Solexel finalises financing round including Riyadh Valley Company.

Solexel, a leading US-based producer of high-performance solar PV technology, has successfully finalised a round of financing that included Riyadh Valley Company, the venture capital investment arm of King Saud University of Saudi Arabia. Through investor introduction services provided by naseba, the investment will be used to help transition Solexel into revenue. Solexel’s innovative high performance, lightweight solar PV panels deliver low cost energy.

The Middle East is the most liquid region in the world today and investors based there are keen to adopt innovation, as well as foster entrepreneurship. The region is fast becoming an expansion hub as GCC investors are aggressively looking into investment opportunities from around the world.

To avoid the time, expense and cultural pitfalls of trying to go it alone, Solexel chose Dubai-based deal facilitation firm, naseba, to assist them in finding new investors. Giving an insight into his experience in the Kingdom, Mark Kerstens, CFO of Solexel, said: “Every investor that we met had a clear intention to invest, along with the availability of capital. The money that we have raised will be used to finance our expansion plans. We would like to thank naseba for introducing us to numerous Middle Eastern investors from their network who were looking for opportunities like ours.” Commenting on the successful deal, Fabien Faure, Managing Director of naseba said: “Saudi investors have an appetite for investing in innovative companies that have the potential to disrupt their industries. Our clients from Solexel travelled 8,000 km to find their venture capital partner and they chose Riyadh Valley Company, as they can help them immensely with their expertise. They also clearly demonstrated their orientation to long-term success and sustainability. They were looking for an international investment opportunity within the alternative energy sector, and I believe these two parties are a perfect fit.”

MarketInvoice raises £6m ($10m) to broaden product range and take on retail investors

World’s largest peer-to-peer invoice finance platform is approaching £500m ($780m) total funded since inception, with a current monthly funding rate of £30m ($48m) and growing

Existing shareholders Northzone and the family office of Paul Forster provide funds to back growth plans

Funds will be used to extend the company’s product range for businesses and enable retail investors to lend on the platform

MarketInvoice has today announced a $10 million investment alongside plans to extend its product range, all aimed at making the company a one-stop destination for working capital finance.

The leading peer-to-peer finance provider will use the funds to broaden its product set including allowing businesses to access funds against licences, contracts, and subscriptions, as well as supplier finance where businesses can get finance to pay suppliers to complete large projects.

Following the Chancellor’s confirmation of an ‘Innovative Finance ISA’ which will allow tax free investing in peer-to-peer finance from April 2016, MarketInvoice is also announcing that it will use the new funds to enable retail investors to access the MarketInvoice platform and gain exposure to this attractive risk-return asset class.

Northzone and Paul Forster, Co-Founder and former CEO of Indeed.com, are backing the investment.

Jeppe Zink, General Partner at Northzone, said:

“We’ve been working with MarketInvoice for nine months and are really excited by what the team is achieving. We’re seeing great metrics around user growth and engagement. This is a classic example of a tech business disrupting an age-old industry and having a fantastic real world impact on its users based on a fundamentally better service. The opportunity for growth is massive.”

Paul Forster said:

“MarketInvoice has one of the most robust models in peer-to-peer finance and is growing its user base quickly. They have great plans to broaden their core products on both the borrowing and lending sides of the platform. There’s a lot of innovation yet to come and I’m excited to be part of it.”

Anil Stocker, Co-Founder and CEO of MarketInvoice, said:

“Our mission is to become the destination for small businesses looking for working capital finance. This oxygen of funding for UK businesses is a poorly served market and it represents a huge opportunity. We want to offer small businesses easy access to their monthly funding needs, and enable investors – from institutions to individuals – to drive small business growth whilst earning a market beating return.”

£475m has been traded across the platform since launch in 2011, with £30m per month currently being raised. Finance is available from as little as £1,000 to £5m and up.

Northzone is a technology investment fund. The partnership has to date raised seven funds and invested in some 100 technology-enabled companies. The current portfolio includes companies such as Spotify, Avito.ru, Trustpilot, WideSpace and SpaceApe. The company has offices in London, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and New York.

Paul Forster co-founded Indeed.com in 2004 and led the company as CEO through rapid growth to a successful exit. Indeed is a giant of the online job search market and was acquired in 2012 by Recruit Co – one of the world’s largest HR services companies. Under Paul’s stewardship Indeed.com grew from start-up to market leader, with over 1,000 employees and 180 million monthly unique users today.

MarketInvoice is the world’s largest peer-to-peer business lender for short term finance. Businesses can access funds in 24 hours against outstanding invoices, licenses, contracts and subscriptions.

Launched in 2011 and based in London, MarketInvoice has helped hundreds of businesses overcome the lengthy payment terms of their customers. More than £475m has been raised through the platform, with businesses using the funds to hire more staff, launch new products and pay their suppliers.

In August 2013, the UK government – via the British Business Bank – began lending to UK small businesses through MarketInvoice. This partnership has now seen more than £50m funded to UK small businesses.

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RESTORATION ALPHA ANGELS NETWORK SECURES BACKING FOR FINTECH START-UP, WE ARE BRIQS

Restoration Partners, the London-based technology-focused merchant bank, is pleased to announce that start-up funding sought for its new client, We Are Briqs, has been satisfactorily concluded. A member of the Restoration Alpha Angels network, who is an experienced and successful investor in Fintech companies, has provided the backing.

We Are Briqs delivers white-label, plug-and-play solutions for retail banking. Their products create safe and rich personal experiences, and allow for more meaningful brand engagement. Solutions include digital identity verification, a micro-charity donations platform and digital "jam jars" to encourage financial planning and saving.

Lee Travers, CEO, We Are Briqs, commented:

"We are operating in an extremely fast-moving environment and we need access to good advice and financial backing to continue our phenomenal growth to date. We were very happy to work with Restoration Partners and their Alpha Angels Network to secure such a positive outcome."

Mike Kennedy, Managing Partner of Restoration Partners, added:

"We Are Briqs is an excellent example of the type of company we enjoy working with - innovative and entrepreneurial with a strategy and products that investors are interested in. Although the environment for fundraising for start-up and early-stage companies remains challenging, we believe that the opportunities are there for the right type of company."

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