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A Liskeard- based furniture manufacturer is the latest company to be supported by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF). Peadidit, set up in 2018, have successfully secured £25,000 in funding, which will allow the company to increase production capabilities with the purchase of new equipment and will also enable them to scale-up their team, in order to meet the growing demand for their products.

The company has clients across Cornwall and Devon, focusing on made to measure outdoor and indoor furniture, fitted furniture, and free-standing furniture pieces.

Peadidit owner Jonathan Peabody, said: “We strive to build furniture that defines our customers’ style and meets their requirements. As a new and growing business obtaining finance for growth is crucial for us to succeed and achieve our goals. We are thrilled to be able to secure this CIOSIF loan, which has already enabled us to invest in the construction of a spray booth for in-house finishing of products.”

Grant Peggie, Director at the British Business Bank, said, “For any new business without a trading record it can be hard to secure the finance they need to grow. CIOSIF can make a real difference in helping to support small growing businesses across Cornwall to access funding they need which might not be available from traditional sources. The British Business Bank is pleased to be delivering £40m of funding through the Fund and providing finance from £25,000 up to £2m.”

The Peadidit deal was handled by SWIG who are working with The FSE Group to deliver on the small business loans part of the fund. SWIG’s Finance Business Manager Mike Wall said: “We are delighted to add Peadidit to the portfolio of companies supported by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund. Jonathan is a highly skilled individual who has over 25 years industry experience. We look forward to working with him and his newly recruited team on this new venture and wish them all the success for the future.”

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, added: “This latest deal shows how the investment fund can widen choice and remove barriers to growth. I would urge other growth-minded businesses to consider whether it could be right for them.”

CIOSIF is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. Further investment has come from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and HM Government. For more information about the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk or follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

Local Treasures, an award winning, socially responsible company based in Petersfield, has received a growth loan from the Enterprise M3 Expansion Loan Scheme. The company matches busy working families with experienced, older tradespeople who can help with odd jobs about the home and workplace.

There are over 23 million people in the UK over the age of 50. This age group currently makes up one third of the countries workforce, however this doesn’t translate into employability. More and more older people are becoming jobless than are finding work. This is despite the fact that two thirds of 50-64-year olds want to continue working.

Local Treasures has found a way to enable this experienced and reliable age group to carry on working.  By matching busy families, or those who lack a particular skillset, with able and willing over 50’s (Treasures) the company is solving two problems at once; where can people find experienced and trustworthy tradespeople and how can the older generation find work that suits their abilities and fits around other commitments. Their business model is simple and effective; Local Treasures select a town, recruit skilled people who are over 50, advertise locally for customers, then matches customers to Treasures.

This technique has proved so effective that they now work in 7 towns across the South East of England providing skills as diverse as decorating, pet sitting, accounting and companionship. They have over 600 Treasures on their books, many of whom are booked for repeat work.

Founder, Sarah Heyworth, explains how the company naturally came about. “When we moved to a new house, we relocated to an unfamiliar area and had to start from scratch. We didn’t know the local plumber that everyone used or anyone who we could trust to fix our fence. Through trial and error, we eventually figured out who we should be using but we were frustrated that there wasn’t any easier way to go about it. This dilemma gave rise to Local Treasures and we are very fortunate to have many of the original Treasures with us to this day. The funding will allow us to scale-up the business and support the launch of the business into new towns across the South East. Most recently we were thrilled to announce that we are one of 17 social ventures to become a Transform Ageing social venture this November. We successfully responded to an innovation challenge from communities in the south-west and will receive funding and support to deliver lasting social impact in the region.”

Derek Ellis, Fund Manager at The FSE Group which manages the Expansion Loan Scheme on behalf of the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership comments: “Local Treasures is the one stop shop for all sorts of jobs in and around the homes and businesses of local communities. We were introduced to Sarah and her team at Local Treasures by the EM3 Growth Hub.  The company have created a successful business platform, that as we have already seen is scalable in a very short space of time. We look forward to supporting the business during these exciting times and wish them all the success for the future.”

Kathy Slack, Director, Enterprise M3 LEP, comments: “We are delighted to support Local Treasures as it continues to extend its reach within local communities. Addressing the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society is one of the Government’s Grand Challenges and high on the Enterprise M3 LEP agenda too. Not only does this incredible project help our region rise to the pressing challenge of creating jobs in an ageing society, it forges links between people within close proximity who might otherwise never have met. Initiatives like this help foster dynamic communities and move us towards a society of prosperity for everyone who lives and/or works here.”

The Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator II is £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership. The escalator, which includes an expansion loan scheme, a trade finance loan scheme and an equity growth fund, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the EM3 area. For more information about Local Treasures visit: www.localtreasures.me

Advanced Ophthalmic Systems (AOS), a MedTech company specialising in pioneering and advanced software for the ophthalmic industry is the latest company to be supported by the Coast to Capital Growth Equity Fund. The Croydon based venture successfully completed the funding round which includes angel monies facilitated by The FSE Investor Network.

AOS has spent 3 years developing over 200+ algorithms and in the back end of last year they released their first digital analytics software product, AOS Anterior. The AOS Anterior automatically assesses multiple eye pathologies with Gold Standard accuracy & repeatability. The software has been developed to be visually informative and striking, allowing opticians to increase customer engagement and understanding during examinations, whilst decreasing the amount of time patients need to sit in the chair.

All results are provided instantly, with simplified reporting to assist with future follow up visits and the in-built reporting function generates a fully customisable report for each patient. The funding will enable AOS to expand its already impressive team in both the business development and product development departments. This will give the company the manpower it needs to cement itself as one of the leaders in the eye health sector.

Dr Eduardo Mangieri, CEO at Advanced Ophthalmic Systems, explains, “Our target is to provide innovative solutions in the ophthalmic market for the early detection and monitoring of various pathologies.  Our technology provides automatic ophthalmic diagnosis by delivering objective, digital imaging analytics during optical appointments. This increases patient understanding and more importantly reduces appointment times, leading to a far more punctual service.”

Avent Bezuidenhoudt, Senior Fund Manager at The FSE Group, “We are delighted to be supporting AOS in this funding round. The company have developed a state-of-the-art product that will have such a positive impact for current and future ophthalmic patients. We are excited to see what the future holds for Eduardo and his team and look forward to working with them to achieve their goals.”

The Coast to Capital Growth Equity Fund is part of the Coast to Capital Funding Escalator, a £5million initiative funded by Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership. The escalator, which also includes an expansion loan scheme, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £500,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities across the Coast to Capital region.

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) has completed its first equity investment with a £750,000 equity stake in wireless internet service provider Wildanet, based at Goonhilly Earth Station, through appointed fund managers The FSE Group. The investment is being match-funded by the FSE Angel network, private investors and Crowdcube as part of a £1.5m package. It will support Wildanet’s continued expansion across Cornwall and into Devon, targetting 12,000 new customers and creating an estimated 39 jobs over the next three years. Wildanet uses state of the art wireless radio technology to provide superfast broadband in hard to reach rural areas, with a guaranteed minimum speed of 30Mb/s, up to lightning-fast 1Gb/s.

Jake Berry MP, Minister for Local Growth, said: “Access to superfast broadband is vital to economic growth in our rural areas and this project will open the door to digital services for thousands of people across Cornwall. Harnessing the innovation of British business to grow prosperous communities is at the heart of this investment, and the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy.”

Ian Calvert, CEO and founder of Wildanet, which was set up in January 2017, said: “There is a real opportunity for us to radically improve connection speeds for homes and businesses across Cornwall currently experiencing low bandwidths. The funding from CIOSIF and our match funders will allow us to expedite our growth strategy and bring reliable superfast broadband to hard to reach areas.”

Ken Cooper, Managing Director, at the British Business Bank, said: “We are delighted that the fund’s first investment will not only create jobs but will also bring improved connectivity for homes and businesses, which is good news for productivity and growth. This deal is a great example of how the CIOSIF can leverage other investment to help growth-minded businesses realise their potential.”

LEP non-executive director John Acornley, who chairs the CIOSIF Advisory Board, said: “Wildanet is a young tech start-up with ambitious growth plans and has developed its own technology to plug a clear gap in the market. CIOSIF was set up to encourage entrepreneurship and tackle a shortfall in start-up, early stage and development capital in the region, so we’re delighted with this first investment and wish Wildanet every success.”

Ralph Singleton, Senior Fund Manager, FSE Group, added: “Wildanet is helping to close the digital divide in rural areas by offering households and businesses across the county access to the same digital services as other parts of the UK. With a depth of industry experience gained with major players in the telecom sector, the management team are well-positioned to exploit this opportunity while helping to drive forward the regional economy in the process.”

The £40m Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund provides debt and equity finance from £25,000 to £2 million to help growing small businesses across the region. It has been established by the British Business Bank in partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and is operated by appointed fund managers FSE Group. CIOSIF is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. Further investment has come from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and HM Government. For more information about the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund including how to apply, please visit www.ciosif.co.uk of follow the fund on Twitter at @CIOSIFBBB2

TriCIS, which deals in secure communications and IT equipment suitable for military and other governmental use, has received follow-on funding from the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator after a year of promising growth. Based in Farnborough, the company operates in the niche ‘TEMPEST’ market and has experienced some considerable success in establishing itself in this highly specialist sector in less than two years. Since its first Enterprise M3 Growth Fund investment last year, the company has gained new contracts, significantly increased its product range and is set for a three-fold increase in revenue in the current financial year. The £75,000 investment from the Enterprise M3 Growth Fund, which is managed by The FSE Group on behalf of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), has been matched by existing investors and is part of an on-going funding round to attract new shareholders and finance future growth. TriCIS CEO, Antony Summerfield comments: “Over the past year we have worked hard to develop leading edge products and gain new contracts. FSE has been a great support and worked with us to appoint our new CFO, Edward Leek. We have also strengthened our senior management team this year and are well positioned to drive the business forward. This latest funding will ensure that we have the growth capital required to take full advantage of the opportunities facing us.” Ralph Singleton, Senior Fund Manager at The FSE Group, adds: “Since our first investment TriCIS has strengthened both its offering and its management team. We are delighted to be continuing to support the company alongside other investors and look forward to helping Antony and the team grow the business even further.” Kathy Slack, Director, Enterprise M3 LEP, says: “It is highly rewarding for Enterprise M3 to invest further in a remarkable company that has gained such a strong foothold in its sector after our initial investment. We look forward to seeing TriCIS grow and secure further its standing in this high-tech industry that will place a spotlight on the Enterprise M3 region as a specialist centre of economic growth.” The Enterprise M3 Growth Fund is part of the Enterprise M3 Funding Escalator, a £10million initiative funded by Enterprise M3 LEP. The escalator, which also includes an expansion loan scheme and a short term trade loan scheme, provides eligible companies with loans and equity funding between £50,000 and £300,000 for activities that will deliver high-growth and employment opportunities.