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EIS investment falls by 15 % prompting calls for scheme ’ s expansion
Figures out from HMRC show that the amount of investment made through the government ’ s flagship Enterprise Investment Scheme ( EIS ) has fallen by 15 % from £ 2.3 billion to £ 2 billion in the year ended March 31 , 2023 .
Ian Zant-Boer , CEO of private equity firm , Growthdeck , which raises money for businesses through EIS , says that the next government should consider expanding EIS to help the UK ’ s tech sector compete with those of other economies .
He said : “ A bigger , better EIS could help the UK ’ s tech sector compete with the US . It ’ s no secret that raising equity in the US is much more attractive for a lot of tech companies . EIS should play a major part in redressing that balance .
“ Whoever wins the next election should be looking at what it can do to help EIS supercharge growth in the small business sector . This scheme has proven itself over the last 30 years and there is so much more it could do if more businesses had access to that vital equity funding .”
BlueSnap brings the power of payment orchestration to global businesses
BlueSnap , a payment orchestration platform of choice for businesses around the world , has expanded its integration with BigCommerce , a leading open SaaS e-commerce platform for fast-growing and established brands , to allow enterprises , small businesses and B2B companies alike to create customised local and global checkout experiences through BlueSnap ’ s powerful global payment orchestration platform .
The expansion with BlueSnap will allow BigCommerce retailers and B2B brands to offer consumers and buyers more familiar ways to pay with the additional payment types such as SEPA and stored ACH . BigCommerce customers will be able to provide a seamless checkout experience for brands and this includes an integrated experience with online checkout for cards .
With BlueSnap ’ s payment orchestration platform , businesses can achieve global customisation through a single integration and can enable or disable payment features based on country , product , payment type and more .
Eight innovators chosen to drive immersive technology forward in north-east England
Digital Catapult , a UK authority on advanced digital technology , welcomes eight new companies onto the ImmexCity programme , to spearhead the adoption of immersive solutions across key sectors . The latest cohort will play a vital role in further cultivating immersive entrepreneurship in north-east England , with solutions ranging from heritage conservation projects to initiatives geared towards empowering mental health .
Delivered by Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley and backed by the UK Government , ImmexCity is a strategic initiative aimed at propelling the growth of England ’ s northeast ’ s immersive technology sector . ImmexCity has received £ 562,000 from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund .
The new companies will be established in Gateshead , as part of a growing immersive sector around the Advanced Media Production studio at PROTO . Since its launch in 2022 , ImmexCity has helped 14 start-ups in the immersive space .
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