Deals - Welcome to DC Consulting

Advising aspirational entrepreneurs & ambitious business owners

Deals Completed:

524,125,000

Since the company was established, the team at DC Consulting has demonstrated a strong aptitude for deal-making. We work exclusively within the corporate finance market, with a vast array of contacts and a focus on introducing appropriate funding solutions.

Our experience enables us to identify and adopt the most effective strategy for each individual deal, quickly introducing the best fit sources of finance and then project managing the entire process to ensure the deal is concluded quickly and efficiently.

DC Consulting works with a wide range of companies, just some of which are in the deals summary completed to date:

RSK Tech expands software range for textile printers

RSK Tech was founded in Dundee in 2003 by Anders Rask, to provide e-business solutions for custom textile printing businesses and their supply-chain partners. The company was recently awarded an RSA grant of £250k for further software development, with the objective of creating 19 new jobs. Anders Rask previously worked as managing director of his father's business NS Systems A/S in Denmark, where he built and implemented an IT workflow solution. Having then decided to set up a base in the UK, he settled on Dundee due to the high quality of IT graduates from the local universities, and the support available to small start up firms. Since 2003, RSK Tech has been operating as an independent company, and is a certified development partner of Corel, Adobe, and Microsoft. Since 2005 the company has been offering a small business version of its platform products, LPF Logobank and LPF Commerce, as well as an enterprise business version. The software provides management of all the information necessary to create a custom textile print (eg unique number, logo dimensions, colour systems, and the logo artwork), workflow automation, and integration with other software whether for artwork and design or for accounting or CRM. The company claims that its software gives benefits in streamlining operations, increasing employee productivity, improving communication with customers and supply chain partners and ultimately increasing profits. The company was advised on finance and assisted in the securing of the RSA award by DC Consulting of Dundee. Contact: Anders Rask 020 7870 7439 www.rsktech.com

Aircraft Medical secures £1.75 million private funding

In April Aircraft Medical completed an investment round totalling £1.75 million, to finance a new portfolio of products and prepare the business for a possible AIM flotation. The company was founded in 2001 (as Smartscope MD) to commercialise what is claimed to be the world's first fully portable video laryngoscope. This device tackles one of the most challenging risks facing anaesthetists, namely airway management. Laryngoscopes are used to guide a tracheal tube into the larynx to maintain a patient's airway during anaesthesia. A difficult intubation can lead to severe trauma and in some cases death. Aircraft Medical's laryngoscope offers a near-guaranteed view of the larynx through the integration of a miniature video camera into the device and a display screen on the handle. The funding reportedly comprises the following elements:

£1 million from individual private investors
£300k grant, as a Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust. Translation Awards are grants designed to respond to the funding gap in the commercialisation of new technologies in the biomedical area, for projects at an early stage (ie insufficiently developed to attract first-round professional financing), yet with the potential to achieve a commercial follow-on at the conclusion of the project (eg as a licensing deal or start-up company). Awards will normally be for periods of two to three years.
£300k grant from the Department of Health's Health Technology Devices (HTD) programme (www.healthtechnologyportal.org.uk), aimed at research into innovative healthcare technologies towards the development of new medical devices.
£150k debt from the RBS

Contact: Matt McGrath 0131 718 6042

TRI Cap invests in Gas Sensing Solutions

Tweed Renaissance Investors Capital (TRI Cap) announced this month an investment of £625k in Cumbernauld-based Gas Sensing Solutions Ltd (GSS). The investment includes matching funding from SE's Scottish Co-investment Fund. Gas Sensing Solutions was started last year to address major global opportunities in the gas sensor market. TRI Cap members John Burgon and Professor Des Gibson join the board of GSS as non-executive finance director and chairman respectively. Burgon described the new company: "This is effectively a start-up scenario for a global business, which is very exciting for our syndicate. As part of the deal, I and my colleague Des Gibson will bring our extensive experience to bear, working closely with GSS to help steer the business through a steep curve, moving the company through prototype and then into full production. At the moment GSS is based in Cumbernauld but we would be delighted if the Scottish Borders were to benefit from the company's future growth." A spokesperson for Gas Sensing Solutions said: "These are very exciting times for GSS. Although currently highly confidential, we believe our products will quickly become leaders in their field. We have been intensively supported by the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Start-Up Unit through our start up phase." GSS was advised by corporate finance specialists DC Consulting, who ensured the company was investor ready and identified TRI Cap as a best-fit investor. Contact: John Burgon 07860 925900 www.tricapital.co.uk

eoLogic moves into marketing mode

eoLogic is a software company based in Livingston which develops tools to test enterprise software systems. The company this month completed a funding round totalling £402k. eoLogic was founded in December 2003 by Gordon Cruickshank and Alan West to build innovative software development tools. West was previously the founder of Objective Software Technology, sold to Wind River Systems in 1998, and Cruickshank was a development manager at OST and Wind River. They decided to set up eoLogic because they realised that there was a need for better software testing and debugging tools. eoLogic provides tools that reduce the cost of finding problems in enterprise software systems. The company's first product, eoSense, allows difficult problems to be detected much earlier than currently possible, by combining extensive automated knowledge of the J2EE framework with advanced dynamic visualisation, thereby creating a new level of functional checking and performance validation. J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) is a platform from Sun for building distributed enterprise applications. J2EE services are performed in the middle tier between the user's computer and the enterprise's databases and legacy information systems. J2EE comprises a specification, reference implementation and set of testing suites. (Definition from PCMag.com). eoSense simplifies developments in J2EE with its patent applied for techniques which allow it to incorporate far more knowledge about the standard J2EE components than existing conventional tools. eoLogic was set up with seed funding from the founders to match a SMART award of £50k (see YCF 66). Alan West subsequently received a Scottish Enterprise Industrial fellowship of £45k to help the company secure funding, and the founders continued to support themselves as required. The company had support for patenting costs from SE and the Alba Innovation Centre. The recently completed funding round comprises £300k equity from Archangel Informal Investment, and a £102k SPUR award. eoLogic has been assisted by SE's High Growth Startup Unit and by the Alba Innovation Centre, and used DC Consulting (Dand Carnegie) to assist in finding funding. The new money will be used to create a development team to continue the development of the company's technology and to provide the sales and support framework required for promoting the company and its products. Contact: Gordon Cruickshank 01506 654236 www.eologic.com

Borders life sciences firm secures £1m funding

Syntropharma specialises in developing new ways of delivering drugs that help to reduce side effects and increase compliance amongst patients. The company's business model means that rather than investing millions of pounds in discovering new drug compounds, it aims to reformulate existing drugs which already have established global markets. The company was founded by Andrew Gardiner and David McHoul in 2005 and quickly drew the attention of Scottish Enterprise Borders and the wider business community. Investors have been quick to recognise the potential of the model and the company has received backing from a consortium of investors including Borders-based angel syndicate Tweed Renaissance Investors Capital (TRI Cap), Highland Venture, Balmoral and Scottish Enterprise's Scottish Co-Investment Fund. Andrew Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer of Syntropharma, says: "The traditional model of a pharmaceutical business is to invest huge amounts of money in researching and testing new drugs but this can take years and is very risky for investors. We recognise that there are lots of drugs currently available that could be improved by reformulation. This often significantly enhances their usefulness for both doctors and patients." "By focusing on these drugs, we are tapping into markets which are already established around the world but more importantly, we have a much quicker route to market. Our model means we can get products to market within three or four years as opposed to the more traditional model which takes around 12 years." He added: "Over the past year, we have been working on the feasibility of two new product lines. With the capital now in place, we can now progress to the first phase of clinical trials for these while also looking at the feasibility of other product lines using the same model. " Syntropharma won Scottish Enterprise Borders' Business Idea Competition in February this year and won incubator space at SEB's Ettrick Riverside centre. The company has also been working with the local enterprise company to support its research and development activity and make connections with the business, legal and investment communities. The company was advised by corporate finance specialist DC Consulting. Having secured its first round of funding, the company is now relocating to bigger premises at SEB's Tweed Horizons Business Centre to enable it to continue its expansion plans. The company also hopes to recruit new staff particularly around marketing and business development. David Gass, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Borders, says: "Winning the Business Idea Competition was a key turning point in what has been a tremendously successful first year in business for Syntropharma and we are delighted that we have been able to play some role in its success." "The company has huge potential for explosive growth and is exactly the kind of company that Scottish Enterprise Borders is keen to work with to help diversify the local Borders economy and create higher value jobs for the local area. Going forward, we want to encourage more life science start up companies to recognise the value of locating in the Borders, with high quality and affordable business accommodation, a high quality of life and still in such close proximity to the buoyant life sciences sector in Edinburgh and Midlothian." Syntropharma has also strengthened its board with leading business and life sciences industry representatives. Sam Taylor from TRI Cap has become chairman while Richard Aird, also of TRI Cap, and Jim Reid, CEO of Aberdeen-based Haptogen have joined as non-executive directors along with David McHoul. Robert Dick, Chairman of TRI Cap, comments: "It gives us considerable satisfaction to have been able to take the lead in arranging the funding of Syntropharma. The founders have created a novel new pharmaceutical company with the potential to provide its shareholders with a worthwhile return on their investment". Notes To Editors - The Scottish Co-Investment Fund is a £45 million equity investment fund set up by Scottish Enterprise, and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, which invests up to £500,000 in company finance deals of a total value up to £2 million. The aim of the fund is to increase the risk capital available for investment opportunities in small but ambitious Scottish companies and to encourage more funders to become involved in the early stage investment market. Unlike a conventional venture capital fund, the Scottish Co-investment Fund invests only in partnership with private sector investors. The investment decisions are made by those private sector partners. - Tweed Renaissance Investors Capital (TRI Cap) is a business angel syndicate based in the Scottish Borders, with the intention of investing in growth businesses in the Borders and beyond. Its founders include some of the Borders' leading business people who, between them, have many years' experience of building and investing in enterprises in the Borders and further afield. The syndicate has invested in a number of companies: Lab901 (May 2005), EctoPharma (November 2005), Outerlight (December 2005), Intrallect (May 2006) and GSS (June 2006). Visit www.tricapital.co.uk for further information. For further information, please contact: Neil McInnes, Senior Media Relations Executive Scottish Enterprise Tel: 0131 313 6196 / 07881 517712 E-mail: neil.mcinnes@scotent.co.uk

Cytosystems raises funds for novel cancer diagnostic technology

Aurora Private Equity Partners is delighted to announce the completion of their investment in Cytosystems Ltd, a new business specialising in advanced diagnostics for cancer. Cytosystems will be based in Aberdeen, Scotland adding another key player to the growing number of companies in the Biotechnology and Healthcare sector in the East of Scotland. Mike Fleming, Chairman of Aurora Private Equity commented on the deal: "Aurora are pleased to provide capital for this early growth business. Improved diagnosis of Cancers using new generation technologies is a growth market and Cytosystems is very well placed to be a significant player in the field." Internationally recognised, Dr David Galloway the company's Chief Medical Officer commented, "This is a very exciting new area for the early identification & treatment of cancer." Following early financial commitment to the project by Grampian Venture Capital Fund and Balmoral Ventures, the equity financing for Cytosystems was led by NE Scotland based Aurora Private Equity Partners, with additional backing from The Scottish Co-investment Fund (Scottish Enterprise). Cytosystems were advised by corporate finance specialist D C Consulting, who co-ordinated the fund raising process and are delighted to be associated with a business with the potential of being a global player in its marketplace. For further information please contact Mike Fleming, Chairman of Aurora Private Equity on 07802 543374. Notes to Editors: Aurora Private Equity are a business angel group based in the North East of Scotland actively investing in new stage businesses with high growth potential through out Scotland. DC Consulting is a specialist corporate finance house based in Dundee, with a dedicated team headed up by four directors who work exclusively on constructing deals to fund fast-growing and pre-revenue businesses, most with a value of up to £5 million (www.dcconsult.co.uk). Balmoral Ventures is a business angel network working throughout Scotland. The North of Scotland Director, David Chandler, can be contacted on 07880 554 539

Seven figure deal secures future of Tayside's Cedarstape

Corporate finance specialist, Dundee-based DC Consulting, has arranged and managed the successful Buy-in and Management Buy-Out (BIMBO) of Cedarstape Ltd, the rapidly growing manufacturer and distributor of adhesive tape and associated products. The seven-figure deal sees the appointment of four new directors to the board of the Tayside business, which currently employs 55 staff. The new board believes the transaction will re-position the company to take full advantage of new markets and product offerings over the short to medium term. "This is a very exciting deal for DC Consulting," says company director Angus Hay. "We have worked with Cedarstape for some years, providing board level advice as the company has grown at a rapid rate. This is a substantial, successful business in Tayside and we are delighted to assist the directors to realise their ambitious growth plans for the future." Cedarstape was established in 1998 and has grown exponentially since then, being listed as a HSBC/Virgin Fast Track 100 Company in 2003 and winning the Scottish Enterprise Tayside award for Best Performing Business in Tayside with over 25 employees in 2006. Parties to the deal include new board members James McCafferty, Steve Edwards (formerly sales director of Sellotape) and Graham Bodie (former finance director of Trak Microwave, AC Yule and John Fleming). "DC Consulting has played a significant part in the development of Cedarstape from a small, regional distributor to a pan-European provider of adhesive tape and related product solutions," says Cedarstape's MD, Tom McCafferty. "DC Consulting has a wealth of knowledge in terms of funding avenues and structures, and access to these has been a critical factor in the continuing growth and success of the business." "This deal is central in establishing a robust operating structure to support our plans for the future as we continue to penetrate new markets and diversify our product range." DC Consulting specialises in corporate finance and strategic business advice to the SME market in Scotland. Headed by a board of four directors, it is the leading corporate finance adviser in Tayside, providing innovative financial solutions for established and pre-revenue businesses. Angus Hay commented: "We believe that the key to our success both in terms of our private equity clients and in our mergers and acquisitions activity is our ability to develop the most appropriate funding model. We draw on our extensive experience of both public sector grants and debt funding from the various financial institutions to leverage private equity funding and work with our clients to engineer the right finance package for their circumstances." Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 01721 729322, 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk

Bonspiel Engineering - Bucking the Trend

Specialist engineering company Bonspiel Engineering Ltd has recently received planning permission to substantially increase the size of its manufacturing facility at West Pitkerro Industrial Estate, Dundee, from 10,000 to 15,000 sq ft. Bonspiel, which specialises in machining sub-contract parts for various markets including medical, telecommunications and energy, is being supported in its growth plans by a Regional Selective Assistance grant of £235,000 for the acquisition of new CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery and the creation of a number of new job opportunities.As part of a planned expansion programme, the business has already invested around £400,000 in the last six months on cutting edge CNC technology and plans a further £600,000 of expenditure over the next 18 months. Managing director Steve Bruce says, "Investment in these new machines is essential if we are to continue to compete in our current markets and capitalise on new opportunities. We are also in the process of finalising a structured training programme which will help to develop our staff and we see this as essential if we are to fully utilise these new resources. Bonspiel has been working closely with DC Consulting at a strategic level over the last few years and they have provided excellent support whilst I have re-focussed and developed new and alternative opportunities." Corporate Finance specialist DC Consulting has worked with the board at Bonspiel for some time and advised the company throughout the fund-raising and grant application processes. Andrew McCafferty, director of DC Consulting commented, "It is refreshing to see a manufacturing company in Dundee maintaining investment in cutting edge technology to compete in global markets. We believe the business is well positioned to take advantage of new market opportunities and continue to grow and prosper over the longer term." Bonspiel Engineering was incorporated in 1989 and specialises in one field of engineering - precision CNC Sliding Head turned components from 0.5 - 32mm in diameter. The company serves various sectors, including medical, telecommunications, oil and gas, aerospace and defence, as well as offering bespoke solutions to individual clients. In 2005, DC Consulting advised on a successful BIMBO transaction involving the previous owners. For further information please contact: www.bonspiel.co.uk Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 01721 729322, 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk

Double D Deal

Dundee-based corporate finance house, DC Consulting, has successfully concluded the Buy In Management Buy Out (BIMBO) of Double D Bakery Engineering for client, the Bonspiel Group. The substantial seven-figure deal also includes three board appointments to Double D: Bob Petrie as managing, John Craig of DC Consulting as finance director, and Steve Bruce in a non-executive role. DC Consulting initiated the transaction, devised an innovative funding structure and head hunted Bob Petrie from financial solutions provider NCR, to lead the Buy-In team. Bob has held a number of senior roles within NCR in China, Brazil and the US. “The Bonspiel Group is an ambitious and forward-thinking business with a clear vision of its future,” says John Craig, director of DC Consulting and Double D. “We have worked closely with its management team as they have driven forward Bonspiel Engineering in Dundee, and we are delighted to have played a central role in concluding this deal.” Double D Food Engineering, an Edinburgh-based custom designer and manufacturer of a range of ovens, cookers and char grilling units, is the first acquisition by the Bonspiel Group since a Management Buy In/Buy Out (BIMBO) at the Group – also steered through by DC Consulting - two years ago. Steve Bruce of the Bonspiel Group commented: “DC Consulting’s pivotal role in this acquisition reflects the close relationship we have forged with the team there. Their professionalism and high level understanding of all the issues surrounding deals of this nature make them outstanding advisors, who have gone the extra mile to bring this deal together successfully.” Double D, which designs and manufactures at its plant near Edinburgh, has a 70-strong workforce. Founding directors of Double D, David Denholm, David Taylor and Douglas Jackson, will gradually wind down their involvement in the business over the next six to nine months. The three men co-founded Double D in 1978 with four other engineers, building a global manufacturing business. DC Consulting specialises in corporate finance and strategic business advice in Scotland. Headed by a board of four directors, it is a fast-growing corporate finance adviser, providing innovative financial solutions for established and pre-revenue businesses. John Craig commented: “We believe that the key to our success both in terms of our private equity clients and in our mergers and acquisitions activity is our ability to develop the most appropriate funding model. We draw on our extensive experience of both public sector grants and debt funding from the various financial institutions to leverage private equity funding and work with our clients to engineer the right finance package for their circumstances.” Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 01721 729322, 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk www.dcconsult.co.uk www.double-d.co.uk About Bob Petrie Bob Petrie graduated with a BSc in integrated engineering and manufacturing from the University of Abertay in Dundee, where he also gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies. He joined NCR in Dundee in 1986 as an apprentice, progressing to technician, engineer and senior engineer roles. He went on to work in NCR’s Beijing operation and also supported the Greater China Area Sales team in driving improvements in Customer Satisfaction. In 2003, he moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, returning to NCR in Dundee the following year where. Most recently, he managed NCR’s ATM manufacturing operation in Dallas, Texas following the successful acquisition of a Dallas based competitor. About Double D Food Engineering Double D Food Engineering was founded in 1978 and has grown to become one of the leading UK manufacturers of ovens, provers and retarder provers for the baking industry, and cookers for the further processing of meat, poultry, fish and vegetables. The Company operates from a 40,000 square foot factory based in Broxburn, just west of Edinburgh, Scotland.

High tech spin-out PowerPhotonic secures £0.5 million funding package

PowerPhotonic Ltd, a high tech spin out from Heriot Watt University, has secured funding of more than £½ million in a deal led by Archangel Informal Investment, which syndicated part of the equity to angel syndicate TRI Cap. PowerPhotonic Ltd has developed world-leading micro-optical fabrication technology and the transaction, which includes SMART Scotland funding, enables the company to compete in high power industrial laser and optical communications markets valued at $2.6 billion per annum. PowerPhotonic Ltd is the brainchild of Heriot Watt University team Dr Roy McBride, Professor Denis Hall and Professor Howard Baker, who all have extensive experience in the field of lasers and photonics technologies for industrial applications. Nigel Hedley (Chairman) and Clovis Younger (NXD) have been introduced by Archangel and the executive team is joined by Philip McNaull of Heriot Watt University, who brings experience in strategic planning and financial management. John Waddell, CEO of Edinburgh-based Archangel commented: "Roy came to us with an outline plan over a year ago and we worked with him, his colleagues and with corporate finance specialists DC Consulting to build a suitable proposal and funding package. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with our friends at TRI Cap on this investment." "This is a further example of our university sector’s strength in developing world-leading technologies which have clear commercial applications and value,” says Angus Hay of DC Consulting. “Scotland’s venture capital community is very interested in supporting this type of venture, which has already proven itself in an extremely vibrant marketplace. By working alongside Scottish Enterprise National’s High Growth Unit we have been able to draw upon public sector support to conclude the investment round for PowerPhotonic.” Commenting on the deal, PowerPhotonic MD Dr Roy McBride said: “PowerPhotonic is operating on a worldwide stage, with high levels of interest from international manufacturers of high power lasers, which recognise the increased efficiency and market share that PowerPhotonic’s technology can bring. This funding enables us to invest in new hardware as well as giving us the leverage to exploit the markets that we have already begun to open up. "Our technology is unique and will have a major impact on the global market for high power lasers. As a Scottish company, funded by Scottish investors and with a world-class team, we will be leading the way." Robert Dick, chairman of Borders-based syndicate TRI Cap, said: "This is an exciting investment for our members and we are delighted to be associated with Archangel in the funding of this potentially important venture. PowerPhotonic has demonstrated that its technology has global reach and we look forward to working with the team to take the business forward." Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 01721 729322, 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk NOTES TO EDITORS Archangel Informal Investment is Scotland's leading Business Angel Syndicate. Originally formed in 1992 and based in Edinburgh, the syndicate now comprises around 80 investor members and invests c. £9m per year in early stage Scottish companies. www.archangelsonline.com DC Consulting specialises in corporate finance and strategic business advice in Scotland. Headed by a board of four directors, it is a fast-growing corporate finance adviser, providing innovative financial solutions for established companies and new technology business opportunities. www.dcconsult.co.uk Tweed Renaissance Investors Capital (TRI Cap) is a business angel syndicate based in the Scottish Borders, with the intention of investing in growth businesses in the Borders and beyond. Its founders include some of the Borders’ leading business people who, between them, have many years’ experience of building and investing in enterprises in the Borders and further afield. The syndicate has investments of more than £3 million under its belt. www.tricapital.co.uk

Calnex Solutions Ltd secures funding

Dundee-based corporate finance house DC Consulting has attracted a £1 million package of investment for Calnex Solutions Ltd, a pre-revenue business based in Linlithgow which is about to launch a range of products into the telecommunications test instrumentation market. Led by Discovery Investment Fund along with a number of individual investors, the package also includes SPUR support and matched equity funding from Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-Investment Fund. Conceived, founded and driven by Tommy Cook – who spent 20 years with Agilent Technologies – Calnex has developed a range of next generation equipment which will enable manufacturers of telecoms equipment to test, verify and validate their products’ compliance with rigorous new international standards. With the introduction of new technologies in this global market, manufacturers require test equipment imminently: it is estimated that Calnex is two years ahead of its competitors and in pole position to secure a substantial slice of the estimated £125 million market over the coming three years. "Calnex is an exciting and visionary business which has devoted substantial time in identifying the market opportunity and understanding its prospective customer requirements. We have been delighted to be involved in securing the required funding," said Angus Hay of DC Consulting. Since its inception in 2005, Calnex has been supported intensively by the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Start-Up Unit (HGSU) which, in addition to helping Tommy secure an initial SE Industrial Fellowship and subsequent SMART and SPUR awards for Calnex, worked in close partnership with DC Consulting to raise the seed funding from Scottish Seed Fund that provided the platform for this investment round. Campbell Murray, Head of HGSU, commented: "It has been a pleasure and privilege to support Tommy throughout the start-up phase of Calnex, and very gratifying that high tech talent nurtured in Scotland has remained here to establish what we believe will be a significant global business." Founder Tommy Cook said: "The latest package of funding will enable Calnex to move to the next stage of its development very quickly. Our next move is to develop market-ready equipment and to press ahead with sales and marketing, while also developing further products. This is not just about cash: we are also hugely enthusiastic about the expertise we will also be able to access through the equity investors DC Consulting has identified and secured." Chairman of Discovery Investment Fund (DIFL) Ken Ingram, who is also a non exec director of Calnex, commented: "As the lead investor in this round of funding, we confident the innovative range of products being developed by Calnex will establish the company as a market leader in the international telecoms test instrumentation market. DIFL is delighted to provide practical support to the highly motivated team led by Tommy Cook, and look forward to assisting the early stage company in meeting the growth challenges." DC Consulting specialises in corporate finance and strategic business advice in Scotland. Headed by a board of four directors, it is a fast-growing corporate finance adviser, providing innovative financial solutions for established companies and new technology business opportunities. Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 01721 729322, 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk

Gigha Halibut: Funding Brought to £2m

Specialist corporate finance house DC Consulting has secured funding of £850,000 for Gigha Halibut II Ltd, bringing to £2 million the total it has successfully raised for Halibut farming projects in Scotland in the last two years. DC Consulting sourced and co-ordinated investment from its pool of private investors to raise the equity required and negotiated the debt funding. This round of funding ensures that production of farmed halibut will increase to over 600 tonnes in the next three years. “This is the second time we have been successful in securing funding for Halibut production on the Island of Gigha,” said Andy McCafferty of DC Consulting. “The business was formed after a major producer moved out of Scotland back in the early 2000s, when Gigha Halibut Ltd was created to acquire and rear 140,000 juvenile fish on a previously dormant facility on Gigha. DC Consulting raised £600,000 in private equity and £300,000 in debt funding at this time, which enabled the company to commence production. “This latest project enables the management team to increase production further, building its brand and extending its markets. We were able to access the development capital via our pool of private investors, who were enthused by the market opportunity provided by this niche market.” Alastair Barge, MD of Gigha Halibut, is pleased with the new funding round and optimistic about the further growth of the Halibut industry: “Farmed halibut is a premium product which has been successfully reared on Gigha over the last two years and is being harvested carefully to ensure sustainability. Gigha Halibut is now playing a significant part in the market for premium fish products and the funding secured by DC Consulting for this second round will ensure that our business will continue to develop and expand markets both in the UK and overseas.” DC Consulting specialises in corporate finance and strategic business advice in Scotland. Headed by a board of four directors, it is a fast-growing corporate finance adviser, providing innovative financial solutions for established and pre-revenue businesses. Issued on behalf of DC Consulting by Eileen Prior, Prior PR. For further information contact Eileen on 07802 180 412 or eileen@priorpr.co.uk

Conjunct: £300k Investment Package

DC Consulting has advised datacoms business Conjunct in its latest funding round, which has resulted in Braveheart equity investment of £300,000, plus SMART grant funding. The funding will help the Livingston based company to develop its state of the art Fibre-Lyte technology. Founded in 2003 as a start-up from Heriot Watt University, Conjunct has developed technology for the datacoms market which provides optical solutions to move data over short distances (500m or less). The funding allows Conjunct to focus on fully developing Fibre-Lyte, which will be licensed to a range of industrial partners. It will also be used to embed the technology in a range of value-added products. Ken Allstaff, Chief Executive of Conjunct, commented: “We have reached a new phase in our product development and are very gratified that Braveheart is now on board as an investor and adviser. We are confident that, with its backing, we can accomplish our potential as we commercialise our pioneering technology.” Braveheart’s chief executive, Geoffrey Thomson, said: “Conjunct has designed products which will provide significant benefits across the datacoms market. Over the past five years, the company has built an impressive board of advisers and secured initial early stage funding. We are pleased to be supporting them through this, the next stage in their growth and development.” DC Consulting’s Angus Hay steered the deal through. He believes Conjunct has huge potential: “This is a dynamic and exciting market and Conjunct is very much at the leading edge. We are pleased to be part of a deal which brings excellent Scottish technology one step further towards international success.”

New Starts Build DCC Team

Dundee-based corporate finance specialist, DC Consulting, has expanded its professional team with the appointment of two further professional staff, corporate finance analysts Nina Ledlie and David Glen. The appointments come as DC Consulting maintains its planned growth, providing corporate finance, specialist tax and strategic business advice to companies around Scotland and beyond. Angus Hay, director of DC Consulting, sees the appointments as critical in sustaining the company’s reputation for top flight advice as the company continues to grow: “DC Consulting has been successful in working with some outstanding entrepreneurial businesses, providing high-end advice and securing equity investment and grant funding packages to facilitate their growth and development. Nina Ledlie comes to us with substantial corporate experience, which will be invaluable to the business and to our client base. David Glen is a qualified accountant with an audit background which will assist with the increasing number of due diligence and financial modelling assignments coming to the company.”

CarieScan: £2m Secured

CarieScan secures £2 million for global sales & marketing.CarieScan, based in Dundee, is taking to market a device which uses AC impedance spectroscopy (ACIST) to determine the mineral density of dental substrate, as a means of detecting tooth decay at an earlier stage than usual, and monitoring its progress accurately. CarieScan, based in Dundee, is taking to market a device which uses AC impedance spectroscopy (ACIST) to determine the mineral density of dental substrate, as a means of detecting tooth decay at an earlier stage than usual, and monitoring its progress accurately. CarieScan is a wholly owned subsidiary of 3D Diagnostic Imaging, which was formed last year to acquire the assets of IDMoS, which had been placed in administration last April. The CarieScan PRO™ is a hand-held battery operated device, which gives dentists the possibility of measuring and monitoring the effect of treatment regimes to show decay advance or regression, and optimise individual treatments for different patients. The device was developed by IDMoS, which raised significant capital and floated on AIM, but was unable to renegotiate an agreement with distributors Dentsply, and was forced into administration. CarieScan’s CEO Graham Lay had joined IDMoS early in 2007, shortly after the company had raised a further £2 million on AIM, as its technical and operations director. He had previously been a senior vice president with Johnson and Johnson Medical and CEO of a medical device start-up Nexan Ltd before starting his own consultancy business (LCMS), and could see the difficulties which the company was facing. He was appointed COO then CEO in rapid succession, and had started to make substantial reductions in cash burn, but was unable to prevent the company’s closure. However, the purchase of IDMoS’s assets put CarieScan into a strong position, with a fully developed product ready to go to market, and a scaled down staff – from 18 to now only seven people, most of whom worked previously with IDMoS. The patents acquired from IDMoS are wide ranging, and give CarieScan the opportunity to investigate different applications in the future, in particular the monitoring of osteoporosis. The PRO™ product has regulatory approval for use in Europe and Canada, and is currently being sold in the UK and Europe via a distributor. CarieScan is in discussions with a leading global distributor with the intention of raising its profile and taking the product into new markets. As Graham Lay observes, distributors are generally motivated by the margin they can make on the products they represent, and the PRO device benefits in this respect as it employs single-use disposable sensors, which have a relatively high margin. The USA represents a major market opportunity, and CarieScan has already submitted a 510K application for FDA regulatory approval. The recent investment, completed at the end of February, was led by Evolve Capital plc (www.evolvecapital.co.uk), a London based VC listed on AIM, matched by Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Venture Fund. DC Consulting was instrumental in arranging the deal, and Graham Lay pays particular tribute to the role that DC’s Alison Williamson played in bringing CarieScan to this point. Contact: Graham Lay 01382 98616 www.cariescan.com

J Funerals Limited: SEED Investment

In a transaction co-ordinated by John Craig, J Funerals Limited have successfully completed the SEED investment to launch its products in the funeral market place. This investment brings together Sandra Thomson, who has worked in the Jute Industry since 1985 (and widely accepted as an expert in this field), and David McKenzie, previous founder and CEO of Commsworld Limited with the primary aim of delivery eco-friendly coffins and associated funereal products to the mainstream market. J funerals™ coffins, coffin accessories, urns and other accessories are made from the natural silky fibres of jute, which is an eco-friendly crop grown for generations in the Ganges Delta. The company has over 100 years of experience of jute and have developed many different ways of creating soft, sturdy fabrics that are naturally biodegradable, and produce minimal CO2 emissions, which is a critical factor in the current market place. Furthermore, the development of jute board, used in J funerals products, is a good example of the company’s creativity, whereby mixing plant fibres with natural starch under compression to create a strong, yet easily biodegradable board. The latest development of bamboo board has broadended the horizons for the Jfunerals ethos of solid, biodegradable board. Like the jute, bamboo board is manufactured using plant fibres resulting in a product which not only has strength but is biodegradable. Further information can be obtained at www.jfunerals.com

PowerPhotonic: £405k Raised

Co-ordinated by DC Consulting’s John Craig, PowerPhotonic has recently been awarded a £80,000 RSA award to support a ramp up in production and sales activity. This grant award augments a £325,000 investment into the company led by Archangel Informal Investments and Tri Capital. PowerPhotonic’s technology is used to increase beam brightness in high power diode lasers and to manufacture custom beamforming optics, for applications in solid-state laser and fibre laser pumping and in laser material processing. The technology brings together two innovative approaches: new stack wavefront measurement techniques, and the fabrication of purpose-specific refractive micro-optics. PowerPhotonic’s customers include laser manufacturers and also system integrators in Europe and North America. Managing Director Dr Roy McBride is gratified that sales to the integrators in particular have grown more quickly than anticipated, which he takes to reflect a rapid understanding of the benefits that PowerPhotonic’s technology can bring to a laser system. This new funding round will enable the business to build manufacturing capacity, as well as to continue to expand its sales activities. Further information can be obtained at www.powerphotonic.co.uk

Novabiotics: £1.1m of Equity

The DC Consulting team, led by Angus Hay, has successfully assisted NovaBiotics Limited in securing an equity investment of £1.1 million. The investment was made by both existing shareholders in the company and by new sources of funds introduced by DC Consulting, including Discovery Investment Fund, TRIcap and Aurora Private Equity. After the successful completion of the transaction, NovaBiotics announced regulatory and ethics clearance had been obtained to commence clinical trials of its lead product Novexatin. NovaBiotics, based in Aberdeen, provides a unique commercial opportunity for investors, with a platform technology that has the potential to meet the current and future unmet medical need for effective, safe and resistance-free antifungal and antibacterial therapeutics. Nail fungus is a disease of the toe and finger nails and surrounding skin, affecting upwards of 12% of the global population. This rate of infection equates to a total potential market worth in excess of $5bn, in a global anti-infectives market worth circa $80bn per annum. However, this market is presently poorly served, with the efficacy and safety shortcomings of current therapies being so significant that only a limited number of patients can be treated. The company’s short-term aim is the commercialisation of its lead product Novexatin. The investment was required in order to take Novexatin through a “first in man” clinical study (phase I and phase IIa) trials and secure clinical data, which is anticipated to take 9 months (subject to regulatory approvals). In addition to Novexatin, NovaBiotics has engineered, discovered and protected the ownership of a number of novel, bioavailable, safe, bactericidal and fungicidal peptides and small molecule botanical antifungals. The Company’s platform technology boasts a pipeline which includes candidate treatments for systemic fungal disease, respiratory bacterial infections including those associated with cystic fibrosis, acne, and hospital acquired community and resistant bacterial infections (e.g. MRSA). Once clinical studies have been successfully completed, NovaBiotics intends to licence their product to an appropriate trade partner for onward development and commercialisation. Further information can be obtained at www.novabiotics.co.uk

Cariescan: £750k Raised

Cariescan, the dental technology group formed out of university spinout, IDMOS, has raised £750,000, its second fundraising this year. The Dundee based company said the cash, raised from existing shreholders including Scottish Enterprise, would be used for research and marketing investment. Chief Executive Graham Lay said Cariescan's first product, which it claims measures tooth decay more accurately than X-Rays, is now on sale in the UK, while a distribution agreement for Canada is imminent.

TPLD: £430k Investment

TPLD worked with Angus Hay of DC Consulting in preparing a new business plan to take the company forward, and it was DC Consulting that made the introduction to Barwell. The investment of £430k, completed in mid-February, incorporated the conversion of loans and preference shares from existing investors alongside new equity being introduced from Barwell and the Scottish Co-investment Fund. The funding package will enable Piggot and colleagues to embark upon a marketing plan which will see them take the Virtual World product to prospective clients in a ‘road show’ format. TPLD currently sells mainly in the UK, but has prospects in Singapore and Europe; in addition, Barwell is providing contacts which will help the company to enter the USA. Games based learning company TPLD has secured new investment from Barwell Group and the SCF which it will use to launch its new virtual world platform, and intensify its sales and marketing activities. Jim Piggot, TPLD’s chief executive officer, sees new opportunities arising after a year or more when the large corporations which are the company’s main sales targets more or less shut down their discretionary spending. TPLD had traditionally concentrated on providing tools, products and services to the emergent interactive game based learning market, which Piggot has now developed out to offer a complete virtual learning and communication solution for clients. This deeper offering has seen a significant increase in interest in the last few months. The market driver proceeds from a number of factors: corporations which cut back their expenditure on traditional communication channels for widely dispersed staff are instead looking for innovative low cost solutions; their staff are increasingly ‘digital natives’ with work routines already featuring web-based media; and all sectors of society are becoming much more accustomed to communicating digitally, especially through social networking. All this adds up to brighter prospects for TPLD’s technology. TPLD recently delivered a virtual world site to Milton Keynes Council to support the 13 to 19 year young people community in seeking career and personal advice. TPLD has incorporated a set of team building games into the MKC world, which it believes to be the first ever such project in the UK. TPLD is confident that it has developed a wide expertise in games based learning (GBL) and, through that, a deep understanding of the immersive nature of web-based virtual environments. It now presents itself under three core competencies: the deployment of virtual world technology to provide organizations with a new medium to deliver education, training and employee communications; the development of real-time multi-player serious games environments to client specifications; and the provision of tools and associated services to strategic partners thus minimising their time and cost in building up a GBL development capability. The virtual worlds will be delivered in three forms: standard virtual meeting rooms for hire; conference productions; and full customised multi-day corporate events. The use of immersive virtual worlds has become an attractive proposition for organisations to deliver education, training and employee communications to a globally dispersed workforce using an engaging technology to realise cost savings through reduced travel. However, early adopters of virtual world platforms have also found that there are still obstacles: massive client downloads make deployment challenging, and per-event costs are not at a compelling price point to make it an easy buying decision. TPLD’s virtual world technology has met these challenges by using a standard web browser as the client which removes the download issue, and offering a pricing model that is claimed to show up to 90 % savings over conventional large scale events. TPLD can quickly build a showcase for clients, which can offer in effect a perpetual environment for hosting live events, such as an auditorium event, a small meeting event, one to one conversations, or a ‘question time’ event - all using voice and video to communicate over the internet and the broadband network. The company believes that this represents a more engaging and enjoyable learning medium than the disembodied experience of web or audio conferencing and most webbased learning content. TPLD worked with DC Consulting in preparing a new business plan to take the company forward, and it was DC Consulting that made the introduction to Barwell. The investment of £430k, completed in mid-February, incorporated the conversion of loans and preference shares from existing investors alongside new equity being introduced from Barwell and the Scottish Co-investment Fund. The funding package will enable Piggot and colleagues to embark upon a marketing plan which will see them take the Virtual World product to prospective clients in a ‘road show’ format. TPLD currently sells mainly in the UK, but has prospects in Singapore and Europe; in addition, Barwell is providing contacts which will help the company to enter the USA.

ICS2: £500k Refinancing Package

To allow the business to survive, ICS2’s directors set about the task of seeking new investment to place the company on a level keel and return the business to profit. The original owners and private investor in the business, working closely with Dundee Council, the Scottish Executive, and Barwell plc, and with DC Consulting as advisers, negotiated a new funding package that was acceptable to the Bank of Scotland and all relevant parties involved. As a result a total refunding package of £500k was achieved. ICS2 provides specialist cables for many industries, including the telecomms, automotive, multimedia, industrial, military, and medical sectors. The company can respond to requirements for hi-flex, high volume, improved signal speed, hi-temperature or simply ruggedised cable for buried or outdoor use, and design and manufacture a bespoke system. ICS2 was formed as a response to the severe downturn in the industry at the beginning of the millennium, when the bubble burst on the dotcom boom, 3G licence holders in Europe were left with commitments they were unable to fulfil, and the telecom sector collapsed. This decimated the UK cable industry. ICS2 was started in early 2002 by Paul Munro and Ian Johnston in the belief that the industry had overreacted in adjusting to demand and with the recognition that ‘positive outsourcing’ would become a strategic part of the UK cable industry in the future. Having spent most of their working lives in the industry, they quickly became established, initially providing consultancy support to underperforming cable companies in the UK, Europe and Russia whilst establishing their first manufacturing facility in Glenrothes. With grant support from the Scottish Executive and personal investment from the owners they quickly increased turnover to £1 million in a three year period and generated profit in the second year of operation. By 2007 the potential for further growth was being constrained by the lack of space in the company’s 10,000sqft manufacturing premises, and following the successful acquisition of a recently closed cable company in Tayside the company relocated to a bespoke 32,000sqft facility in Dundee. With the introduction of new capital from a private investor supported by a new £250k grant from the Scottish Executive, the business set about the task of relocating the complete cable manufacturing operation from Glenrothes to Dundee. During the 15 month upheaval the company managed to maintain its sales at £1.2 million and continued to invest heavily until the market collapse at the end of 2008. Having already completed 90% of its relocation capital programme in the lead up to the market collapse, ICS2 like many others had to react quickly and implement an immediate restructuring plan to meet the adverse market conditions that prevailed. The need to reduce headcount exacerbated the situation, by preventing any further draw down of the grant that was conditional upon employee numbers. To allow the business to survive, ICS2’s directors set about the task of seeking new investment to place the company on a level keel and return the business to profit. The original owners and private investor in the business, working closely with Dundee Council, the Scottish Executive, and Barwell plc, and with DC Consulting as advisers, negotiated a new funding package that was acceptable to the Bank of Scotland and all relevant parties involved. As a result a total refunding package of £500k was achieved. Paul Munro, managing director of ICS2, commented “With the new funding in place at the end of February 2010 the company is now looking forward to a bright future. The investment has coincided with the launch of an extended range of new products that will allow us to realise our ambitious growth targets for the business and expand into new industry sectors both at home and abroad. The additional funding will continue to reinforce our commitment to internal research and development and provide the working capital necessary for a growing business.”

Lochglen Whisky Secures Funding

Lochglen Whisky Company is a sales and marketing company set up to export blended scotch whisky to the US, South America and China. Established in late 2009 by serial entrepreneur John McHattie, Lochglen is intended to be a niche exporter to target markets and has an extensive distributor network in place capable of achieving significant revenues in the next three years. Earlier this month the company secured funding of an undisclosed amount from a business angel for the purchase of stock and initial working capital and to fund the initial start-up of the business.

Ciqual’s second funding round

Ciqual has latched on to one of the fastest growing technologies in communications, the use of mobile networks for broadband connections. The Edinburgh based company has developed a system, Session Insight, which enables mobile operators and their manufacturers to get a real-time view of the service provided and the user experience. This enables providers to assure the operation of their network and deliver a high level of service, and it enables manufacturers of the wireless ‘dongles’ which plug into mobile laptops to ensure that their pre-launch testing has been successful. The company was started in September 2007, and secured £1.25 million funding in March last year from Par Syndicate, an informal group of angel investors managed by Par Equity, and SE’s Scottish Co-investment Fund . A second round of funding from the same investors has been provided to fund the lengthy process of securing sales into large mobile operators, where projects have had to go through more levels of approval than previously. One effect of the global economic downturn seen by Ciqual is that mobile operators have purchased its system as a managed service, rather than an outright purchase, resulting in a regular revenue stream rather than discrete capital purchases. During this period, the growth of data traffic has outpaced the growth of voice on mobile networks, with the consequent growth in demand for mobile broadband. Data traffic on mobile networks is set to double every year for the next five years according to a recent report by Cisco*, with laptop and wireless ‘dongle’ users generating 70% of this traffic growth. Ciqual has this year had a major breakthrough, which could transform its business. This is a contract with one of the world’s largest telecom equipment manufacturers for the supply of its products under a ‘white label’ arrangement. Details of the deal are closely guarded until the first sales are secured, with Ciqual recently completing its first live trials at a Spanish mobile operator for its new partner. The equipment manufacturer in question had been developing its own technology for testing network performance, but decided to check what was available from third parties. After assessing a number of products, it was decided to work with Ciqual – not only a big win for the company in terms of business, but also a welcome technical endorsement. The second funding round, complete in May, was an equity investment of £700k from Par Syndicate and SCF, of which £400k has been paid now, with the second tranche payable in September/October against agreed milestones. Ciqual was advised in this fundraising by DC Consulting.

DC Consulting open in Edinburgh

One of Scotland's leading independent corporate finance specialists, DC Consulting has recently expanded its operation by opening an office in Edinburgh. Established in 2001, DC Consulting has gained a growing reputation in the Scottish market as a dynamic, solution-driven firm specialising in fund-raising assignments for ambitious management teams, emerging technology companies and owner managed businesses in the SME market. The investment in staff and office space not only demonstrates the commitment of DC Consulting to continuing to support the Scottish SME and emerging technology market but also provides the Firm with an opportunity to broaden its advice and knowledge of investors in the Scottish marketplace and beyond.

3D Diagnostic Imaging list on the AIM Market

3D Diagnostic Imaging, currently quoted on the PLUS market, will transfer to AIM at the end of this month. 3D Diagnostic Imaging plc (www.3ddiagnosticimaging.com) was incorporated in the Isle of Man on 17 June 2008, and has a single wholly owned trading subsidiary, CarieScan, incorporated in Scotland and based in Dundee. 3D has conditionally raised £2.71 million (before expenses) by way of a placing of 45,248,318 shares at 6p per share with existing and new investors, giving the company a market capitalisation of £10.23 million. 3D is currently a PLUS-quoted company; subject to an EGM, trading on PLUS will cease at the close of business on 19 November and trading of the company’s shares on AIM will commence on 22 November. 3D Diagnostic Imaging was formed to acquire the assets of IDMoS, a spinout from the University of Dundee, which had been placed in administration in April 2007. 3D’s subsidiary CarieScan (www.cariescan.com) has developed and taken to market the CarieScan PRO, a hand-held battery operated device, which enables dentists to measure and monitor the effect of treatment regimes to show decay advance or regression, and optimise individual treatments for different patients. The device was developed by IDMoS, which raised significant capital and floated on AIM, but due to the prohibitive conditions of a commercial agreement which it was unable to renegotiate was forced into administration. The funds from the placing will allow CarieScan to expand its operations and to invest, both in additional tooling to increase its manufacturing capacity, and in the process of designing down the cost of manufacturing PRO sensors. The company’s primary focus is on achieving wide-scale adoption of the PRO by dental practitioners in the USA and in Canada, and it has already partnered with leading dental distributor, Patterson Dental, to achieve adoption in these markets, with first product having been shipped. The 3D Group’s ultimate objective is to develop, market and commercialise a series of products based on its technology with a range of different applications, such as the early detection of osteoporosis, or of malignant melanomas, the state of health monitoring of battery systems for electric vehicles, or early detection of corrosion within building materials.

Disposal of Braemore Property Management to Lomond Capital

One of Scotland’s leading independent corporate finance specialists, DC Consulting advised the owners of Braemore Property Management in the recent sale of their business to Lomond Capital. The deal, led by Harry Linklater and Chris Clark follows soon after DC’s recent expansion into the Edinburgh corporate finance market. Braemore is a leading Edinburgh Lettings business which currently manages over 800 properties and is renowned for its client service excellence. William Frame, majority shareholder and former Chairman, will retain a consultancy role and will work closely with the Lomond team going forward. Commenting on the deal, William Frame said: “Consolidation is well overdue in the lettings sector across the UK. Braemore will be used as a bridgehead by Lomond Capital to acquire quality property letting businesses. Their business plan in very sound and backed by a strong well proven Management Team. The Braemore team of Karel Broughton and Colette Murphy along with the entire Braemore staff will be assisting Lomond in driving through the acquisition strategy. Like all deals we had our good and bad days on the way – especially as we had not prepared the business for sale. Without the steady hands of DC Consulting’s Chris Clark and Harry Linklater, getting the transaction over the line would have been somewhat challenging.” Lomond Capital paid an undisclosed sum for the firm and has promised similar deals are in the pipeline. Lomond Capital chairman Roger Lane-Smith commented: “The acquisition is the first of a clearly defined strategy that will see Lomond Capital look to significantly grow its presence in Edinburgh and other major UK cities. In difficult economic times, we’re delighted to be in a position to invest in the UK economy.”

CIQUAL, closes significant round of funding from global parties

CIQUAL, an international mobile broadband customer service solution closes significant round of funding Investment round includes funding from Tomorrow Ventures Edinburgh, SCOTLAND – February 8, 2011 – Ciqual, an Edinburgh, Scotland based leader in mobile broadband customer service solutions has closed its latest investment round with significant funding from multiple parties across the globe. Investors including Tomorrow Ventures, a Palo Alto-based fund, and One97 Communications Limited, a leading provider of telecom value added services in India, as well as current Scottish investors, Par Equity and the Scottish Investment Bank have banded together recognizing the value of Ciqual’s mobile technology solutions. This latest round of financing will enable Ciqual to promote and distribute more widely their innovative, patented technology, Session Insight, which delivers the most accurate, real-time, dynamic view of mobile broadband service and user experience. With this insight, mobile operators can deliver an unrivalled mobile broadband service performance, assure the operation of their network and provide superior care that delights their customers. “We are thrilled that multiple investors have come together to recognize and support Ciqual. With our current customers already benefiting from our capabilities, this investment enables Ciqual to promote and deliver our solutions to a larger international user base,” said Tom Walls, CEO for Ciqual. “Our belief is that Ciqual is well positioned to become the market leader in this growing and important market sector,” says Court Coursey, Managing Partner of TomorrowVentures. Talking about the investment, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director of One97 Communications Limited said ‘‘Mobile broadband and smart phone ecosystem requires whole customer experience to be built from bottom up. We are excited to partner Ciqual and be part of its success.” Ciqual’s mobile broadband solutions provide increased intelligence of the user experience, allowing sales teams to proactively manage and report on individual and enterprise customers, marketing teams to improve their delivered services and customer care to offer a superior service. With these unique insights, customer satisfaction is increased, customer loyalty is maximized and customer retention strategies are strengthened. About CIQUAL Ciqual enables Mobile Operators to improve their data services through actual knowledge of the customer experience. Ciqual combines direct selling with a series of channel partner relationships, including a worldwide channel partner agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks. Current customers include Mobile Operators in the UK, Italy, Spain, China and Australia. For more information, please visit www.ciqual.com About TomorrowVentures TomorrowVentures is an opportunistic investment firm with a global focus toward seed and early-stage venture capital investments that develop innovative ideas that have the power to change the way people live, interact, and thrive. For more information on TomorrowVentures visit http://www.tomorrowvc.com. TomorrowVentures investment in Ciqual was sourced by David Farquhar of Northface Ventures, TomorrowVentures’ representative in Scotland. About One97 One97 is a leading provider of telecommunications value added services to telecom service providers, consumers and enterprises in India. One97’s mobile content, messaging, commerce services and made-to-order network applications offer new revenue streams to telecom service providers. www.one97world.com. About Par Equity Par Equity, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a venture capital firm providing financial and intellectual capital to innovative small and medium-sized companies with high growth potential. For further information, please visit www.parequity.com About Scottish Investment Bank The Scottish Investment Bank is a division of Scottish Enterprise which operates Scotland-wide, in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It operates a suite of investment funds including; The Scottish Seed, the Scottish Co-investment and the Scottish Venture Fund to support Scotland’s SME funding market to ensure that both businesses with growth and export potential have adequate access to growth capital.

VueKlar enhances cardiovascular treatments

VueKlar Cardiovascular is developing cardiovascular implants with proprietary features that bring substantial benefits to patients, to clinicians, and to hospitals. The company recently completed its first round of funding, a £300,000 package of equity, loan, and a SMART grant award. Three Israeli investors, professional contacts of VueKlar’s founder and chief medical officer Dr Andreas Melzer, were joined in the investment by the founders and by the Scottish Investment Bank’s Scottish Seed Fund. The principal investor is one of Israel’s leading surgeons in minimally-invasive procedures, and is a successful entrepreneur and medical device investor. His co-investor is another leading Israeli physician, and the third is a medical device entrepreneur who was most recently CEO of a surgical implant business. Andreas Melzer has 25 years’ experience researching and developing technologies and procedures for minimally invasive therapies. His particular speciality is MRI-guided therapies. He has been involved in eight companies founded on the back of his IP, and he is the inventor of VueKlar’s core technology. His co-founder Richard Boyd has expertise in the commercialisation of new products and technology. At PRTM, an operations management consultancy, he helped bring over 20 new products successfully to market for several large technology companies like Agilent Technologies and Nokia. In Scotland Boyd started a business, Mainstay Innovation, providing interim management and business development services to research organisations and young tech companies. Cardiovascular implants include occluders, stents, prosthetic heart valves, and filters. They are all implanted in a minimally invasive procedure, in which the implant is compressed into a tube or catheter which is inserted into the body, often at the top of the leg, and threaded through the blood vessels to the point where it is positioned and released. X-ray and ultrasound-based imaging techniques are used to see inside the body and guide implant placement and carry out subsequent follow-up examinations. MRI would be a better technique, because of the drawbacks of using x-rays (radiation dosages, and toxic contrast agents for the imaging) or ultrasound (probes are inserted down the throat, causing serious discomfort, infection and sometimes tissue damage). Aside from the patient problems associated with other methods, MRI gives clinicians superior images, with excellent soft tissue imaging and blood flow data. Overall, using MRI is less invasive and safer for patients, offers better imaging for clinicians, and better financial outcomes for hospitals. The problem – well recognised by clinicians - is that cardiovascular implants do not image well in an MRI. The metallic structures of implants interfere with the MRI signals and severely compromise the images in and around the implants. So whereas MRI is the method of choice for diagnosis and the planning of surgery, the imaging issues mean that MRI has not up to now been a viable option for guiding implant placement or for follow-up examinations. Furthermore, future diagnostics by MRI are prevented if there is an implant in the region of interest. VueKlar has developed MR-enhancement technology which not only removes the interference, but also increases image contrast by 3 to 4 times the native MRI image. As a result, it is possible to make a detailed examination of the implant and of the tissues around it, without the need for contrast agent. The immediate benefit is to enable the use of MRI for follow-up examinations and any future diagnostics in the same part of the body; this is better for the patient, better for the clinician, and actually cheaper for the hospital, and no change is needed to the hospital’s equipment set up. MR-enhancement in the right hand half of the pictured stent shows how MRI can now be used to check for common complications such as a blood clot (as shown). VueKlar implants also open the door to MRI-guided implantation, so MRI can become a ‘one stop shop’ for all the procedures, with the attendant benefits for patients, clinicians and hospitals. The company’s initial business model is contract development, licensing and potentially manufacturing MR-enhancement technology for other implant manufacturers. A partnership with a reputable implant manufacturer validates the demand for the technology; the subsequent commercial launch of a device and its success in the clinic validates clinical and commercial benefits. The company estimates that a single implant could bring contract development worth over £1m, and future royalties of between £1m and £5m per year. Further revenue is anticipated from manufacturing the technology. The company has developed prototype stents, filters, heart valves and occluders and has successfully demonstrated these through animal trials. Its technology is protected by a portfolio of nearly 50 granted or pending patents, and significant proprietary expertise. It has begun approaching manufacturers about integrating its technology in next generation devices, and has recently signed its first deal. The £300,000 investment completed in February is being used to secure an initial development agreement with an implant manufacturer, to develop a demonstrator of one of its own, proprietary implants, and to identify key hires for the next stage in the company’s development. Assisted by DC Consulting, VueKlar is preparing for the next funding round in the second half of this year, to build its development operation in support of its contract development and licensing business model.

Sphinx Medical secures £600,000

Sphinx Medical enters fast growing market following successful fund raising with DC Consulting. Sphinx Medical was started last year to focus on the development, manufacture, and distribution of implantable silicone devices for the management of severe incontinence. The company has raised £600,000 in an initial financing round led by Borders-based angel syndicate TRI Cap, with members of the Kelvin Capital syndicate, investing through TRI Cap, contributing the majority of the private equity to the deal. The round also included investments by the Scottish Investment Bank’s Scottish Co-Investment Fund and by management. Sphinx’s initial product is an artificial anal sphincter (AAS), which addresses a problem that is forecast to increase rapidly as the population ages. Incontinence can affect women after childbirth when the sphincter muscles are unable to recapture their full strength, but it is with the elderly that the problem becomes more widespread. Incontinence causes acute embarrassment to its sufferers; colostomy is available for the most severe cases, but otherwise there are few effective treatments that can restore a patient’s dignity. Sphinx’s device is intended to play a major role in doing exactly that. The AAS replaces the anal sphincter muscles with a silicone pump operating silicone gel pads, which can be manually activated. The device was developed in Glasgow by Dr Ian Finlay and it has been successfully implanted in more than 20 patients, some of whom have benefited for a period in excess of ten years. The device has been issued with a CE mark and the procedure has gained recognition from NICE. The centres which have used the trial devices in the past, and have staff already trained and approved to carry out the procedure, are keen to order more when the finished product is available early next year, meaning that the company has a ready-made sales pipeline in place. The market is in effect new, and Sphinx has only one direct competitor, with a product based on old technology, over which the AAS is believed to have significant competitive advantages. Whilst closing the investment the executive team continued to explore adjacent options to enhance the overall Sphinx offering and secured Heads of Terms to acquired a complementary device for the treatment of urinary incontinence. According to DC Consulting, which advised Sphinx on its fundraising, the product development process and timeline for the AAS is similar to that of the gastric band, which took 18 years to launch into the market, and was subsequently purchased just two years later by Johnson and Johnson for $110 million. The AAS device has a significantly larger market opportunity than the gastric band, and Sphinx’s board believes that a trade sale within a five year period is the most likely exit route for investors. Sphinx has assembled an experienced management team led by chief executive Jonathan Lintott and chief operating officer Joseph Gallagher. The company is building a dedicated manufacturing facility at its site in Bellshill, and is planning to start shipment of the devices in early 2012. Joe Gallagher said “We are moving rapidly to install and validate our new manufacturing facility and we target gaining regulatory approval for its use by the end of 2011. This will allow us to meet our goal of commencing manufacture during 2011.” CEO Jonathan Lintott said “I am very excited that we have received this support from our investors. This will allow us to build a new medical device business aimed at meeting the needs of patients across the world and further reinforcing Scotland’s position in the biomedical field.” Dr Finlay, who will be involved in the future direction of the company, added “I am pleased to be part of this venture. Sphinx will ensure this device - which has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life – is available to patients “. TRI Cap is represented on the board of Sphinx by member Dr John Hall, who brings with him extensive experience in the pharma and life sciences sectors. Sphinx has been supported in its development by Scottish Enterprise’s National High Growth team.

Acquisition of Prime Retail Unit

August 2011 saw the successful conclusion of the deal to acquire a Prime Retail Unit DC Consulting successfully assisted the management team of a new company looking to break into the Retail Sector, who bring a significant pedigree and heritage within the Retail Sector. This transaction brought together a six-figure funding package of both management equity and bank finance, required to acquire the business and to provide sufficient working capital for the company going forward. Not only did the transaction involve significant negotiation and project management with the vendor, but also considerable structuring advice in terms of tax and other implications involved with the transaction, which is expected to be the first of many for the newly formed team.

Origin and Fishers Services announce strategic partnership

02 February 2011 - ORIGIN and FISHERS SERVICES ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP Fishers Services and Origin Cleanroom Services have formed a long-term partnership with effect from 2 February. Fishers has taken an equity stake in Origin, solidifying the partnership and demonstrating its commitment to developing Origin's garment business and giving the company access to institutional funding to accelerate growth in its core markets of life sciences and microelectronics. The new venture will focus on providing an integrated garment solution to customers primarily in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and adjacent sectors where manufacturing plants will often require high end, and often sterile cleanroom garments as well as lab coats and other general workwear. By coming together Origin and Fishers can now provide a single cost-effective source for all of these requirements with multiple site capability providing flexibility, security of supply and a fully transparent disaster recovery contingency – vital for volume manufacturers and healthcare providers alike. Michael Jones, director of Fishers Services and responsible for its garment business welcomed the announcement. "Origin is a natural fit and this partnership will enable both companies to accelerate growth with the aim of becoming the supplier of choice to the life sciences and microelectronics sectors," he said. Cleanroom laundry services will be provided from existing facilities in Livingston and Aberfeldy. These facilities have more than 40 years' combined experience and have been audited and approved by many of the UK’s top pharmaceutical and microelectronics companies. Established and fully certified quality systems ensure a reliable, repeatable and fully traceable service, which meets and exceeds the requirements of all regulatory bodies. Other garments, including laboratory coats and general workwear, will be processed through Fishers High-Clean garment facilities in Cupar and Newcastle. These plants are all fully Risk, Analysis, Biocontamination Control (RABC)-compliant and certified, which offers customers the unique opportunity to guarantee contamination-free processing of workwear through a programme of structured risk analysis, introduction of control measures, validation and monitoring, including the extensive use of swab testing. This system is implemented from the customer facility through the processing site and back to the point of use and therefore offers the most comprehensive and effective solution to customers with process-critical workwear applications as seen in the life sciences sector in particular. The new venture will offer these products and services through innovative contractual structures tailored to the individual customer’s requirements. Significant savings over traditional Full Rental contracts can be achieved with the added benefit of increased flexibility and transparency, for example, all costs including termination costs are detailed on an open book basis with controversial residual values being eliminated completely. Kenny Gall, chief executive of Origin, said: “We are excited by the opportunities presented by the Fishers' investment and the coming together of the two companies. We have long believed that the UK market, and particularly the high technology sector, is lacking a consolidated, reliable and customer-focused supplier who can provide the service levels demanded by high volume and life-critical applications. When seeking a partner to address this gap in the market, Origin recognised that company culture was equally as important as capability and in Fishers we have found an organisation whose success is based on a reputation for delighting their customers with high quality products backed by responsive customer service." As well as an extended product offering, the tie up with Fishers brings ORIGIN a new financial strength and a source of funding to accelerate their growth plans. www.origin-cleanroom.com

Objective Associates close Investment Funding to lead growth

Quarter 4, 2011. Objective Associates Ltd is a software development and digital agency based in Stirling with a management team that have over 40 years experience with a strong track record in delivering complex software solutions. The company recently secured £250k of external equity investment in September 2011, which was augmented with additional RSA Grant Funding of £200k to enable the company to support its development in ‘Seller Dynamics’ software and increase future growth of the company As part of this funding round Objective Associates Limited, have strengthened their board ahead of their next phase of growth. Steven Morris joins the board as Executive Chairman having been lead investor in the company’s recent growth funding round in excess of £450,000. Steven joins the board as the company accelerates the development of its web based technology to exploit the growing successes of online marketplaces – Seller Dynamics. “Online marketplaces account for a significant proportion of the £500 Billion e-retail global market”, explained Steven, “but retailers still don’t have the applications and services in place to maximise their return from marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. It was the opportunity to fill that gap and to help online retailers maximise profits that excited me about the chance to work with Objective.” Online retail sales growth in the UK is currently reported as growing at around 20% per annum, providing a valuable sales channel for retailers in an otherwise recessionary economy. With consumers hungry for best value and retailers increasingly using multiple online channels, the need for applications which can efficiently manage online stock levels, margins and logistics from a single contact point is at an all time high. The company will be releasing a new application as well as a range of new services through 2012 which will assist retailers maximise the return from their online sales. Alex Ogilvie, CEO of Objective Associates, said “We’re delighted to get Steven on board – his international expansion experience and unrivalled drive will make a significant difference to the roll out of Seller Dynamics as we take the business forward in 2012.” About Objective Associates Ltd Objective Associates Limited are a leading software and web development agency based in Stirling, Scotland. The company works with a range of clients requiring ecommerce solutions as well as multinational organisations requiring internal business systems to assist in the streamlining of sales and business information flow. Formed in 2002 the company has significant expertise in the design and development of robust and scalable software systems utilising the Microsoft Platform and related technologies. DC Consulting DC Consulting were delighted to assist in this funding round and support the company in securing additional funding resource through the RSA Grant initiative to enable the company to fast track its growth plans in rolling out the Seller Dynamic platform.

“Point and Shoot” Mobile Commerce Provider Mobile Acuity Secures Funding - Significant investment to fund growth in U.S. and East Asian markets

Edinburgh, UK 24 January 2012: Mobile Acuity, a leading technology company enabling interactive brand marketing campaigns using its Visual Interactivity™ platform, today announces that it has secured a significant equity investment to expand the company’s operations into the U.S. and East Asian markets. The investment comes from bieMEDIA, a U.S.-based online marketing and media solutions company, and Scottish-based business angel network fronted by Steven Morris and the University of Edinburgh. This transaction quickly follows Mobile Acuity’s announcement that leading global retailer Tesco PLC is deploying its technologies, which includes a trial of mobile visual search, the company’s revolutionary image-based search application that enables “point and shoot” mobile commerce (m-commerce). The use of “Point and Shoot” is the latest in mobile marketing and m-commerce. Unlike QR Codes or other image-capture search technologies that have limitations for real engagement, point and shoot m-commerce gives consumers convenience and flexibility. With Mobile Acuity, consumers can point a Smartphone at a product or image of a product in an advertisement, shoot a picture and receive all the information, and even make purchases, anytime and anywhere. Chris Wade, Executive Chairman at Mobile Acuity comments: “This round is particularly exciting for our company and our shareholders as it allows our company to expand into the U.S. market with a key strategic sales distribution partner whilst simultaneously diversifying our award-winning mobile visual search technologies into other vertical markets.” Wade continues: “Importantly, the inward investment into the Scottish economy will also allow us to continue to grow and invest in local skills and resources.” Jon Barocas, CEO at bieMEDIA commented: “Our strategic investment in Mobile Acuity demonstrates our commitment to revolutionizing the way our clients and consumers interact by offering compelling web, video and mobile commerce experiences and opportunities.” About bieMEDIA For the past 20 years, bieMEDIA has revolutionized its client’s brands online. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with offices in New York and Paris, the online marketing and media solutions company is a single-source partner for the delivery of every online marketing solution necessary for businesses to be successful in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. With its full suite of turn-key solutions for video, web and mobile production, distribution, hosting/CDN, video platform technology, metrics and performance analytics, website creation, mobile websites, social forum profile fulfillments and account management system solutions, bieMEDIA is continuously innovating and driving real engagement opportunities and maximum impact for its clients. For more information, visit www.biemedia.com. About Steven Morris Steven Morris is a successful technology innovator, strategist and business leader having driven innovative ideas from inception to commercialisation on multiple occasions. As a founder of profitable high-growth technology development and manufacturing businesses he has delivered technology, raised funds, grown businesses and achieved successful exits for investors. As an experienced executive he has operated as CEO, CMO & COO, in both early stage and medium sized companies. In these roles he has managed the transition, divesting and restructuring following acquisition. His internationally proven leadership and innovation spans cutting-edge research, development and commercialisation. These leadership qualities are combined with his capabilities to protect, generate and manage IP to maximise retained value within the business. About Mobile Acuity Mobile Acuity is a technology company enabling Mobile Visual Search applications for retailers and interactive campaigns using Visual Interactivity™ for brands and agencies. Working with leading digital agencies across Europe and North America, Mobile Acuity has used its mobile visual search technology to create engaging and award winning mobile applications for brands including Disney, Nike, Adidas, Pepsi, Lynx and Vodafone. The company also licenses its mobile visual search platform to customers such as leading mobile price comparison company Scope and leading digital media delivery company 7Digital, enabling them to add visual search capabilities to their own products. For more information visit www.mobileacuity.com

Funding Secured for Intelligent Well Controls Limited

Intelligent Well Controls has recently secured an undisclosed investment from Energy Ventures as lead investor. IWC has developed an innovative through-bore method for mud pulse/pressure pulse communication from MWD/LWP to surface, which will significantly improve the efficiency of the mud-pulse system. DC Consulting successfully assisted the company in all aspects of the investment process, specifically assisting with business planning and financial projections, tax planning whilst also assisting with project management of the deal completion.

Sonis Europe Completes Funding Round

March 2012 = Sonis Europe has developed a new home alarm system which houses a single sensor in the control keypad. Sonis Europe, led by Bill Marr, has now completed its equity fundraising by securing equity from Discovery Investment Fund. Sonis was introduced to Discovery Investment Fund and to two other angel syndicates by DC Consulting, although the two other syndicates who expressed interest in investment withdrew once it was clear Discovery Investment Fund had quickly reached Heads of Terms with Sonis. The alarm system, which has been in development for some time uses sound recognition to determine whether a door or window has been opened. The business was started by Bill Marr after leaving Marconi. He had plenty of experience of the systems currently in use, which use an array of contact sensors and infra-red beams, but felt that the increasing sophistication of such systems led to unnecessary complexity, the end result of which was that systems are not appropriately utilised, or are occasionally not used at all. He felt that sound recognition was the answer to simplifying an alarm system, as it enabled a single sensor to replace the range of different sensor types in conventional systems; doors and windows make much the same noise when being opened, so he began by capturing the sound signature common to them all. Sonis Europe now has a production model of the alarm system ready and will next be completing the tooling for the device, ready for a market launch in June 2012. The company plans to market directly to DIY chains in the UK, to electrical retailers and installers and to traditional installation forms. The system will be available for purchase online with video footage of its capability already commissioned. Further information is available at http://soniseurope.com

Investment Secured for Rail Engineering Business

DC Consulting has successfully assisted a specialist rail engineering business to position itself and then secure investment to commercialise its technology. This assignment involved a detailed strategic planning exercise, coupled with a number of market scenarios, in order to determine the most appropriate route forward, culminating in securing investment. DC Consulting also assisted with EIS advance clearance and positioning from a tax perspective. April 12

£500,000 Funding Boost for Albagaia

Albagaia will use some of the £500,000 of new funding for an export drive for its testing kits. This funding was split between equity and grant funding; half of the equity investment came from Equity Gap angel group and half from Scottish Enterprise's (SE) Scottish Investment Bank, with this funding unlocking a further £250,000 in research grants. The company's test can detect the Legionella bacteria in 25 minutes compared with up to two weeks in a traditional lab. Legionnaires' is a bacterial disease that causes a lung infection or pneumonia and is transmitted by contaminated water, especially from heating or water supply systems. The Linlithgow-based firm also plans to develop its water treatment systems and has developed smartphone software which speeds up the process of reading test results. Albagaia chief executive Graham Tyrie said: "This demonstration of faith in Albagaia's future prospects allows us to fund both water treatment and our innovative smartphone reader software which reads test results independently and transmits them to a central database." Equity Gap chairman Jock Millican said: “Albagaia is an excellent investment with the three strands of the business at different stages of development.” www.albagaia.com May 2012

Acquisition of Oil & Gas Business for £5m

Aberdeen-based oil and gas services company Screw Conveyor has been bought by a private equity firm, Azure Investments. Azure Investments paid £5m for the business, which specialises in designing and supplying conveyors that move waste materials away from drilling sites. Azure chairman John Stodart said the business was highly profitable and well-positioned to expand abroad. He said: "We have very ambitious growth targets for the business which we are confident we can achieve given the existing strength of the order book and the pipeline of opportunities in overseas markets. "We have very good relationships with the rig operators in Russia and a strong presence in Kurdistan and Iraq, as well as Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Our plan to have fabrication plants in both Dubai and Singapore will help consolidate on our success to date." DC Consulting acted as lead adviser and deal initiator to Azure Investments.

PressureFab Group invests circa £1m in Dundee

PressureFab Group, a supplier of transport and development equipment for the offshore oil and gas industry, will invest £935k to upgrade its Scottish facility, which will create 25 jobs over the next two years.

The upgrade will enable PressureFab Group to take advantage of future demands from the oil and gas industry, as well as the emerging renewable energy sector. In support of this investment, the company has been awarded a £250k Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise; this grant was successfully identified, applied for and its application project managed by DC Consulting Hermann Twickler, managing director of PressureFab Group, said: “This investment package is urgently required to sustain further growth for the group and to enable us to compete on the world market, as well as within the Scottish offshore sector. PressureFab Group is also now ready to handle any new challenges and opportunities that the developing renewable industry may bring. Part of the investment will be used to purchase heavy duty CNC plate forming and rolling machinery, as well as industrial coating and shotblasting facilities. These additions will enable PressureFab Group to improve productivity with an aim to double capacity and production output.£ Since it moved into its Scottish facility two years ago, the firm has created nearly 40 new jobs in Dundee. Mr Twickler added: “We are currently recruiting for several positions, including at least ten welders, and hope to increase our staff numbers by more than fifty per cent over the next two years.” Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing said: “Scotland’s oil and gas sector leads the world, and makes an immense contribution to our economy, thanks to our expertise and innovation. With more than half of the value of the North Sea’s oil and gas reserves yet to be extracted, oil and gas will remain an enormous economic resource for decades to come. “The Scottish Government’s oil and gas strategy promises increases in public sector support to companies with significant growth prospects.”

Blipfoto secures new funding for international growth

Blipfoto has secured a substantial new round of investment, which will allow the Edinburgh-based photo-sharing platform to focus further on international growth. The funding round was led by Steven Morris of the ESM Investments syndicate and includes Gareth Williams, co-founder and CEO of fellow Edinburgh-based online firm Skyscanner. Blipfoto has also attracted new private investment from North America, while additional funding has been added by previous investors, technology entrepreneur Ian Ritchie, former MIT managing director Ken Morse and the Scottish Investment Bank. The new funds take the total investment in Blipfoto up to almost £700,000 (approx $1,120,000 ) and will be used by the company to build a scalable customer acquisition model and fuel growth. Speaking of the investment, Blipfoto founder and CEO, Joe Tree said: "This is a massive step forward for the company, and provides the funding to build quickly on our established worldwide audience. Our new investors bring renewed strength and the experience of building big consumer brands online, so I'm really excited about this next phase of growth. 2013 is going to be a huge year for Blipfoto." Blipfoto, which allows its users to share just one photo a day on their online photo journal, already has tens of thousands of users globally, with around 17m monthly page views. The platform is home to almost 2.5 million images - each representing a single day in someone's life. Blipfoto's growth is set to be fuelled further by the release of a major new iPhone App. The new app – which is just the first in an armoury of releases – will look to build on the strong community aspects of Blipfoto's existing online presence. Blipfoto, which counts Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak among its high profile users, has also worked with a host of international brands on partnerships and projects, including Calumet Photographic, Channel 4, the Scottish Government and the Edinburgh Festivals. Gareth Williams said: “Blipfoto is a great concept, excellently executed, that creates a wonderful mode of personal expression that builds over time.” Ian Ritchie added: “I was delighted to invest in Blipfoto, a superb Scottish company with a genuine global scope. This is the site for people around the world who care deeply about the quality of the photographs that they take, and who want to share them with others who feel the same." ESM Investments’ Steven Morris said: “Nearly 1 minute in every 5 minutes spent online is now spent on social networking sites, whereas this category accounted for only 6% of time spent online in March 2007. The Blipfoto platform maps to this growth trend by delivering a clearly differentiated product that adds real value across many demographics and cultures." Notes: • Blipfoto.com is the online daily photo journal. What started in Edinburgh now has tens of thousands of contributors in 172 countries worldwide. With 17 million monthly views, Blipfoto is a hugely engaged online community – and it is already home to almost 2.5m images. Blipfoto won a Scottish BAFTA award and has collaborated with a number of big organisations, and governments.

Albagaia Focuses on Legionella detection

Albagaia is an environmental technology company with four complementary strands to its business, but the one currently providing the most rapid growth in sales is the detection of Legionella antigen. Albagaia recently completed a second round of funding from its investors, Equity Gap and the Scottish Co-Investment Fund, which will be largely devoted to building on its growth. Hydrosense, acquired by Albagaia in 2010, is claimed to be the world leader in on –site Legionella testing, and the world’s fastest Legionella test. Albagaia has been building a global distribution network for this business, and is increasing its focus on the USA, where regulations based on ASHRAE standards (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers) will soon come into force. Scottish Development International (SDI) is supporting the globalisation approach with a business support grant. In the UK, the main customers for this test are shipping companies which must meet International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. To support the Hydrosense Legionella test, Albagaia has developed and patented a smartphone based reader, which was introduced to the market this month. The company has also created a water quality database and an iTunes app, specifically targeted at the needs of the dental market – as Legionella is diffused in mists or sprays, the water sprays used by dentists constitute a hazard which must be monitored. The Hydrosense Pro version (comprising an integrated database and reader) and the iPhone version were on show at the giant Medica exhibition in mid November. Another strand of the Albagaia business has also been making strides recently. Together Albagaia and BBI (part of the Alere group), who manufacture the Hydrosense test and have an international clientele in lateral flow testing (LFT), formed a joint venture company Novarum DX. Lateral flow testing is a technique used for microbiological tests at the point of care in the healthcare market. Novarum DX will develop the Smart phone reader technology for exploitation across the LFT market and beyond into other chemical and biological assays. Albagaia has developed a platform technology and is licensing the IP to Novarum DX. The company is selling development contracts to major companies in the pharmaceutical and drugs related sectors. Albagaia’s fourth business strand is water treatment technology, which is still being developed although recent success with Hydrosense sales and Novadum means that it is getting a lower focus at present. In early 2012 Albagaia secured £350k in grant support and £235k in equity investment for the development stage of this work, and the implementation started in April. An AO solution has been developed and demonstrated on industrial samples for caustic recovery from phenol contaminated wastes. Deal Data Completion: 6 February 2013 Amount: £150k Investors: Equity Gap, SIB (SCF)

New Contact Details

Did you know that after 10 years DC Consulting has raised over £170 million for clients covering every business sector and assisting over 180 deals in that period. Our track record and hands on approach, has seen our Corporate Finance Team establish itself as one of the most active solution advisors in the Scottish Market. In 2012 we closed over £18 million of equity funding for clients. DC Consulting is now expanding the team and relocating its two offices in Dundee and Edinburgh in the coming weeks ahead.

Construction Company Acquisition

In preparation for the current owner Maurice McKay’s pending retirement, Muirfield Contracts Limited has been acquired by Azure Investments. Founded in 1999, Azure is a Private Equity group with a diverse portfolio of investments. Their acquisition of Muirfield permits an entry into the construction sector at a senior level and Muirfield’s reputation for quality and stringent control fits well within Azures philosophy. Dundee based Muirfield Group is one of the leading privately owned construction businesses operating throughout Scotland and provides discerning Clients with a full construction package across all sectors of the property and construction market. Founded by Maurice McKay, FRICS, FCIOB and former colleague Jim Ross in 1988, Muirfield celebrates their 25th Anniversary this year. The company have enjoyed unparalleled, consistent, and controlled growth by satisfying Client’s requirements through understanding their needs and delivering high quality and cost effective solutions. This growth has been achieved by ensuring complete customer satisfaction and continuous improvement in a high level of repeat business from satisfied client’s who remain loyal. A key stage of the acquisition process is the succession and transition in leadership from the current managing director Maurice McKay. It is therefore with great confidence Azure announce with immediate effect the appointment of Lindsay Cowan as the Company's new managing director. Lindsay will work alongside Maurice during the transition period and will be fully supported by the existing Muirfield management team which remains unchanged. Lindsay is an experienced construction professional and is a much respected local individual, an ideal successor to Maurice. He previously led the management team of Mansell Tayside & Fife as Regional Managing Director. Under his leadership, that team consistently delivered high quality projects and achieved extremely high levels of customer satisfaction very similar to the Muirfield ethos. Maurice will hold the position as Joint-Chairman of the Company along with John Stodart, Chairman of Azure (www.azureinvestmentgroup.com)

ESM Invests in Network 90

Network 90 is a premium, invitation only, private members networking website for professional sports and entertainment industry, founded by Luis Figo and Luke Donald.

In July 2013, angel syndicate ESM Investments completed a £200,000 funding round, together with the Scottish Co-Investment Fund.

Network 90 offers a gathering place and highly valuable networking opportunities for a global community that cannot, due to its high public profile, easily benefit from other open social platforms. In addition, it provides bespoke tools to enhance the business operations of each sport. The service has already surpassed 3,000 members, thriving on organic growth and private email invitations. Agents & clubs swap information and trade daily on Network 90, where there are currently over 270 players active on the live transfer list.

The platform and business is highly scalable, and in 2014 golf will launch with Luke Donald, followed by F1 and the major US sports.

Further details can be found at www.network90.com

RSA Support for Goodmark Medical

Goodmark Medical International Ltd, a Scottish technology start-up, is to create at least 20 new jobs over the next two years after securing £200,000 of Regional Selective Assistance Grant.

Goodmark are based at the technology incubator, TechCube, in Edinburgh and they specialise in developing software solutions for healthcare diagnostics and testing in doctors’ surgeries. The management team are looking to launch their RelayMed product in 2014.

RelayMed is a cloud-based software that aims to reduce healthcare workloads and costs by helping to move more tests from traditional hospital laboratory settings into GP offices. It works by capturing and storing data from point-of-care devices and transferring that information into electronic health records. Goodmark managing director Neil Farish said: “We want to ensure patients receive a higher quality of care and we passionately believe in our solution to make and empower a real improvement to their life. The funding we have secured has helped us build strong foundations and create an exciting team to start to address the needs of this growing market.”

The company has been established with the support of its parent company Goodmark Medical LLC in Florida, which is looking to enhance its product offering, utilising the skill set of the Executive and development team in Edinburgh.

DC Consulting were delighted to assist Goodmark throughout the RSA Grant Application process which has helped to attract inward investment into Scotland from the US based parent company.

DC Consulting assists Calnex to sync with SLF

DC Consulting is delighted to be the conduit to a £2m investment into Calnex Solutions by the Scottish Loan Fund, which is managed by Maven Capital Partners; John Craig of DC Consulting has assisted Calnex Solutions since incorporation in all aspects of the company's growth strategy, both in terms of fundraising and financial strategy. Calnex, employing circa 50 people, has grown to be a leading provider of solutions for Ethernet testing including synchronisation. The business has established a blue-chip customer base, including developers of next generation smart devices such as Nokia and Samsung as well as global telecom companies such as Vodafone who deploy the technology on their networks. In recent years, there has been an explosion in mobile data and many commentators expect, certainly in the near-term, the volume of traffic to double annually. Much of the traffic will be bandwidth-hungry video content, and one of the major challenges faced by service providers is scaling the so-called mobile backhaul element of their networks in a cost-effective manner so as to ensure that a reliable and efficient network service is maintained. To achieve this most operators are migrating to Ethernet for mobile backhaul, however, operators then need to ensure that base stations that receive mobile phone traffic are properly synchronised so as to avoid creating distorted signals and poor service quality. Calnex has a clear growth strategy and vision for the future (which is reinforced by the aforementioned market pull) and the flexible funding package provided by Maven via the SLF will allow the company to deliver a next generation testing product, ensuring the business remains a key player in the $1.3 billion global Ethernet testing market. Tommy Cook, CEO at Calnex, added “It is great to have secured the funding that will provide the support which will enable us to implement our development plans. We have a clear vision of our future business and the flexibility of the SLF funding package means we are able to achieve this in a timely manner thus ensuring we continue to serve our customers’ needs and remain at the forefront of market and technological developments.”

RSA Grant Aid for Growing Companies

Do you want to access grant support of circa £10,000 per new head via Regional Selective Assistance? If your company fits with the above criteria, a Regional Selective Assistance grant against project costs may be available to your company; the average grant awarded over the 2 years to March 2013 has been circa £10,000 per head. Scottish Enterprise currently operates the Regional Selective Assistance (“RSA”) Grant Scheme whereby companies looking to create new jobs and invest in capital expenditure to increase their revenues may be eligible for support. The scheme is set to change in 2014; it is possible that companies who qualify for the current scheme will no longer be eligible to apply. Any companies applying for RSA grant support before the end of 2013 are expected to be assessed under the existing grant scheme. DC Consulting maintains an excellent record with Scottish Enterprise and has an established track record in securing RSA Grants on be behalf of its clients. To qualify, a project must meet all of the following criteria:

Take place in Scotland within an assisted area
Directly create or safeguard jobs;
Not be offset by job losses elsewhere in the UK;
Involve an element of capital investment e.g. Plant & Machinery or Equipment;
Be financially viable;
Be mainly funded from the private sector;
Must be able to demonstrate that your project needs RSA to proceed as planned;
Other funding options have been explored i.e. RSA Funding seen as a last resort

Synpromics collaboration with Dow AgroSciences

Synpromics Limited, the synthetic promoter company, announces an important collaboration with Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), to develop Synpromics’ proprietary technology for application in plant science. An initial proof of concept project with Dow AgroSciences has commenced to demonstrate the application of Synpromics’ synthetic promoter technology in certain crops.

David Lawrence, Chairman of Synpromics, commented, “This is an important deal for the company that validates the potential value to industry of our proprietary technology. For a start-up such as Synpromics to establish this collaboration with a leading multinational is an exceptional achievement. It is also notable that this is the first time that Dow AgroSciences has partnered with a company in Scotland. Attracting the attention of Dow AgroSciences and other partners with whom we are in dialogue augurs well for the future of the company. Therefore I am extremely proud of our team. I would also like to thank Scottish Enterprise for making the initial introductions to Dow AgroSciences as well as their support during the company’s start-up phase.”

Are you missing out on cash back from HMRC?

R&D Tax Relief has traditionally been misconceived with many companies believing that R&D relief is only for those who embark on blue sky projects. THIS IS NOT TRUE! If you design or manufacture products, components or software, or have developed new techniques in the workplace for faster production / enhanced efficiency / improved quality, no matter what industry you operate in, you could be entitled to R&D Tax Relief. Relief If you do qualify for R&D Tax relief you could receive enhancement relief on your development expenditure of 225%, with the ability to reduce corporation tax payable or reclaim up to 11.5% of the enhanced expenditure in cash. For example, assuming you spend £100,000 on development and make taxable profits:

Alternatively, if you are not yet making taxable profits:

About DC Consulting The DC Consulting team consists of Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, who have developed a strong track record in successful R&D Tax Claims with the average Tax Credit back to clients in excess of £20,000, in addition to thousands of pounds being saved via reduction in Corporation Tax liabilities. If you would like to explore the opportunity for R&D relief or for further information contact: andrew.mccafferty@dcconsult.co.uk, john.craig@dcconsult.co.uk or colin.kennedy@dcconsult.co.uk.

PressureFab Group - Acquisition of RT Metal Services

PressureFab Group, a supplier of transport and development equipment for the offshore oil and gas industry, has completed the acquisition of Arbroath stainless steel manufacturer RT Metal Services Limited.

RT Metal Services is a sheet metal fabrication company, that has over 30 years’ experience in delivering products of the highest quality to a loyal customer base, including well established blue chip companies.

This acquisition will form part of the company’s growth strategy and comes at a time when PressureFab has just been named as Manufacturing Business of the Year and Growth Business of the Year, while Hermann Twickler, PressureFab’s Managing Director, has been named Business Leader of the Year at the 2013 Courier Business Awards.

DC Consulting assisted in all aspects of this transaction and continues to advise the PressureFab Group with it’s overall strategic and financial direction.

£400,000 investment in Allthings Limited

Allthings Limited, a Dundee software start-up has secured £400,000 in fresh investment as it continues efforts to allow workers to eliminate round-robin emails and unclog their inboxes.

Dundee based Allthings said a string of well-known local backers had supported its corporate organiser and task-listing tool after it called for more development capital; this investment of £200,000 was then followed by match-funding from the Scottish Investment Bank through national business agency Scottish Enterprise, a process which was instigated and project managed by DC Consulting.

The boost comes just months after the company’s cloud-based software was launched last summer, and ahead of the release of a new ‘team’ edition targeted for use by larger organisations on a user licence basis.

Founders David Hay, Dee Ward and Ralph Hasselgren first worked together at Dundee software developer HoundDog Technology, ahead of its acquisition by American firm GFI Software in 2009.

Mr Hay said he and his colleagues’ productivity and collaboration software was born after the trio railed against “an enormous amount of wasted time” in list-keeping and business administration.

Allthings allows tasks to be classified, updated in real time and shared among workers without the need to trawl through a packed inbox, hard-to-follow email chain or needlessly complex spreadsheet.

Scottish Investment Bank head Kerry Sharp said the organisation was pleased to support Allthings: “a forward-thinking company with an international mindset”.

She said: “The funds will assist the company to realise its ambitious growth strategies and deliver long-term results for both the local Tayside economy and the Scottish economy as a whole.”

Acquisition of Houston’s of Cupar by Twickler Industries Ltd

11 February 2014 –Houston’s of Cupar Limited has been brought into the PressureFab Group of companies and renamed PressureFab Subsea Ltd. Dundee-based Twickler Industries Ltd. has taken over Fife-based steel manufacturer, Houston’s of Cupar. The group, led by Hermann Twickler, is the largest steel fabrication company in Tayside, employing more than 100 skilled engineers, and is a leading designer and fabricator of offshore and subsea equipment for use in the oil and gas industry. Operating from a 125,000 ft2 factory beside Dundee airport, PressureFab is the only company in Scotland that designs, fabricates, tests, coats and mobilises specialist offshore containers and topside modules all under one roof. Working in conjunction with its subsidiaries, Angus Alliance Painters and R.T. Metal Services, PressureFab delivers onsite industrial coatings to Norsok and ISO 12944 standards, as well as being a specialist manufacture of piping and vessels out of stainless steel, duplex, and Inconel materials. Hermann Twickler, Managing Director, Twickler Industries, said: “We welcome the addition of Houston’s of Cupar to our growing group of companies, as brings with it subsea engineering expertise, and will also strengthen our steel fabrication capabilities by adding specialist plate rolling and forming abilities to our existing skill base. “They already have great relationships with leading companies, and supply drilling templates, and engineered components for underwater Christmas trees, and remotely-operated vehicles used by the oil and gas industry. In addition, Houston’s of Cupar’s machine-shop facility will broaden our services even further for our current and future customers.

£0.75m of RSA Grants

During the first half of 2014, the DCC team have been very busy applying for and negotiating Regional Selective Assistance grants, having received three offers for our clients, with further applications in progress. To find out whether you could be eligible, please review our overview of the RSA process, or even better, please get in touch to discuss your own circumstances. Offers received in the period include:

JBS Group (Scotland) Limited
- Metal Fabrication & Engineering Services for the offshore oil support sector
- Grant offered of £135,000
- Committed to 15 new heads

Ravensby Glass Limited

Manufacturer of flat glass
Grant offered of £475,000
Committed to 35 new heads, whilst safeguarding 20 heads

Waracle Limited
- Software Developer, specialising in mobile applications
- Grant offered of £100,000
- Committed to 8 new heads

Growth Capital Secured - Seven Figure Package

Working with one of our long standing clients, we have concluded negotiations with the Bank of Scotland to provide strategic growth capital to the company to fund it's ongoing growth within the oil and gas services market. A key part of this assignment was firstly the identification of the required level and type of funds for the company and then secondly on the identification and negotiation with the preferred funder. The DCC team are confident that they can assist your business in a similar manner - please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss further.

Strategic Investment by Azure Investment Group

DC Consulting, in it's role as lead advisers, are delighted to confirm that Azure Investment Group have completed a strategic investment into Dick Bros. This investment represents a step change in the business, with the plan over the next 5 years is to grow both the product offering of Dick Bros, along with the geographical reach of the business, to become a dominant player within the Forestry Industry in the UK.

Growth Funding of circa £2m secured

Working with one of clients, we have concluded negotiations with specialised property and asset financiers to provide strategic growth capital to the company to fund its ongoing growth within the oil and gas services market. A key part of this assignment was firstly the identification of the required level and type of funds for the company and then secondly on the identification and negotiation with the preferred funder. In addition, the funding package was augmented by the identification of Regional Selective Assistance grant support through Scottish Enterprise to assist with the company’s growth plans.

Multi-Million Fund Raise for Specialised Metal Fabricator

JBS Group is a well-established business that has been operating in the metal fabrication sector since 1974, primarily providing quality bespoke metal products for companies operating in the oil and gas sector from their base in Peterhead. The Group has experienced significant growth and development in recent years, with the Group’s impressive growth resulting in them operating at full capacity at the current premises. DC Consulting, secured new funding to assist with the company’s purchase of the land adjacent to their current premises in Peterhead. This will see the company construct a new custom-built workshop and kit this out with the pre-requisite machinery. In addition, the product manufacturing and subsequent increase in capacity and revenues will result in the creation of up to 15 new jobs at the site. The increase in workshop space will have a knock on effect throughout the Fabrication and Engineering divisions of JBS Group. Currently these divisions are working at full capacity, despite only having moved into their purpose built premises in the last 3 years. By building the new workshop, it will also give them the capacity to meet the additional work that they are currently not able to service. DC Consulting were delighted to assist JBS in raising the bank funding required for this project, which will ultimately generate additional revenues for the group while also creating up to 15 new jobs.

DestiNA Genomics raises £930,000

Access to quicker and more effective diagnostic tests for cancers and infectious diseases has moved a step closer after DestiNA Genomics, a University of Edinburgh spin-out company, completed a €1.2 million (£930,000) equity investment. The funding will provide the firm with greater capabilities to commercialise the pioneering medical tests that will ultimately benefit both patients and healthcare systems, with earlier diagnosis cutting the costs of treatment. The funding came from Scottish Investment Bank, Old College Capital and the Vitro Group of Spain, augmented by private investors in the UK, Spain, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. The DestiNA technology arose from the invention and patent of Dr Juan Diaz Mochon and Professor Mark Bradley in the School of Chemistry at Edinburgh University, with the "SMART Nucleobase" patent now approved for grant in the US, Europe and beyond. The global molecular diagnostics market is estimated to reach about $8 billion by 2013, growing by about 10 per cent a year.

Funding & Relocation for Cellexus Limited

Cellexus Limited, an ambitious Life sciences business has decided to leave its English base and relocate to Scotland. Cellexus cited Scotland's reputation as a life sciences hub as well as strong links with academia and the NHS as it moved operations from Cambridgeshire to Dundee. The innovative business received £250,000 of equity match funding from the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise. Cellexus has a device which produces proteins from bacteria including yeast, e-coli and algae. While the company's main market is pharmaceuticals and diagnostics the system could also be used in the food and biofuel industries. The company plans to use the funding from the Scottish Investment Bank to enhance its international sales and marketing programme. Julia Brown, director of life and chemical sciences, Scottish Enterprise, said: "That Cellexus has chosen to move to Dundee from Cambridgeshire is testament to Scotland's reputation as the location of choice for life sciences companies. Cellexus is an innovative, forward-thinking company and we look forward to continuing to work with them to help them successfully up-scale and explore new markets, driving forward their ambitious growth plan."

POCT hits the Acquisition Trail

Point Of Care Testing Ltd, (POCT Ltd) is a medical diagnostics distributor of point-of-care instruments and consumables for the medical and research markets in the UK and Ireland. POCT Ltd which also provides services to the National Independent Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, announced today the completion of a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Analox Instruments Ltd, (Analox) a United Kingdom based instrument and reagent manufacturing company. The transaction completed on 6^th February 2015. Ian Cowie, Managing Director and CEO of Point Of Care Testing Ltd, commented, "Throughout a long and successful period of distributing Point of Care products in the United Kingdom and Ireland, we now take over the additional manufacturing and distribution responsibilities of Analox Instruments by completing this acquisition. The range of products supplied by Analox Instruments is complementary to the POCT product portfolio and it now gives the company access to a global market resulting in a strengthened operational structure. We welcome the highly motivated and experienced Analox employees as new members to the POCT Ltd team. We also believe that in a complex market environment, this acquisition allows us to communicate the superior quality and performance of the POCT Ltd and Analox product ranges to the full benefit of our existing and future customers. Our goal is to build and strengthen our presence in the UK and additional geographic markets and to expand the growth potential of POCT Ltd into the future.” Ian Cowie and POCT was advised by DC Consulting throughout the transaction. About POCT Ltd and Analox POCT Ltd, founded in 2002, distributes a range of high quality Point of Care portable blood and urine analysis systems for use in any human patient-care setting in order to provide clinicians with rapid blood constituent measurements, throughout the UK and Ireland. These products include the Abaxis Piccolo xpress™, the Abbott i-STAT®, the Hemoccult® Brand from Beckman Coulter, and a range of ACON Laboratories analysers and rapid tests. POCT Ltd also provides routine laboratory testing for the National Independent Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NIBCSP). Analox Instruments, founded in 1973 has over 40 years experience and produces high quality analyser systems for the measurement of a wide variety of analytes including rapid enzymatic analysis for glucose, lactate, cholesterol, urea sucrose, lactose, glycerol, ethanol and methanol with applications in Clinical Research, Biotechnology, Sports Science, Food, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics and Beverages. Products are used in over 65 countries world-wide including North America, Japan, Malaysia, Australasia and most European countries. Two thirds of the Company’s output is exported, mostly through distributors.

Equity Funding of £217,000 from Kelvin Capital & SIB

DC Consulting are delighted to have assisted Glasgow based iMetafilm, previously known as Windense, to secure equity funding from Kelvin Capital and the Scottish Investment Bank. The company uses digital SLR cameras to capture multiple pictures of the same film frame. That is then run through its Omniscan software while the images can also be tagged with relevant descriptions of what is in the shot. The business, which is already working with the American Library of Congress, says the resultant footage it transforms is then fully searchable. Founders Michael and Linda Howell believe this could help convince companies to digitise old footage ranging from films and news reels to football matches and bands on tour. Mr Howell said: "At present, nobody fully knows what is there and people are even scared to open old film reels in case they get damaged. Our cost-effective technology can bring millions of forgotten or unseen moments into light, searchable by anyone on any device. Previously we were just thinking in terms of saving archive footage. However, having vast amounts of content without the ability to search it and scrutinise it is almost useless. Now we have a much more in-depth process which in turn makes it usable and more valuable. The potential is limitless, and it could be very personal. For example, in terms of genealogy imagine you could search for footage of war from the place and time where your ancestor served, or find a gig your parents went to decades ago." The funding is being used to build more scanning units and begin the labour intensive digitisation process for customers. Longer term iMetafilm hopes to have large scale scanning farms based in Scotland. Jim Hall, co-founder of Kelvin Capital, said: "This has the potential to be an industry game-changer, and is exactly the kind of Scottish-based technology business we love to support. It's a hot area at the moment, and the size of the opportunity for whomever takes the lead is vast."

£550,000 Investment for Jon Fleming Group / Mochridhe Ltd

Jon Fleming, owner of Mochridhe, created a specialist care service that allows those receiving care to have control, choice and opportunity. In 2006, after receiving a grant of £5,000 from the Princes Trust, Jon established Mochridhe, with the goal; The people we support will have control, choice and opportunity and will get the support which is of the highest quality, is flexible and dynamic as they need and choose. With limited start up resources, the company has achieved growth and has secured contracts across both companies, providing in excess of 3,200 care hours per week, secured revenues of around £2million and employing over 100 staff. DC Consulting oversaw the deal in which secured a £550,000 investment from Kelvin Capital Angel Investment syndicate. This investment allows Mochridhe Ltd to continue to improve and expand on the quality care the company provides. Investment such as this would help the company’s growth plans set out by DC Consulting and with the future potential of creating further jobs within the company. DC Consulting were delighted to assist Mochridhe Ltd in closing the deal, in order to help fulfil the companies continuous ambition to expand their care facilities to other that need it.

Strategic Debt Finance Package Negotiated

Working with one of our long standing clients, we have concluded negotiations with a debt finance provider to provide strategic growth capital to the company to fund it’s ongoing growth within the oil and gas services market.

A key part of this assignment was firstly the identification of the required level and type of funds for the company and then secondly on the identification and negotiation with the preferred funder.

Orenda Energy Solutions secures a £2 Million Wind Turbine Investment Deal

Orenda Energy Solutions Limited, a turbine manufacturer for the global medium distributed wind industry with locations in Ontario, Canada and Livingston, Scotland, has secured a £2 million deal for ten of its 51kw Skye “tilting tower” wind turbines with privately owned Italian investment fund, PentaEnergon

The Turbines will be located in Scotland and built in phased programme over the next six – twelve months, with Orenda Energy Solutions providing a complete turnkey solution including the developed sites, the wind turbine systems, installation, commissioning and on-going operation and maintenance. Orenda Energy was advised by DC Consulting, one of Scotland’s leading independent corporate finance firms which specialises in sourcing emerging technology companies for investors. Angus Hay, Director at DC Consulting commented; “We are delighted to have supported Orenda in delivering an innovative venture capital solution to assist with the role out of their pioneering wind turbine products into the UK market. Given the complexity and changing goal posts facing the renewable energy market with government legislation, it is with great delight that DC Consulting can announce the completion of the deal in such a short timeframe. For Orenda Energy Solutions, Steve McMahon, VP Sales & Marketing, added; “Like many technology-based markets, the UK small-medium wind sector started with early adopters who wanted to own a wind turbine and potentially profit from this investment. Today, the UK market has evolved and customers are now seen as ‘pragmatic investors’ are looking for complete ‘plug and play’ solutions. However, these investment opportunities must meet very stringent due diligence requirements and financial hurdle rates. “Orenda Energy recognises this market dynamic and we therefore developed a strategy to become a site developer as well as a wind turbine manufacturer so we are now in a position to serve this very demanding class of customer with a full turnkey and investible proposition and securing this deal fully underlines that we have strong validation in terms of our Skye wind turbine, our company and our far-reaching vision.” Gerry Lalonde, CEO of Orenda Energy Solutions, claims that the purchase of the turbines is a sound proposition in terms of the Return on Investment and further broadens the scope of Orenda’s growing appeal and attractiveness. He adds; “By brokering such cohesive partnerships such as this one, we are strengthening our involvement as the small/medium wind turbine manufacturer which consistently delivers the returns investors are looking for. If you add in complete performance guarantee, plus an all risk insurance package including loss of income, we are simply demonstrating our belief in this as a ‘win-win’ investment.” Work on the contract starts immediately, with preliminary excavation and developmental work commencing at three pre-consented sites – two in Aberdeenshire and one in the Western Isles – with other locations set to come on stream at the beginning of next year. Other sites have been identified by Orenda Energy and are at various stages of the planning process. About Orenda Energy Solutions: Orenda Energy Solutions designs and manufactures fully integrated wind turbine systems for the rural segment of the small distributed wind industry. Orenda’s 51kW Skye™ wind turbine is the solution of choice for farmers, large acreage landowners, and wind park developers and investors. See more at: www.orendaenergy.com

Successful SMART Award for Calnex Solutions Limited

Calnex is the world-leader in test & measurement solutions to prove and monitor the performance and reliability of Ethernet synchronisation and OAM technologies - 1588v2, NTP, Sync-E, CES, E-OAM and MPLS-TP OAM.

Based in Linlithgow, Scotland - Calnex is managed by a team with exceptional technological expertise. DC Consulting was delighted to assist the company in securing this grant award to further progress the company's ethernet testing platform for 400Gbit/s.

Acquisition of Elliot Henderson Limited

Lead advisers to Azure Investments in respect of the acquisition of Elliot Henderson Limited, one of the leading independent timber-harvesting businesses in the UK with a fleet of over 60 machines and capacity to harvest in excess of 600,000 tonnes of timber annually.

The acquisition of this business provides the timber-harvesting operation of Azure with capacity to harvest in excess of 1.2 million tonnes of timber annually and provides operating synergies with its existing business, Dick Brothers Limited.

Exception acquires Waracle in seven figure deal

Scottish headquartered IT consultancy Exception acquires mobile app firm Waracle in seven figure deal

One of the country’s leading IT consultancy and services companies, Exception has announced that Dundee based firm Waracle is joining the group in a seven figure deal. Edinburgh based Exception, which was founded in 2002, specialises in delivering long term IT and programmes for clients in the financial services and government and utilities sectors as well as the police. Waracle is one of the UK’s top mobile apps development companies and this investment highlights the importance of mobility in transforming today’s business environment for Exception’s customers. Commenting on the deal, Exception Chairman Martin Burke, says the investment in Waracle is vital for the aspirations of the rapidly growing firm over the coming years. “Waracle brings a wealth of cutting-edge software engineering knowledge, talent and experience to our business. The world of mobility has changed how we work, live and play and our investment in Waracle will allow us to offer our customers a complete digital and mobile solution.” Chris Martin, CEO of Waracle sees the partnership with Exception as recognition of the growth of the mobile market, but also a reflection of the company’s growth of its customer base in the mobile market. “Waracle is about mobile software, rapid build and data-driven optimisation for mobile apps. Mobile devices can collect valuable data efficiently, which can be used to improve people’s health, finances and working lives.” “We are really proud of the innovative work we do and we enjoy the positive impact it can make. Exception’s bigger footprint will allow us to expand our services more quickly in growth areas and bring agile thinking to Exception’s existing clients.” Waracle will continue to trade as it does today and has plans to expand its workforce in Dundee and other bases to work alongside Exception which has more than 250 people working from bases in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Craft brewer 71 Brewing serves cheer in Dundee

Craft beer maker 71 Brewing has secured planning consent to build a new brewing facility in Dundee. The company, which was launched last year by Duncan Alexander and Mark Griffiths, has secured £650,000 in funding to convert a 7,200 sq ft industrial warehouse in the city centre.

Funding came from Scottish Enterprise, Regional Selective Assistance and The Scottish Investment Bank, as well as private investment. The pair claim this will be the first brewery to launch in Dundee in 50 years. Fit-out works on the 2,400L-capacity facility are expected to commence in March and the brewery is due to be fully operational in October 2016; Overseeing the installation of the brewery is brewing consultant David Smith. Head brewer Duncan Alexander said: "There's something in the water here that was justification enough for us to establish a brewery in Dundee, beyond the fact that I'm a very proud Dundonian and wanted the city to contribute to this great new beer revolution that is sweeping the country."

iHandover completes latest funding round

SaaS based knowledge transfer solutions company iHandover, has successfully completed its next round of funding.

As part of the funding the Edinburgh based company also announced that April Harbottle and Dr Vitaliy Smirnov will be joining the company to spearhead the development and push to market its leading product range. The new investment, coupled with emerging business opportunities in multiple sectors, sets the stage for what promises to be a pivotal year for the Edinburgh based company. Over the past two years iHandover has continued to develop and refine its world class knowledge transfer solution.

Welcoming the next stage of investment CEO Ross McDowell said ‘It is great to see the Scottish Investment Bank support the company and recognise the fantastic opportunity to invest. In addition to this injection of capital, our new investors add considerable experience and will help increase our global representation. This latest round of funding coincides with our recently awarded RSA Grant from Scottish Enterprise, who have been vital in assisting and advising the business on critical matters such as R&D and International Trade. All of this will allow the business to significantly expand our Scottish roots and I fully expect our mix of youth and experience to make iHandover an international success story in the year ahead.”

Albagaia exits Novarum diagnostics JV

In 2011, Albagaia invented the Smart Phone based test reader, which developed their Hydrosense rapid Legionella test, creating the world’s first and only on site real time monitoring system for Legionella risk. The company patented the technology in 2012 and went on to set up the NovarumDX Joint Venture, which allowed the company to enter the medical market and sell bespoke test readers to companies in USA and other parts of the world.

With assistance from John P Craig of DC Consulting, Albagaia have now sold their JV share in NovarumDX, whilst retaining an exclusive global license for water testing applications, to BBI Solutions OEM Ltd (BBI), the leading provider of lateral flow diagnostics and biological raw materials. Further Reading:

Bright Ascension overcomes barriers to growth with £250,000 investment

Dundee based space technology firm Bright Ascension has reached a new frontier in its corpoate development after agreeing a switch to employee ownership.

The company, which has its headquarters at the city’s Laurel Bank and which also has an operational base in Edinburgh, played an instrumental role in Scotland’s first ever satellite launch in 2014. Further Reading:

The Courier - New journey for space technology specialists

Albacom Limited

Albacom has relaunched its Surface Technology division after a £250,000 investment, which was supported by Scottish Enterprise.

The Surface Engineering and Machining division expands Albacom’s capabilities in the oil and gas sector and allows the company to offer customers a fully integrated service and turnkey solutions. Albacom has invested significantly in diverse manufacturing, repair and maintenance technology and recruited four new members of staff to support the division’s development. Commenting on the company’s expansion, Albacom CEO Jim Davidson, said: “Diversification is key to Albacom’s growth strategy and this divisional expansion is crucial for us to build upon our capabilities in the oil and gas market. Work is already underway with our first major oil and gas service company and we’re excited to further develop the services we can offer in this area.” The past year has seen significant growth and market expansion for Albacom, with the launch of the company’s new Lifting Services and Motor Rewinding divisions and a further defence sector contract win in India. Further Reading:

Albacom - Albacom Expands Capabilities in Oil and Gas with £250K Investment

£500,000 injection for Aberdeen biotech firm EnteroBiotix

A biotechnology company focused on using the body’s own micro-organisms to prevent and treat disease has raised £500,000 in funding. The financing into Aberdeen-based EnteroBiotix was led by Equity Gap and supported by the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise. The cash injection will be used to further develop the company’s product pipeline and grow its manufacturing and research team. The seed round includes £100,000 in non-dilutive funding from a Smart Scotland feasibility grant to allow the company to develop entirely anaerobic – oxygen free – collection and processing capabilities. James McIlroy, a final year medical student at the University of Aberdeen and chief executive at EnteroBiotix, said: “This investment and grant funding will be pivotal in furthering the objectives of EnteroBiotix as we develop the first orally available products for faecal microbiota transplantation in Europe. “We are excited to work with Equity Gap and Scottish Enterprise as we build EnteroBiotix into a dominant player this fast-moving field of science and medicine.”

WooHa Brewing moves to bigger site to expand production capacity by five-fold

WooHa Brewing was set up in 2015 by Heather McDonald with the launch of its lager and porter. That was followed soon thereafter by a wheat beer and IPA. The two-year-old Moray firm has set its sights on expansion in the UK and abroad, which will be aided by this investment round of circa £0.75m. WooHa Brewing has set up a new base at a site in Kinloss as it expands to meet growing demand for its beer from international markets. The move has already created four new jobs at WooHa Brewing. The 6.2 acre site which will become home to a new brewery, and was purchased with the aid of a £133,300 grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Having reached production capacity at its previous site at Balmakeith Industrial Estate in Nairn, the new brewery will expand production capacity five-fold. "HIE has been instrumental in our growth plans," said McDonald, whose company has also received assistance in attending foreign trade shows and adapting its packaging for markets abroad.

Kumulos goes for repeat of 'strong' growth in annual sales

The Dundee-based software company aims to at least double its customer base again in the coming year as it opens its first overseas office in the US. Scottish software firm Kumulos is aiming to double its business for the second year running as it opens its first office in its biggest export market of the United States. The Dundee-based company, whose management platform is used by mobile app developers around the world, is establishing a physical presence in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kumulos chief executive Mark Petrie said the decision follows a successful year for the company, which also recently completed a second-stage funding round raising a six-figure investment. “We are just off the back of a strong 12-month period,” he said. “We have doubled our customer base, and our monthly recurring revenues are up by 335 per cent. Our plan going forward is to repeat that in the coming year.” About 40 per cent of Kumulos' customers are based in North America, with others in a further 25 countries. Examples of some of its users include NS804 of Virgina, Princeton Digital in Sydney, Australia and Colombia's Nativapps.

£150,000 RSA Grant secured for Linlithgow based business utility management experts DB Group

DC Consulting assisted DB Group in securing a Regional Selective Assistance grant of £150,000 for DB Group, a business utility management firm looking to create up to 15 new jobs at the Linlithgow premises. The firm are looking to increase their customer base across the various sectors in which the operate. In order to achieve their UK growth ambitions, the company has a need to invest in their team and the grant funding secured will also assist them with purchasing their existing premises, representing a significant investment that secures the long term future of the company.

Calnex Solutions acquires JAR Technologies

Calnex Solutions today (29 March 2018) announced the acquisition of JAR Technologies headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The acquisition, which is for an undisclosed amount, increases the Calnex product portfolio to include JAR’s portfolio of multi-port, multi-user Network Emulators complementing Calnex’s existing Attero product line of network emulators. JAR Technologies supplies the JAR:Emulate product range of scalable Network Emulators supporting interface rates from 100BT to 40GbE. The JAR:Emulate products are used in a wide variety of networks and applications including Mobile, WAN verification, Data Center relocation, Military/Security, Smart-Grid Utilities, Healthcare and Broadcast Communications as well as Video Conferencing Communications. “SD-WAN, Cloud/OTT and Data Centers are hot new application areas for Network Emulation,” said Tommy Cook, CEO of Calnex Solutions. “These application areas require products with flexibility & high port count. The acquisition of JAR Technologies enables Calnex to effectively address these key applications as the JAR:Emulate product line provides this flexibility with its scalable, multi-port, multi-user platform.” “The Calnex acquisition of JAR Technologies enables the JAR:Emulate product line to reach a much broader range of customers and applications,” said Ryan McAnlis, CEO of JAR Technologies. More information on JAR Technologies is available on the Web at www.jaremulate.com. About Calnex Solutions Calnex Solutions is a leading provider of R&D test solutions for telecom synchronisation technologies. The company serves customers in more than 45 countries, including many of the largest telecom companies in the world. Information about Calnex is available on the Web at www.calnexsol.com. About JAR Technologies JAR Technologies is a leading provider of scalable Network Emulators for telecoms, IT, datacenter/cloud, video, SD-WAN and security applications. The products are also used in smart grid utilities, healthcare and many other applications. Information about JAR Technologies is available on the Web at www.jaremulate.com

£496,000 equity fund raise for Penicuik based synthetic biology firm Biotangents

A synthetic biology company with ambitions to become a word leader in the engineering of biology to produce fast, sensitive, reliable and easy to use diagnostic devices has raised almost £500,000 in funding. DC Consulting assisted with securing the finance into Penicuik-based Biotangents, which was led by Kelvin Capital and supported by Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise. The cash injection will be used to further develop the company’s exciting Moduleic SensingTM technology, which will be exploited in the $4bn+ veterinary diagnostics market as a product for pen-side point of care use by vets to provide timely diagnosis and improve livestock welfare and profitability. The company expects to launch their first products in the UK in 2019, before expanding into EU and US markets by building relationships with key commercial partners to generate market share. As well as further developing the technology, the funding secured will also allow the company compare Moduleic SensingTM to the current gold standard PCR tests for BVD and Johne’s (yielding minimum viable product (MVP), a validated laboratory-based test) and design the prototype pen-side device. The next stage is to conclude partnerships to access existing sample handling, results imaging and data reporting solutions, test in the field with veterinary partners, and launch in early 2019.

Dundee technology business takes significant minority stake in augmented reality firm

WARACLE, the Dundee technology business has taken a significant minority stake in augmented reality (AR) start-up Mozenix as it pushes revenue past the £10 million mark. Waracle, which has been part of the Exception Group since 2016, plans to use the technology developed by fellow Dundee business Mozenix to allow it offer clients a wider suite of products. Mozenix was formed by Waracle co-founder Michael Romilly following the Exception acquisition. His brother, David Romilly is business development director at Waracle. “We’re beginning to see significant demand from our customers to use AR and we’re always on the look-out for emerging technologies that will grow our expertise across digital products,” said David Romilly. AR technology is already being deployed across a number of industry sectors including retail, construction and oil and gas. Mozenix is currently working with Aberdeen-based Return To Scene (R2S), developing mobile AR apps that help to solve complex process efficiency challenges within the oil and gas sector. Mr Romilly said he expected Waracle’s turnover to be between £10.5m and £11m for 2017, up more than 50% on last year. Staff numbers have grown to 125, with the company opening a Glasgow office last year. Waracle has also made an investment in blockchain startup Wallet Services. “We’ve grown a lot, won a couple of financial services clients and we’re now looking at broadening our spread of capabilities, specifically around emerging technology, so now we can work across AR, blockchain, Internet of Things and voice,” said Mr Romilly. Martin Burke, chairman of Exception and Waracle, has also become chairman of Mozenix. Michael Romilly said: “the investment and support we’ll get from Waracle and Exception is going to be invaluable as we grow our company and AR offering.” www.mozenix.com

Civica acquires master data management company VisionWare

The Civica Group, an international market leader in business-critical software applications, digital solutions and managed services, has announced that Civica UK Limited, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, has acquired master data management specialist VisionWare Limited. Based in Glasgow, and with operations in the UK and the USA, VisionWare is a provider of innovative master data management (MDM) solutions for local & regional government and healthcare. Its products and services deliver to organisations a complete, single view of their customers, enabling more efficient data-driven processes and intelligent automation. The company has been recognised as an innovator by Bloor Research and included in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for MDM of customer data solutions. In keeping with Group strategy, VisionWare adds customer-relevant technology and expertise which is complementary across Civica’s leading family of business-critical software and services for the public sector. It also builds on the recent launch of Civica’s Digital division and strengthens the company’s capability to accelerate transformation of public services through digital technology and automation. Master data is a fundamental enabler for digital business platforms. VisionWare’s MDM solutions allow customers to break down the silos that hold data and create a single view, whether of citizens, patients or members, underpinned by smart matching technology to synthesise data across multiple systems. VisionWare customers include North Lanarkshire Council, which won a 2017 digital engagement award for its customer portal project, Mecklenburg County, BUPA and Premera Blue Cross, the largest health plan in the Pacific Northwest. In the UK the two companies are already working together as part of Civica’s strategic partnership at Hull City Council. In addition to a significant presence in the UK and Asia Pacific, Civica is active in both the USA and Canada also. The Group is eager to develop opportunities in this market and is committed to supporting North American customers. Wayne Story, Civica Group CEO, said, “I am delighted to welcome VisionWare to the Group. The public sector faces major change, while emerging technologies as part of a broader digital revolution are also driving a massive shift. Together we have a stronger capability to help customers extract maximum business value from their data, with the opportunity to expand further on the current activities of both companies and to capitalise on key opportunities from digital engagement to machine learning.” Gordon Cooper, VisionWare founder and CEO, said, “All organisations are dealing with exploding volumes of data and recognise the enormous value locked away in fragmented data assets which can help to deliver a better customer experience and greater efficiency. Master data management solutions have an increasingly important role to play, and we are excited about our increased ability to grow and expand as part of the Civica Group.”

Bella & Duke wins Investment from Diet Chef Boss (May 2018)

a. Bella & Duke A Scottish dog food brand has collared £300,000 of seed investment to fuel growth. Bella & Duke, an internet- based subscription service, which sells raw, unprocessed dog food it claims is healthier than typical pet foods, launched in June 2017. The company was founded by neighbours Mark Scott and Tony Ottley after their dogs — Morph, a collie, and Barney, a golden retriever — died from cancer. Scott said. Kevin Dorren of Move Fresh stated “We have tracked pet nutrition as an interesting area for a number of years, but believe that Bella and Duke have some very interesting defensible qualities and fit with our focus areas of nutrition and food tech. We are excited to have closed our investment in Bella and Duke (www.bellaandduke.com) one of the UK’s leading raw pet nutrition businesses.” b. Mar 2018: Project Banner – secured £200,000 of re-finance facilities on behalf of leisure client c. May 2018: Dick Brothers Ltd – Secured £1.5million asset finance line to assist with growth capital for Scottish-based timber-harvesting business d. June 2018: Secured a £0.1m working capital facility to assist with specific project, funded via an alternative finance provider e. July 2018: Secured £0.1m working capital facility for engineering consultancy business to assist with general working capital f. July 2018: Project Tain - Secured a £2.0million MOF for a manufacturing client to provide working capital facilities for growth g. July 2018: Project McLaren – acted as strategic advisor to Motor industry client in the disposal of car dealership business based in Central Scotland h. November 2018: Secured £100,000 working capital facility for client in leisure industry from alternative finance provider i. November 2018: Project Skyline - Acted on behalf of management team in the disposal of strategic equity interest in natural resources business j. November 2018: Project Bruce – Secured £1.5million re-finance facilities for Scottish-based residential property portfolio company k. December 2018: Secured £0.1m tax facility for consultancy business to assist with tax liabilities capital

£200m Landmark for DC Consulting

£200m reasons to celebrate Having seen the busiest period to date within our Corporate Finance Team, DC Consulting have hit a new milestone with over £200million worth of completed transactions on behalf of clients. A recent project was the successful disposal of RT Metals to the PressureFab Group. Having been retained by Tom Smith, MD of RT Metals in late 2012, DC Consulting were delighted to conclude the transaction in less than 12 months of engaging and believe that the strategic benefits of being part of a larger group will allow the business to drive synergies and develop new market opportunities. DC Consulting are currently retained by over 30 high growth companies advising them on funding, international growth and exit strategies. Having now settled into new premises in Dundee and Edinburgh and recruited an additional 3 new members to the team to support the growing demand for its expertise, DC Consulting continues its highly impressive track record of delivering on corporate finance transactions for its clients.

Craft brewer 71 Brewing serves cheer in Dundee

iHandover completes latest funding round

SaaS based knowledge transfer solutions company iHandover, has successfully completed its next round of funding.

Albagaia exits Novarum diagnostics JV

Bright Ascension overcomes barriers to growth with £250,000 investment

Dundee based space technology firm Bright Ascension has reached a new frontier in its corpoate development after agreeing a switch to employee ownership.

The Courier - New journey for space technology specialists

Albacom Limited

Albacom has relaunched its Surface Technology division after a £250,000 investment, which was supported by Scottish Enterprise.

Albacom - Albacom Expands Capabilities in Oil and Gas with £250K Investment

£500,000 injection for Aberdeen biotech firm EnteroBiotix

WooHa Brewing moves to bigger site to expand production capacity by five-fold

Kumulos goes for repeat of 'strong' growth in annual sales

£150,000 RSA Grant secured for Linlithgow based business utility management experts DB Group

Calnex Solutions acquires JAR Technologies

£496,000 equity fund raise for Penicuik based synthetic biology firm Biotangents

Dundee technology business takes significant minority stake in augmented reality firm

Civica acquires master data management company VisionWare

Bella & Duke wins Investment from Diet Chef Boss (May 2018)

RSK Tech expands software range for textile printers

Aircraft Medical secures £1.75 million private funding

£1 million from individual private investors
£300k grant, as a Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust. Translation Awards are grants designed to respond to the funding gap in the commercialisation of new technologies in the biomedical area, for projects at an early stage (ie insufficiently developed to attract first-round professional financing), yet with the potential to achieve a commercial follow-on at the conclusion of the project (eg as a licensing deal or start-up company). Awards will normally be for periods of two to three years.
£300k grant from the Department of Health's Health Technology Devices (HTD) programme (www.healthtechnologyportal.org.uk), aimed at research into innovative healthcare technologies towards the development of new medical devices.
£150k debt from the RBS

Contact: Matt McGrath 0131 718 6042

TRI Cap invests in Gas Sensing Solutions

eoLogic moves into marketing mode

Borders life sciences firm secures £1m funding

Cytosystems raises funds for novel cancer diagnostic technology

Seven figure deal secures future of Tayside's Cedarstape

Bonspiel Engineering - Bucking the Trend

Double D Deal

High tech spin-out PowerPhotonic secures £0.5 million funding package

Calnex Solutions Ltd secures funding

Gigha Halibut: Funding Brought to £2m

Conjunct: £300k Investment Package

CarieScan: £2m Secured

J Funerals Limited: SEED Investment

PowerPhotonic: £405k Raised

Novabiotics: £1.1m of Equity

Cariescan: £750k Raised

TPLD: £430k Investment

ICS2: £500k Refinancing Package

Lochglen Whisky Secures Funding

Ciqual’s second funding round

3D Diagnostic Imaging list on the AIM Market

Disposal of Braemore Property Management to Lomond Capital

CIQUAL, closes significant round of funding from global parties

VueKlar enhances cardiovascular treatments

Sphinx Medical secures £600,000

Acquisition of Prime Retail Unit

Origin and Fishers Services announce strategic partnership

“Point and Shoot” Mobile Commerce Provider Mobile Acuity Secures Funding - Significant investment to fund growth in U.S. and East Asian markets

Objective Associates close Investment Funding to lead growth

Sonis Europe Completes Funding Round

Investment Secured for Rail Engineering Business

£500,000 Funding Boost for Albagaia

Acquisition of Oil & Gas Business for £5m

Blipfoto secures new funding for international growth

Albagaia Focuses on Legionella detection

Construction Company Acquisition

ESM Invests in Network 90

Network 90 is a premium, invitation only, private members networking website for professional sports and entertainment industry, founded by Luis Figo and Luke Donald.

In July 2013, angel syndicate ESM Investments completed a £200,000 funding round, together with the Scottish Co-Investment Fund.

The platform and business is highly scalable, and in 2014 golf will launch with Luke Donald, followed by F1 and the major US sports.

Further details can be found at www.network90.com

RSA Support for Goodmark Medical

Goodmark Medical International Ltd, a Scottish technology start-up, is to create at least 20 new jobs over the next two years after securing £200,000 of Regional Selective Assistance Grant.

DC Consulting were delighted to assist Goodmark throughout the RSA Grant Application process which has helped to attract inward investment into Scotland from the US based parent company.

Synpromics collaboration with Dow AgroSciences

PressureFab Group - Acquisition of RT Metal Services

DC Consulting assisted in all aspects of this transaction and continues to advise the PressureFab Group with it’s overall strategic and financial direction.

£400,000 investment in Allthings Limited

Allthings Limited, a Dundee software start-up has secured £400,000 in fresh investment as it continues efforts to allow workers to eliminate round-robin emails and unclog their inboxes.

Founders David Hay, Dee Ward and Ralph Hasselgren first worked together at Dundee software developer HoundDog Technology, ahead of its acquisition by American firm GFI Software in 2009.

Allthings allows tasks to be classified, updated in real time and shared among workers without the need to trawl through a packed inbox, hard-to-follow email chain or needlessly complex spreadsheet.

Scottish Investment Bank head Kerry Sharp said the organisation was pleased to support Allthings: “a forward-thinking company with an international mindset”.

She said: “The funds will assist the company to realise its ambitious growth strategies and deliver long-term results for both the local Tayside economy and the Scottish economy as a whole.”

Growth Capital Secured - Seven Figure Package

Strategic Investment by Azure Investment Group

Growth Funding of circa £2m secured

Multi-Million Fund Raise for Specialised Metal Fabricator

DestiNA Genomics raises £930,000

Funding & Relocation for Cellexus Limited

POCT hits the Acquisition Trail

Equity Funding of £217,000 from Kelvin Capital & SIB

£550,000 Investment for Jon Fleming Group / Mochridhe Ltd

Orenda Energy Solutions secures a £2 Million Wind Turbine Investment Deal

Acquisition of Elliot Henderson Limited

Exception acquires Waracle in seven figure deal

Scottish headquartered IT consultancy Exception acquires mobile app firm Waracle in seven figure deal

Craft brewer 71 Brewing serves cheer in Dundee

iHandover completes latest funding round

SaaS based knowledge transfer solutions company iHandover, has successfully completed its next round of funding.

Albagaia exits Novarum diagnostics JV

Bright Ascension overcomes barriers to growth with £250,000 investment

Dundee based space technology firm Bright Ascension has reached a new frontier in its corpoate development after agreeing a switch to employee ownership.

The Courier - New journey for space technology specialists

Albacom Limited

Albacom has relaunched its Surface Technology division after a £250,000 investment, which was supported by Scottish Enterprise.

Albacom - Albacom Expands Capabilities in Oil and Gas with £250K Investment

Undisclosed deal

Undisclosed

Gigha Halibut Limited

RSK Tech expands software range for textile printers

Intrallect

Aircraft Medical secures £1.75 million private funding

TRI Cap invests in Gas Sensing Solutions

Undisclosed

eoLogic moves into marketing mode

Bonspiel

Cytosystems

Borders life sciences firm secures £1m funding

Cytosystems raises funds for novel cancer diagnostic technology

Undisclosed

Undisclosed

Undisclosed

Seven figure deal secures future of Tayside's Cedarstape

Undisclosed

Bonspiel Engineering - Bucking the Trend

Double D Deal

Undisclosed

High tech spin-out PowerPhotonic secures £0.5 million funding package

Calnex Solutions Ltd secures funding

Gigha Halibut: Funding Brought to £2m

Conjunct: £300k Investment Package

Undisclosed MBO

New Starts Build DCC Team

CarieScan: £2m Secured

J Funerals Limited: SEED Investment

PowerPhotonic: £405k Raised

Novabiotics: £1.1m of Equity

Cariescan: £750k Raised

TPLD: £430k Investment

ICS2: £500k Refinancing Package

Lochglen Whisky Secures Funding

Ciqual’s second funding round

DC Consulting open in Edinburgh

3D Diagnostic Imaging list on the AIM Market

Disposal of Braemore Property Management to Lomond Capital

CIQUAL, closes significant round of funding from global parties

VueKlar enhances cardiovascular treatments

Funding of £400,000 secured

Refinancing of £725,000

Sphinx Medical secures £600,000

Acquisition of Prime Retail Unit

Property Development Facility £1.8m

Origin and Fishers Services announce strategic partnership

Objective Associates close Investment Funding to lead growth

“Point and Shoot” Mobile Commerce Provider Mobile Acuity Secures Funding - Significant investment to fund growth in U.S. and East Asian markets

Debt Facilities of £0.9m Secured

Funding Secured for Intelligent Well Controls Limited

Deal Initiator & CF Adviser to Leisure Group

Disposal of Specialist Coatings Business

Refinancing Completed

Sonis Europe Completes Funding Round

Investment Secured for Rail Engineering Business

£500,000 Funding Boost for Albagaia

Innovation Grant Secured of £1m

Succession Planning Exercise

Acquisition of Oil & Gas Business for £5m

PressureFab Group invests circa £1m in Dundee

Follow-on Funding for Software Business

Blipfoto secures new funding for international growth

Albagaia Focuses on Legionella detection

New Contact Details

Construction Company Acquisition

ESM Invests in Network 90

RSA Support for Goodmark Medical

DC Consulting assists Calnex to sync with SLF

RSA Grant Aid for Growing Companies

Synpromics collaboration with Dow AgroSciences

Disposal of Oil & Gas Company

Are you missing out on cash back from HMRC?

PressureFab Group - Acquisition of RT Metal Services

£400,000 investment in Allthings Limited

Acquisition of Houston’s of Cupar by Twickler Industries Ltd

£0.75m of RSA Grants

Growth Capital Secured - Seven Figure Package

Strategic Investment by Azure Investment Group

Growth Funding of circa £2m secured