News & Market Deals

BYOD security business AirWatch tops up its Series A with help from Accel Partners

Fundraising Deals

Mobile security business AirWatch has added to the $200 million Series A round it closed earlier in the year by securing an extra $25 million.

London cash shells now hold £572.3 million for burgeoning businesses

Business News

The number of cash shells listed on London exchanges has grown from 64 to 91, the latest Cash Shells Directory finds.

Private equity deal value takes hit in first quarter of 2013

Business News

Raising bank debt considered an obstacle to completing transactions.

Doubts over effectiveness of government pledge to cut red tape for business

Business News

Eyebrows are raised over an increase in the number of new laws introduced by the government.

Why the rise of angel investors provides a halo for the UK VC industry 

Venture Capital & Private Equity Future finance: MacPherson points out that most angels are serial entrepreneurs

In an era dominated by the struggles of SME funding, Alex MacPherson, head of ventures team at Octopus Investments, looks at how the rise of angels could be divine intervention.

Planet X Bikes plots expansion course ahead of 2014 Tour de France UK visit

Business Leaders

As the UK is increasingly swept up in Bradley Wiggins mania, Sheffield-based Planet X Bikes is gearing up for rapid growth on the back of a new funding package.

Growing a Business

Drip, drip: Leaks within the corporate world can be costly on many fronts

Corporate leaks: How to prevent and investigate if they occur

Business Tools

Bob Mecrate-Butcher, partner at Charles Russell, looks at how corporate leaks can first be prevented and then plugged when they do occur.

Getting it right: Hiring a first country manager can be difficult logistically

How to hire your first country manager

Human Resources

Peter Linas, international managing director of recruitment software provider Bullhorn, advises how to find and hire a successful country manager.

Comment and Analysis

Hunter Ruthven

Hunter Ruthven

Channeling Instagram for start-up success

That a team of 13 could build a business worth $1 billion should be the inspiration that all entrepreneurs need.

Hunter Ruthven

Can Ontario mount a serious challenge to Silicon Valley?

With a pile of government cash behind it, Ontario is gearing itself up to compete on the global technology field.

Chris Ingram

Beware of death by a thousand questions in the private equity game

Private equity firms are very dangerous to know if yours is a small, fast-moving firm.

Stephen Welton

Entrepreneurs, don’t be afraid to ask for help

Surround yourself with the best people for the job and your business will reap the benefit.

The Entrepreneur

Quality not quantity: David Barker was careful not to get clients from one sector

Diversifying the client base at launch and learning to say ‘No’ 

David Barker reflects on resisting the temptation to say 'Yes' to the first offer when he opened his data centre, and how choosing instead to diversify his client base at launch has enabled 4D Data Centres to maintain rapid growth in a recession.

Promoting the brand directly to the consumer

To allow his brand to stand out in a crowded market, John Bramm decided that shaking up the marketing strategy was the best way to make it stand out.

Switching operations to purely business-to-business

Focusing on the right customer base is important for businesses – and for Omnifone CEO Jeff Hughes, it was a case of B2B is best.

Taking a chance with Groupon

Elliot Grove explains why his Raindance Film Festival and film school might not have survived without the website and Groupon.

Research

M&A on AIM 2012

M&A on AIM 2012

The 2012 M&A on AIM report examines valuation metrics, cash balances and financial performance to provide dealmakers with all the tools they need to pinpoint undervalued companies on AIM.

Directors' Pay 2013

Directors' Pay 2012

Details of CEO and total board pay are provided for the majority of AIM-quoted companies, and analysed by sector, company turnover and profitability.

Cash Shells 2012

The latest cash shells directory has identified 64 shells with total cash of more than £238 million between them. They are all quoted on the London markets and hoping to find an acquisition that will turn them into growth companies.

AIM Guide 2011/2012

2011/12 Aim Guide

The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) remains home to over 1,100 ambitious companies and professional services firms.

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