking academic research into the role of the cell cycle in neuro-degenerative diseases. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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1st Investment: December 2006 | www.cytoxgroup.com |  Download case study |
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Dynamic Change |
| Dynamic Change was formed in March 2000 to develop a web-based performance management software tool. Performance Accelerator is an online integrated corporate governance solution that allows organisations to manage and monitor their business objectives, risks, performance indicators, compliance reporting, financial targets and regulatory obligations. Dynamic Change is the market leader in its chosen market; the NHS. The Company was originally backed by an investment from the HSBC fund in 2002 with a follow-on investment by the Advantage Growth Fund in August 2003. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: August 2003 | www.dynamic-change.co.uk | Download case study |
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EcoAlert |
| Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) has been conducting research into marine organisms for more than 20 years funded by NERC. EcoAlert Ltd has been formed by PML's wholly owned technology transfer company, Plymouth Marine Applications Ltd (PMA), to commercialise a novel bioassay technique arising from this work. The Company has exclusive rights to ECOBOX, a portable bioassay kits for in-situ analysis of marine, estuarine and freshwater aquatic environments. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: March 2006 | www.ecoalert.co.uk |
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Festival Business Solutions |
| Festival Business Solutions (FBS) is a leading provider of performance management software for the housing association sector. The software was originally developed by Grant Shipley for internal performance management whilst he was Finance Director for Spa Housing Assocation and subsequently as a Resource Director at Festival Housing Group. Realising the commercial potential of the system to other housing associations, Grant and Festival Housing Group set up FBS as a joint venture in 2003. FBS offers a suite of software modules that provide a framework for managing strategy, monitoring and measuring performance against targets within housing associations. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: August 2006 | www.festivalbs.com | Download case study |
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Gemba Solutions |
| Gemba Solutions develops real time performance management software. The company has three offerings, Lean Impact, OEE IMPACT Manual Entry and OEE IMPACT Connect. Lean Impact comprises a suite of software modules, each of which is a productivity tool in its own right and when combined, provide the user with a comprehensive manufacturing execution system. Manual Entry and Connect are based on a subset of the full Lean Impact suite, enabling the user to move up to a fully automated system as required. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: November 2006 | www.gembasolutions.co.uk | Download case study |
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Inscentinel |
Inscentinel Ltd is a biotechnology company specialising in harnessing the olfactory ability of insects for trace vapour detection.
Our primary focus is the development of a new generation of handheld portable detectors, through the use of live honeybees. This unique Inscentinel Technologyoffers sensitive vapour detection coupled with distinct operational advantages. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: August 2007 | www.inscentinel.com/ |
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Ionic Polymer Solutions |
| IPS is a spin out from Novel Polymer Solutions Limited (NPS), an existing Advantage Growth Fund investment. NPS has granted to IPS the exclusive right to exploit the intellectual property in the manufacture of proton conducting monomers and polymers using novel UV curable diene systems. The technology has a number of potential applications including water free proton conduction in fuel cells and anion pumping for acid regeneration in the metal finishing processes. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: March 2005 | www.ionicpolymersolutions.com | Download case study |
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i-Solutions Global |
i-Solutions has developed i-nexus a suite of performance improvement and strategy exaction software. The Company has a US sales office and a truly global blue-chip customer base. Following an initial investment from the Advantage Growth Fund significant further investment has been raised by the company from Herald Venture and Antrak Capital to fund its continued growth development.
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: June 2005 | www.i-solutionsglobal.com | Download case study |
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Isys Interactive Systems |
Isis produce integrated waste management systems that meet both local and national requirements for waste and recycling operations, and are market leaders in this field. Successfully exited in 2005.
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: November 2000 | www.isys-waste.com |
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L3 Technology |
L3T is addressing the $10bn global market for cholesterol testing, using technology from a leading team of scientists based at STFC's Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire to develop a diagnostic tool for full spectrum cholesterol testing at the point of care.
A 2004 RSF pathfinder funded some confirmatory research to back up claims in a patent, with further investment since taking the total to £242,000. The company has recently raised a further £1.7m from angels and venture funds and expects to have a fully functioning device within the next six to twelve months.
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2004 | www.l3technology.co.uk |
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Microvisk |
Microvisk has a unique approach to the measurment of the viscosity of blood and other fluid, based on CCLRC's considerable expertise in its Central Microfabrication Facility. The patented technology involves the spatial movement of microfabricated thermal bimorohs - bimetallic strips - which is converted into an electric signal using the piezo electric effect.
Microvisk's technology can revolutionise the diagnostic market by simplifying the most common coagulation tests (those that are critical to the monitoring of any patient at risk from blood clotting and heart problems) and by providing instant POC and NP testing and analysis.
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund and the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2004 | www.microvisk.com |
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Midland Industrial Glass |
| Midland Industrial Glass is a precision engineer manufacturing glass components for television stands, shop fitting and leisure equipment as well as for a wide range of other applications. It uses state of the art CNC technology for shape cutting, edging, drilling, bevelling, printing and toughening its products. It specialises in short runs, quick turnrounds and technically difficult products in long runs to set it apart from its competitors. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: June 2005 | www.miglass.com | Download case study |
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Minivator |
| Minivator is the world's second largest manufacturer of stairlifts offering stairlifts and bath lifts for use in both domestic and public situations and provide lifting solutions for both indoors and outdoors together with products that meet with the recommendations of the Disabilities Discrimination Act (DDA). The HSBC Fund successfully exited Minivator in August 2004 generating an IRR of some 70%, following a secondary management buy-out backed by Gresham Private Equity. |
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2000 | www.minivator.co.uk |
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MVI Holdings |
MVI, established in 1991 developed 'out of the box' real time shop floor data capture and performance management solutions, based on 15 years working with customers including Coca Cola, Pfizer, Gillette and Toyota on their continuous improvement efforts.
The software provided a unique competitive edge resulting in rapid increases in productivity and quality compliance for its users. With investment from the Advantage Growth Fund the company's growth spread to the USA and Canada where the product was identified by analysts as 'best of breed', resulting in a rapidly growing customer base of top transatlantic brand corporations and an ultimate exit by way of trade sale to US based CDC Corporation.
The Advantage Growth Fund successfully exited MVI just 12 months after its initial investment generating an IRR for the fund of some 60%. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: October 2005 | www.mvi.co.uk |
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Novacta |
Novacta is a drug discovery and development company using pathway engineering and chemistry to optimise the activity of natural products for the treatment of infectious diseases. The company combines proprietary technologies from the world-renowned Actinomycete group of the John Innes Centre, Norwich with the know-how of a highly experienced team drawn from major pharmaceutical companies and the biotechnology industry.
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2005 | www.novactabio.com |
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Novel Polymer Solutions |
| Novel Polymer Solutions was formed to exploit a new system of producing radiation curable polymers developed by Qinetiq in their Malvern research centre. This introduces the scope to produce polymers with properties that are novel or otherwise difficult to achieve. The method allows the simple production of mimics of conventional polymers and the creation of new and novel polymers via a radiation curable monomer. Other investors include the Environmental Technologies Fund who invested £3.5m in 2008. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: November 2003 | www.novelpolymers.com | Download case study |
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Orbital Optics |
| For several years CCLRC's Space Science and Technology Department at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has been developing compact, robust, low cost cameras to image Earth from space. The TopSat mission, a collaboration with Surrey Satellites and Technology Ltd and QinetiQ on a BNSC and MoD sponsored project, obtained colour images at a resolution of 2.8m over a 16km field of view. Individual buildings on the ground can be identified at this resolution. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2004 | www.orbitaloptics.co.uk |
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Oxsensis |
| Oxsensis has a distinctive capability in multi-parameter sensing in industrial and transport and sectors, with the technology also being capable of medical application at a later date. Two generic technology platforms have been identified which cover a broad-spectrum from white light interferometry to fluorescence. The initial target markets are high temperature gas turbine applications and the monitoring of power transmission grid equipment; both hostile environments which favour fibre-optic solutions. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2000 | www.oxsensis.com |
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P2i |
| P2i's plasma enhancement technology originates from six years of Dstl-sponsored research, both in-house and at the University of Durham, into how to make soldiers' protective clothing more effective against chemical attack. Current protective suits are heavy and cumbersome and can lead to excessive heat stress. In addition, seams and zips need separate and costly protection from liquid ingress. The solution is to plasma enhance entire, finished garments using Dstl's patented process so that even the zips are made highly liquid-repellent. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2000 | www.p2ilabs.co.uk |
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Phasor Solutions |
Phasor Solutions, formed in July 2005, has developed an innovative approach to the construction of flat panel phased arrays that can achieve a much lower cost per element. This means that an entire phased array antenna can be built for a cost not a lot more than a mechanically steered parabolic reflector antenna of comparable performance.
Phased Array Antennas are arrays of small antennas. By adjusting the relative phase of the signal received by (or transmitted from) each antenna element it is possible to electronically steer the beam to point precisely in a given direction and to dynamically adjust the beam direction to compensate for movements of the antenna or satellite.
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2005 | www.phasorsolutions.com |
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Practice Management Systems |
| Practice Management Systems has developed a web-based practice management system for both single and multi-site ophthalmic practices, although is equally applicable to a number of other sectors. The software provides real time information on all aspects of the business enabling management to be fully informed when taking business critical decisions. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: July 2006 | www.see2020.co.uk |
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Procarta Biosystems |
Procarta Biosystems is a spin-out from one of Europe's leading microbiology departments at the John Innes Centre. The company, formed in early 2008, is investigating a novel approach to counter antibiotic resistance and defeat infectious diseases using a DNA decoy technique, which aims to restore antibiotic efficacy against resistant superdrugs, such as methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Entercoccus (VRE).
Accessing the skills in the John Innes Centre, Procarta is also able to offer a contract research service creating and improving Streptomyces strains for heterologous production. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2008 | www.procartabio.com |
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ProKyma |
ProKyma is based on Dstl's proprietary ultrasound technology for manipulating particles.
Sensitive detection methods are limited by the purity of the starting material. Techniques are available to purify and concentrate biological specimens but these methods are often labour intensive or only partly effective. Major improvements in analysing biological samples such as bacteria, cells and DNA require improved sample preparation. ProKyma's Sonic Separation technology provides a means for concentrating and purifying cells or micro-organisms. Sonic Separation can also be used to isolate or analyse cell aggregates, for example in blood grouping and serology. |
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Funded by the Rainbow Seed Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2006 | www.prokyma.com |
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Prolojik |
| Prolojik is a leading lighting management provider. They design, manufacture and deliver lighting controls solutions to a number of leading financial, pharmaceutical, educational, government and commercial property development organisations. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2000 | www.prolojik.com |
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Quantum Risk Management |
| Quantum Risk Management provides tailored, cost effective solutions to risk management problems. They aim to help their clients achieve sustained improvement by providing services ranging from risk assessments, through corporate auditing, to health and safety management systems. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: February 2003 | www.q-rm.co.uk | Download case study |
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ScriptSwitch |
| ScriptSwitch is the market leading provider of an innovative prescribing software product to NHS Primary Care Trusts, which is then employed by GPs in their surgeries. The software is a sophisticated medicines management tool that delivers consistency and conformity in prescribing whilst quantifying and reporting on cost savings. The product has enabled PCT's to save millions of pounds from their drug budgets. The Advantage Growth Fund backed Scriptswitch as a start-up business and achieved a partial exit in 2007, following a significant investment of development capital by Isis Equity Partners, generating an IRR to date for the fund of 67%. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: July 2003 | www.scriptswitch.com | Download case study |
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Silver Lining Solutions |
| Silver Lining Solutions, formed in 1999, is an online skills assessment specialist. It develops software for training needs analysis, compliance testing, and knowledge assessment. Sales are to both public and private sector and a significant sale to the O2 call centre has opened the call centre market to the Company. Its product 'Discover' automates the processes for testing operatives' skills and embedding the results into switching software. The result for the call centre is that callers are put through to the operative best able to deal with their query. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2004 | www.silverlining.uk.net | Download case study |
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Simworx |
| Simworx are market leaders in 3D/4D effects theatres, motion theatres, simulation attractions and the provision of 2D/3D film content. The Company's leading edge products are sold worldwide and can be found in a significant number of high profile amusement parks and museums. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: January 2008 | www.simworx.co.uk |
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Speed Plastics |
| Speed Plastics manufactures a wide range of specialist products from flexible plastics such as PVC, polyurethane film, polyester and polyurethane coated textiles, used in the medical, surgical and furniture industries. We have also developed our own products for use in the leisure industry, such as inflatable buoyancy bags for use in water sports, and sensory learning aids for children. For many years the company has been at the forefront of technology, manufacturing and developing defence and survival products on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and civilian medical evacuation authorities. |
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Funded by the HSBC Enterprise Fund
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| 1st Investment: November 2000 | www.speedplastics.co.uk |
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T@lecom |
| T@lecom is a provider of a range of end to end wireless applications for handheld devices enabling an increasingly mobile workforce to communicate seamlessly with their office. The Company was a start-up in 2003 and has since developed a particularly strong position in the providing solutions to the NHS. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: June 2003 | www.talecom.net |
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Warwick Effect Polymers |
| Warwick Effect Polymers has developed a new technology, transition metal mediated Living Radical Polymerisation, which allows the production of complex polymers under greater control than conventional polymerisation techniques. The company is looking to exploit its platform technology to become a provider of polymer technology to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. |
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Funded by the Advantage Growth Fund
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| 1st Investment: December 2003 | www.warwickeffectpolymers.co.uk | Download case study |
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