News

VivaCity has secured a £1.5 million investment from the Greater London Investment Fund via fund manager, The FSE Group.

The London‑based AI technology company helps local authorities and transport bodies better understand how people and vehicles move through towns, cities and rural areas. The funding will help unlock VivaCity’s next phase of growth, including further product development, international expansion and job creation.

Founded in 2015, VivaCity develops AI‑powered sensors and software that provide detailed, anonymous data on traffic, cycling and pedestrian movement. Its technology is widely used by local and transport authorities to inform decisions around road safety, congestion, active travel and air quality, helping cities design transport networks that are safer, more efficient and more sustainable. Today, VivaCity works with the vast majority of UK local authorities and has an expanding international presence in markets including Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The latest funding will be used to invest in product development and grow the team, with new roles planned across engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing. VivaCity will also use the investment to strengthen its presence in the UK as a market leader while accelerating its international ambitions, particularly in North America and Australia, where demand for data‑led transport planning is growing. This next phase of growth is already underway, driven by key partnerships such as the ongoing work with Transport for London, helping them deliver their ambitious 2030 strategy ‘London on the Move’[1]. Through this collaboration, VivaCity is providing the real-time insights needed to understand how streets in the capital are used and how changes perform over time.

Mark Nicholson, CEO and co‑founder of VivaCity Labs, said: “This investment comes at an important point for the business. We have built a strong position in the UK, working closely with local authorities to help them make better transport decisions, and we are now focused on developing our products further and expanding internationally. FSE’s support will help us invest in our technology and our team as we continue to grow.”

Marco Cerrone, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, added: “VivaCity has developed a proven solution that addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing towns and cities today. The business has a strong customer base, a clear strategy and a management team with deep sector expertise. We are pleased to support VivaCity as it continues to scale its impact in the UK and beyond.”

Cities and transport authorities are facing increasing pressure to improve road safety, reduce congestion and cut carbon emissions, while making better use of existing infrastructure. This has created a strong market opportunity for technologies that can provide reliable, real‑world transport data to support evidence‑based decision‑making. VivaCity is well placed to benefit from these long‑term trends, building on its established customer base and strong track record in the UK.

[1] https://tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/tfl-unveils-ambitious-five-year-plan-to-cut-congestion-and-transform-londons-road-network-for-the-future

Brighton-based clothing resale platform The Little Loop has secured equity investment from The FSE Group’s growth fund in the South East, as well as FSE’s Business Angel Network, as part of a £750,000 funding round.

The Little Loop offers a B2B2C clothing resale solution designed to tackle the growing issue of unwanted clothing for both consumers and retailers. Through its platform, consumers can trade in used garments for a curated selection of quality-checked and cleaned preloved items for resale, or for vouchers from the company’s partner brands.

For brands, The Little Loop integration means they can offer a clothing take-back scheme directly from their own platforms without the additional resource needed to operate it in-house. This supports sustainability targets, generates new revenue streams, and contributes to circular economy goals through the reuse of clothing that might otherwise go to landfill.

The funding will be used to accelerate technology development and make key hires to expand the team. Currently focused on the children’s clothing sector, The Little Loop is now preparing to extend its offering into adult fashion.

Charlotte Morley, Founder and CEO of The Little Loop, said: “We’re delighted to have secured investment from The FSE Group and its Business Angel Network as we move into the next stage of growth. The UK clothing resale market, already worth £7bn and accounting for almost 1 in 4 fashion transactions[1], is forecast to double by 2029. This, together with changing legislation, means that embracing resale is no longer optional for brands. This funding will help us bring our much-needed solution to more customers and we’re thrilled to be working with FSE on our growth journey.”

Jonathan Day, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “Charlotte and her team bring a wealth of experience from leading retail and e-commerce brands such as Not on the High Street, Gap and ASOS, and have already established impressive relationships with household names including John Lewis and JoJo Maman Bébé.  With growing consumer appetite for pre-loved fashion and increasing pressure on brands to deliver sustainable solutions, The Little Loop is ideally placed to drive growth in this rapidly expanding market. We look forward to supporting Charlotte and her dynamic team as they take the business forward.”

Consumer demand for cost-effective, sustainable clothing solutions continues to rise, with 67% of 18–34-year-olds and 61% of 35–54-year-olds buying or selling pre-loved fashion online last year[2]. The Little Loop’s model provides both environmental and commercial benefits, contributing to a more circular and responsible fashion industry while delivering value and choice to consumers.

[1] https://www.occstrategy.com/en/article/second-hand-fashion-how-first-hand-brands-can-compete-and-thrive/

[2] https://www.evri.com/guides/second-hand-trends

The FSE Group has appointed Laurie Felker Jones as an Investment Manager in its South West team, strengthening its regional investment capability and support for ambitious, purpose‑led businesses.

Laurie brings significant experience across venture investment, startup advisory, fundraising and portfolio support, with a strong track record working alongside early‑stage and growth businesses. In her new role at FSE, she will work closely with SMEs in the South West, supporting investment activity and helping businesses scale sustainably.

A key focus will be delivery of the British Business Bank's South West Investment Fund, for which FSE is an appointed fund manager. The £200m fund is aimed at new and growing businesses across the region.

Laurie has spent the past decade working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investment and impact. Most recently, she has worked as a senior advisor and visiting partner across a range of venture programmes and organisations, including Antler, Techstars and Village Capital. Her work has focused on investment readiness, business modelling, fundraising strategy and supporting under‑represented founders.

She has extensive experience working with early‑stage companies, having supported hundreds of startups globally through accelerator programmes and advisory roles. This includes helping founders refine commercial strategies, prepare for investment, and navigate different forms of finance beyond traditional venture capital.

Laurie holds an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Social Business from the London School of Economics and has completed the Impact Finance Innovations Programme at Oxford Saïd Business School.

Commenting on her appointment, Laurie said: “I’m excited to be joining The FSE Group’s South West team and to be working with ambitious businesses across the region. The South West Investment Fund has already backed an impressive range of companies and FSE has a strong track record of backing SMEs and taking a practical, long‑term approach to growth. I’m looking forward to supporting founders as they build resilient and investable businesses.”

Ralph Singleton, Head of Equity South West at FSE Group, added: “Laurie brings a depth of experience in venture support, fundraising and impact‑led investment that will be a real asset to our South West team. Her background working closely with founders will strengthen the support we provide to businesses across the region.”

The FSE Group is appointed fund manager for £84million of the £200million British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, which aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early‑stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.

Funding supports expansion of manufacturing and commercial capacity for SemaCyte microcarrier platform

Semarion, a University of Cambridge spin-out company from the Cavendish Laboratory combining materials engineering and cell biology to tackle unmet drug screening needs, today announced it has raised £2.9 million. The fundraise was led by Parkwalk, and joined by The FSE Group, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Oxford Innovation Finance, Found Capital, Cambridge Capital Group, and Start Codon. The investment will facilitate commercial expansion and scale manufacturing of the Company’s SemaCyte® platform which enables adherent cell models to be handled as assay-ready, barcoded reagents for more flexible, data-rich, scalable drug discovery.

With a growing pipeline of opportunities and strong industry interest, Semarion is focused on broad-scale customer adoption, strengthening partnerships and preparing for its next phase of growth. The funding will be used to drive further commercialisation of the SemaCyte platform, enabling the Company to increase manufacturing throughput and expand the field application support team.

Semarion’s technology has already been adopted by leading global pharmaceutical organisations, including top 10 pharma companies, across the US and Europe, with multiple pilot programs progressing towards broader commercial rollout. The Company has also established collaborations with global life science tools providers including Revvity, which has integrated compatibility for SemaCyte detection into its imaging and analysis platforms, and SPT Labtech, combining the microcarrier technology with SPT Labtech’s liquid handling platform to advance automated cell-based assay workflows.

Jeroen Verheyen, CEO and Co-Founder at Semarion, said: “This funding marks an important step as we scale to meet growing demand from the industry. Scientists are under increasing pressure to generate more cell-based data, improve automation and drive operational efficiency. SemaCytes enable them to do this within existing workflows and infrastructure, and we are now focused on translating that momentum into broader adoption.”

Paul Lyristis, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “Semarion is bringing a genuine step change to cell-based research, offering a practical solution to long standing bottlenecks in drug discovery. The team has demonstrated impressive technical progress and strong commercial traction, particularly with top tier pharma companies. Their technology has clear scalability, strong sustainability benefits and a compelling market opportunity. We are delighted to support their next stage of growth and look forward to seeing the company continue to expand its customer base and product capabilities.”

Premium drinks distributor and brandbuilder Oak & Still Limited has received a £150,000 loan from the East of England Regional Growth Loan Scheme, managed by The FSE Group. The funding will help the business grow its team and bring several new spirits brands to market as it continues to expand across the UK. 

Founded in 2020, Oak & Still helps both established and emerging drinks producers launch and scale premium spirits in the UK. The company works across retail, wholesale, ontrade and online channels, with listings that include major supermarkets, national wholesalers and leading ecommerce platforms.  

Alongside its agency work, Oak & Still is further building its portfolio of majorityowned and jointventure brands, which currently includes the awardwinning Dangerous Don mezcal. Two new inhouse brands are planned for launch in the next 12 months with a runway of innovation-led products to follow over the medium term. 

With the UK alcoholic drinks market valued at £60bn and the spirits segment alone worth £16.8bn, Oak & Still is well positioned to benefit from continued sector growth, particularly the rising demand for distinctive, storydriven products. This loan will enable the hire of new team members to help accelerate brand development and marketing activity and support future scalability. 

Luke Brown, Founder and Managing Director of Oak & Still, said: “This investment from FSE comes at a key moment for us as we accelerate our portfolio development and strengthen our commercial team. Our focus is on building and scaling distinctive brands that resonate with consumers, while continuing to provide our partners with strong market access through our established distribution network. The support from FSE will help us move faster and make the most of the opportunities ahead.” 

Matt Punter, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, added: “Oak & Still has already demonstrated impressive momentum, driven by the team’s deep industry experience and proven ability to get brands noticed. The business combines strong commercial partnerships with a clear strategy for developing its own highmargin products. We are pleased to support the next stage of its growth journey and look forward to seeing the company continue to scale.” 

The East of England Regional Growth Loan Scheme (RGLS) is managed by The FSE Group. Loans between £50,000 and £500,000 are available to established incorporated businesses based within the East of England that have a minimum annual turnover of £100,000. The funding can be used for a range of growth activities as well as to service short to medium-term trade and contract finance requirements. The scheme aims to stimulate job creation and economic prosperity and supports SMEs that have the potential to deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the East of England region.