Author: Sam Allcock

The Clean Space, a London-based commercial cleaning company, has announced the appointment of Reggie Afful as its new Senior Business Development Manager. In this role, Afful will focus on driving business growth across London and the South East of England. With over 15 years of experience in the commercial property sector, Afful has a proven track record of generating new business and managing key accounts. His extensive background positions him well to collaborate with key stakeholders within The Clean Space to identify emerging business opportunities and trends that support the company’s strategic growth plans. Commenting on his new position, Afful…

SciShield, a prominent provider of safety and compliance software for research laboratories, has announced the appointment of Philip Meer as its new Chief Executive Officer. This strategic move aims to strengthen the company’s leading platform and broaden its capabilities to support safe, compliant, and efficient scientific laboratories globally. With a presence in over 27,000 laboratories across North America and Europe, SciShield serves a diverse clientele, including major pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and small biotech firms. Under Meer’s leadership, the company plans to enhance its product capabilities, expand its global footprint in key scientific research hubs, and establish strategic…

Digital marketing platform Constant Contact has announced the acquisition of Txtify Technologies, a company specialising in mobile-first lead generation via customised microsites and surveys. The move is set to bolster Constant Contact’s offerings, providing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with enhanced tools to convert digital engagement into valuable customer relationships. Constant Contact, which serves millions of SMBs and non-profits globally, said the acquisition would enable its users to quickly create branded, mobile-optimised lead generation forms without requiring coding or web development experience. The addition of Txtify’s technology aims to help small businesses capitalise on their social media presence by turning…

Dun & Bradstreet’s latest report reveals a notable 7% rise in global business optimism, marking a continued recovery in the final quarter of 2024. According to the Q4 2024 Global Business Optimism Insights report, fielded in Q3, this surge is largely attributed to the easing of inflation and favourable borrowing conditions worldwide. The report highlights that nearly four out of five businesses now express greater optimism across key areas such as domestic and export orders, capital spending, and financial risk management. This positive outlook has been supported by the relaxation of financial pressures, adjustments in monetary policy, strengthened regulatory frameworks,…

Gatemore Capital Management has announced the appointment of Casey Herren as its new Director of Business Development. Herren will take the lead on partner relations and capital formation for the firm, which specialises in equities strategies focused on turnarounds, recoveries, and growth opportunities across public markets in both the UK and the US. In addition to his responsibilities at Gatemore, Herren will also oversee fundraising and marketing for GVP Climate, an affiliate of Gatemore led by Brett Olsher. GVP Climate is focused on early-stage clean technology investments, aligning with growing global demand for sustainable investment strategies. Herren brings more than…

CYRISMA, a US-based provider of risk management solutions, has raised Series A financing to accelerate the development of its all-in-one platform. The funding round, led by Blueprint Equity, also saw participation from SaaS Venture and Golden Ventures, with the fresh capital set to drive growth in customer success and bolster sales and marketing efforts. CYRISMA’s platform is designed to enhance security for managed service providers (MSPs), offering a cost-effective, comprehensive solution to identify and prioritise vulnerabilities, track compliance requirements, and manage risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI). The company aims to simplify security management for MSPs, which are increasingly relied…

Oil Brokerage, a prominent player in the global commodities brokerage industry and a subsidiary of OTC Global Holdings, has announced its acquisition of Blue Commodities (BC). This strategic move is designed to bolster Oil Brokerage’s position in critical physical broking markets, particularly in Northwest Europe (NWE), the Mediterranean (Med), and West Africa (WAF). As part of the agreement, Blue Commodities will be integrated into Oil Brokerage and OTC Global Holdings. This acquisition marks a significant advancement in Oil Brokerage’s objective to deliver a comprehensive service offering that encompasses physical broking, derivatives, and shipping markets. The addition of Blue Commodities will…

Daniel Barnes and Lina Tejoprayitno, the founders of Pop Specs, have been named “Ones to Watch” in the prestigious LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders programme for 2024, a recognition awarded in partnership with The Times. This initiative, created by LDC, a trusted investment partner and part of Lloyds Banking Group, aims to celebrate exceptional entrepreneurs demonstrating significant ambition and is now in its seventh year. The 2024 programme attracted over 700 nominations from across the UK, showcasing the extraordinary individuals who are building successful businesses in various sectors. The leaders recognised this year are making substantial impacts in…

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has announced the addition of Alan Cunningham and Richard Skipper as partners in its London office, strengthening the firm’s business finance practice. Both lawyers are recognised leaders in finance law, offering extensive expertise across various sectors, including aviation, shipping, rail, defence, automotive, and energy. Cunningham and Skipper come to Hunton Andrews Kurth from Ernst & Young’s legal services arm, EY Law, where they significantly contributed to the firm’s asset finance practice. Prior to their tenure at EY, they were partners at DLA Piper, leading the firm’s asset finance team. Their reputation in the legal industry is…

Welch the Florist, a fifth-generation family business based in Nottingham, has received a ‘Highly Commended’ accolade in the customer excellence category at the prestigious 2024 Midlands Family Business Awards. The awards ceremony, which took place at Athena in Leicester on October 3, celebrated 12 years of honouring outstanding family-run enterprises across the UK, with proceeds from the event donated to the Brain Tumour Charity. Founded in 1920, Welch the Florist stands as one of Nottingham’s oldest businesses, deeply rooted in family values and traditions. The company initially opened in Long Eaton and has evolved significantly over the years. In 1973,…