onHand raises £3.25M to help companies do more good
onHand, the employee volunteering & sustainability platform, has announced a pre-series A funding round of £3.25M to help companies everywhere do more good. Led by 24Haymarket, the round is backed by the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund which is managed by Northstar Ventures, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and a […]
Serial entrepreneur secures investment for North East venture
Serial entrepreneur Kevin Beales has launched his latest tech business in the North East, MySalesCoach. MySalesCoach, the first company to offer virtual access to expert one to one sales coaching to sales teams as a subscription service, has secured investment of over half a million pounds shortly after launching. With £250,000 from the North East […]
BelleVie Care raises £2.1m to boost innovative care model across the North East
BelleVie Care, an innovative home care provider working to modernise and improve adult home care across the North East, is proud to announce that it has received £2.1m in seed and grant funding from a group of ambitious, purpose-led investors who share its mission. BelleVie’s Wellbeing Support Teams provide high-quality, award-winning care across Hexham, Prudhoe, […]
2022: A look back – and ahead
After the previous two years, 2022 brought some return to normality although undoubtedly there have still been challenges for businesses. We’re delighted to say we have been able to support and make investments into a range of companies, developing innovative solutions including in healthcare, science, ageing, and the environment, which are making a positive […]
VRAI secures £3 million investment
VRAI, a Gateshead-based company that creates data driven VR simulation training, has secured £3 million in funding. Led by Northstar Ventures, this latest investment includes funding from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund. The investment will see the company bring its data driven VR simulation technology to the offshore […]
xbim secures £500,000 investment from Northstar Ventures
xbim, a leading Newcastle based tech business, has secured £400,000 from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and managed by Northstar Ventures as a part of their £500,000 fundraising round. Although xbim was founded in 2016, Director Steve Lockley began the development of the company’s leading product xbim […]
New support for North East businesses blasts off
We’re delighted to be partnering with Business Doctors and the North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence to run a new free workshop designed to help North East business owners exploit opportunities in the growing UK space sector. Seven out of 10 companies in this £15 billion income UK Space Sector are SMEs and our […]
Seeking solutions to build a better tomorrow
The month of June includes a focus on some of the issues facing the planet, with World Environment Day, World Oceans Day, World Day to Combat Desertification; and International Day of the Tropics. At Northstar Ventures, where we are focused on building a better tomorrow for our planet and people, we look to invest in […]
Could Social Investment help your organisation?
Are you a non-profit organisation based in the North East of England? Then join us on 26 May to find out if Social Investment is right for you! Our informative one-hour webinar is aimed at North East based social enterprises and charitable organisations who are keen to find out more about Social Investment, it will […]
£2.45m to further develop early stage skin cancer test
Northstar Ventures is delighted to continue investing in AMLo Biosciences Ltd (AMLo), with further funding from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund. AMLo, an innovative medical device company spun out of Newcastle University specialising in the early detection of skin cancers, has secured significant further investment totalling £2.45m. At […]
Innovative lighting will help more people with dementia
Lighting that helps people with dementia manage their condition better and stay in their own homes longer is being developed by start-up, Circadacare. The project will adapt the biorhythm-based lighting commonly used in care homes for smaller buildings, including an individual’s home. It is funded jointly by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of […]
Can we help your business lift off into the space sector?
Northstar Ventures is delighted to be partnering with Business Doctors and the North East Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence to run a free half day workshop designed to help business owners prepare their business to exploit opportunities in the growing UK space sector. Seven out of 10 companies in this £15 billion income UK Space […]
Investment of £710,000 to help revolutionise online learning
North East company sub-10 has received over £700K to help develop its intelligent learning platform using AI to change the way compliance training is delivered. With £350,000 from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and managed by Northstar Ventures, plus additional funding from Angel investors, led by lead […]
CellRev raises a further £1.75m
Biotech disrupter CellRev, which aims to revolutionise the way cells are grown, has raised a further £1.75million from a group of investors, to accelerate research & development and strengthen their commercial team as they prepare to take their bioreactor technologies to market. This funding follows a seed investment of £1.2m in January 2021, which involved […]
Sphera closes £1.9m funding round
Sphera, the company helping the construction sector build a net-zero world, has closed a £1.9 million funding round. The investment round brought together a range of stakeholders who support Sphera’s vision for a net-zero construction sector, including from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and managed by Northstar […]
Northstar Team is onHand
The Northstar team is excited to be joining forces with one of our investees, onHand, to help support our local communities. onHand is the world’s first on-demand volunteering app, making volunteering for employees easier. The app allows you to see people nearby who might need a helping hand with really simple stuff. You can choose what […]
Events in 2022
Over the past 18 months, together with Business Doctors, we have been developing and delivering online events supporting business owners through different stages, from planning and recovery, to rebooting, to business growth. We’ve had brilliant feedback and iterated our content as the environment and opportunities over the past two years changed. This year, we are […]
Investment of £400,000 for LightOx
LightOx, a Newcastle based drug develop company, has received an initial £400k investment from funds managed by Northstar Ventures to help develop its product to revolutionise oral cancer treatment. LightOx is using new technologies to develop light activated treatment which can improve outcomes for patients and reduce the need for surgery. The investment from the […]
Investment kicks off for Blyth Spartans Juniors FC
Investment of over £400,000 has helped Blyth Spartan Juniors FC to build a new all-weather floodlit pitch so they can support more young people to access activities in the area. The funding is blended investment of £348,363 from the North East Social Investment Fund, managed by Northstar Ventures and £148,250 Emergency Grant from Access – […]
Hicomply receives £600,000 investment
Durham-based software-as-a-service company Hicomply has received £600,000 investment to tackle the growing global issue of business information security. Hicomply has developed a software platform that gives any business the tools to build information security systems, protect sensitive data and manage all the associated complexity and risk. The funding, from angel investors and the North East […]
CellulaREvolution raises £1million
Technology disrupter CellulaREvolution, which aims to revolutionise the way cells are grown in labs, has raised £1million from strategic investors including CPT Capital, Stephan Schmidt, Orange Light Ventures, and funds managed by Northstar Ventures, the North East Innovation Fund supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the newly launched Northern Accelerator Seed Investment Fund […]
Lifeline for the Linskill Centre
We’re delighted to have been able to support Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, an important community facility, with flexible funding to help them through the challenges caused by COVID-19. The Trust runs the Linskill Centre in North Shields, which has become a financially self-sustaining community hub, earning income through room rental, café, offices, a […]
Funding for new Cooperative Tea Room
We’re delighted to be supporting Bishopwearmouth Co-operative with funding from the North East Social Investment Fund that will enable them to open a new tea room later in the year. The Cooperative, based on Chester Road, Sunderland provides employment opportunities for adults with disabilities, and already runs a garden centre and landscaping and floristry services. […]
Helping more people access counselling
We have been able to support North East Counselling Service’s (NECS) quick response to the challenges of COVID-19 by pivoting their service delivery to an online offer. NECS has received a further £130,000 from the North East Social Investment Fund to help with their ongoing planned expansion but also support their response to the Coronavirus […]
Digital Solutions Platform Clixifix Expands
We’re delighted to have invested £300,000 to to help Sunderland based Clixifix continue its successful business growth. The funding, from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Northstar Ventures, will help the company hire more staff to keep up with demand, whilst developing new products and features for […]
Further investment for text giving platform Donr
A Newcastle-based company who provide the UK’s fastest-growing text donation service has secured a second round of investment funding worth £350,000. Tech-for-good firm Donr received the equity investment from the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Northstar Ventures, and from Angel Investor, Andrew Robson. Northstar previously invested […]
FOOTY.COM secures over £1.6m investment
We’re delighted to be supporting the UK’s leading price comparison website for football merchandise and sportswear, which has secured a £1.625m round of investment to allow the company to roll out the first stage of its expansion strategy and global growth plans. Based in Durham, FOOTY.COM will use the funding injection to increase brand awareness, […]
