Category: 2014

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.

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.

Working with one of our clients involved in software development, we have secured a significant refund of tax under the R&D tax credit legislation.

Further information on our services with regard R&D tax relief can be found by clicking here or please get in touch to arrange an introductory discussion.

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.

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.

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.

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.”