Regional investors collaborate to improve access to funding Two regional investors have agreed a new strategic partnership to provide enhanced support for early-stage companies in the Northern Powerhouse region. DSW Ventures and NorthInvest have been working together for some time, with the former having invested in two companies – PopTop and OneUtilityBill – as a … Continued
DSW Angels rebrands to DSW Ventures DSW Angels, the venture capital investment business of the Dow Schofield Watts group, has changed its trading brand to DSW Ventures (dsw.vc) to reflect the increasing scale and reach of the business at a time of a massive increase in market activity. DSW Ventures will continue to work as … Continued
One Utility Bill – which simplifies utility billing for tenants, landlords and letting agents – has raised £1.7m in a funding round led by DSW Angels, the venture capital business of the Dow Schofield Watts group, and including existing investors the North East Innovation Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by … Continued
DSW Angels hits milestone deal flow at 1,000 applicants for funding DSW Angels, the business angel network, is celebrating a milestone after receiving its 1,000th application for funding within two years of its launch. The business, which was started in the North but expanded to other regions in recent months, has also become one of the largest in the UK with over 100 investors. Last … Continued
ACAI – the unique women’s outdoorwear company – has bucked the trend of retail gloom in the Christmas period with reported revenues more than doubled on the previous year. This Chester-based business is run by husband and wife team Joe and Kasia Bromley. After arranging a scale-up investment in September 2019 from DSW Angels, the … Continued
Shopblocks – the fast-growing e-commerce platform backed by Dow Schofield Watts Angels (DSW Angels) – has set its sights on the US market after securing a further £500,000 investment. The business has raised funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s GM Investment Fund, DSW Angels and members of the management team to support its expansion … Continued
Dow Schofield Watts Angels (DSW Angels) – the business angel network – has expanded its team with the appointment of Ellie Boardman as Investment Executive. Ellie joins the firm from KPMG in Manchester where she spent three years working in the audit department and where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. During this time, she … Continued
Poptop, the Newcastle company which operates the UK’s leading events booking platform, has become the first platform of its type worldwide to offer instant quotes and availability. Poptop’s Instant Quotes service allows users to get accurate pricing for everything from catering and music to photography and transport, check available dates and make provisional bookings. It … Continued
Dow Schofield Watts Angels portfolio business Poptop, the Newcastle-based company which is the UK’s fastest growing online events booking platform, has appointed Nicole de Vega to the newly-created role of Head of Marketing. Nicole has over 20 years’ marketing experience in the digital technology sector having spent the early part of her career with Sage UK. More … Continued
A fast-growing Cheshire clothing brand with a mission to become the ‘Levi’s of the women’s outdoorwear market’ has raised £350,000 in a funding round led by Dow Schofield Watts Angels (DSW Angels), the business angel network. ACAI Activewear was started by husband and wife team Joe and Kasia Bromley with a sewing machine on their … Continued
We’re delighted to announce that the DSW Angels have been shortlisted for Best New Entrant to the EcoSystem at the UKBAA Angel Investment Awards 2019! This Award recognises the most innovative and impactful organisation having recently entered the early stage market and that is making a significant and exciting impact on the entrepreneurial finance ecosystem … Continued
8 Weeks in Venture Capital By Oliver Rogers, Analyst in the DSW Angels Team My first few weeks in Venture Capital have taught me that it’s a non-stop learning environment. Dow Schofield Watts Angels receives about 50 applications for funding a month, so at any one time, there are many different businesses in the pipeline. … Continued
Dow Schofield Watts Angels, the Northern angel investor network, has appointed Oliver Rogers as analyst as it continues its expansion. Oliver, who has a degree in Maths and Physics from the University of Bristol, was previously a data analyst with e-commerce specialist The Hut Group, and also worked as a physics tutor. He is a … Continued
An out-of-balance cap table will ultimately affect the incentives of founders and the long-term prospects of a business. By Keith Benson, Director at Dow Schofield Watts Angels (keith@dswcf.com). At Dow Schofield Watts, we advise our corporate finance clients on raising venture capital and use our investors’ (and our own) money to fund early-stage businesses through … Continued
Dow Schofield Watts’ very own David Smith has recently been featured in the January 20th edition of the Sunday Times. In an interview on Angel investing, David shares his thoughts on the do’s and don’ts for start-up businesses when approaching investors. The piece also covers the wealth of opportunities available in the North for Angel … Continued