Success Stories

Learn how other UK businesses have used external finance to reach their ambition

Here’s just some of the tens of thousands of smaller businesses funded through our partners, with the support of British Business Bank’s programmes.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Câr-y-Môr

Câr-y-Môr is the first community-owned regenerative ocean farm in Wales. With a diverse membership of over 300 individuals from various backgrounds, Câr-y-Môr has become a shining example of community-driven sustainability and innovation.

Read the success story about Câr-y-Môr
Filter success stories
Filter Close filters
Filter success stories
Finance type
Sector
Nation/Region
Programme
Partner
Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Pablos

A six-figure investment is fuelling the next stage of growth for one of the North East’s most recognisable independent food brands.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Visual Architects

Manchester-based event and interior design business Visual Architects received a six-figure loan to accelerate its growth and expand its global client base. The funding supports Visual Architects’ organic growth strategy and the addition of new technology and machinery to enhance its current offering.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Audiebant

A Lancashire communications tech business raised a seven-figure investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).

Growth Guarantee Scheme

FareShare Midlands

FareShare Midlands, a key player in tackling food waste and hunger across the region, used a £167,000 loan backed by the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme to stabilise operations and modernise its service delivery. With demand soaring and outdated systems under strain, the funding provided crucial breathing room and enabled investments in logistics, fundraising, and operational efficiency - helping the organisation better serve over 60,000 people.

FinTech

Frontier Space

Frontier Space, a trailblazer in commercial microgravity research and in-space bio-manufacturing, secured a £75,000 loan facility from Sprk Capital to improve cashflow while delivering on a high-profile UK Space Agency project. The funding, backed by the British Business Bank, allowed the business to maintain momentum on its ground-breaking autonomous laboratory platform, culminating in the successful launch of its SpaceLab Mark 1 demonstrator aboard SpaceX’s Bandwagon-3 mission.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Reacton Fire Suppression and Fireward

Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd and Fireward Ltd, leaders in advanced fire suppression technology, secured a £3m funding package from Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending to accelerate their strategic growth.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Ember Transport

With support from Triodos Bank, Ember secured a £490,000 loan through the government’s Recovery Loan Scheme, which has since been relaunched as the Growth Guarantee Scheme enabled the fleet to grow to 38 vehicles, supported by Ember’s proprietary tech platform, EmberOS.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Ashbrook Group

Ashbrook Holdings Limited has taken a major step forward in its buy-and-build strategy with the acquisition of Webb Injection Moulders, supported by a £2m funding package structured by Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending and backed by the British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Magnitude Biosciences

Magnitude Biosciences, a specialist contract research organisation (CRO) in County Durham offering in vivo discovery of treatments for age-related conditions and other diseases using C. elegans, secured over £706,000 in combined funding to scale up its high-throughput screening (HTS) platform

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Synergy Health

Synergy Health received a five-figure investment from NPIF II – River Capital & GC Business Finance Smaller Loans, which is managed by the consortium as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Moxie Financial

Simplify Business Services Limited, trading as Moxie Financials received £50,000 from NPIF II – River Capital & GC Business Finance Smaller Loans, which is managed by the consortium as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.

Enterprise Capital Funds

Firenze

David Newman is Founder and CEO of Firenze, a Manchester-based fintech on a mission to democratise access to Lombard lending - an investment-backed credit product traditionally reserved for high-net-worth individuals, backed by Outward VC through the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Capital Funds (ECF) programme.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Charles Grey Menswear

Durham-based menswear brand, Charles Grey Menswear Limited, secured a five-figure investment from NPIF II – NEL Smaller Loans, which is managed by NEL Fund Managers as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), to accelerate its fast-paced growth across the UK retail landscape.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Candid Hospitality

The entrepreneurs behind two of the UK’s most successful hospitality tech businesses have joined forces to launch a new venture that aims to reshape hospitality recruitment.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Trustist

Founded in 2014 and based in Bootham, York, Trustist is an innovative digital reviews platform helping businesses maximise the impact of their online reputation. With a £250,000 loan through the Growth Guarantee Scheme, Trustist is scaling up its technology, marketing, and team, and redefining how businesses use customer feedback to grow.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

SCI Semiconductor

A UK start-up that aims to win the race to develop the world’s first ‘memory safe’ computer chip has raised £2.5m in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Reel Film

Reel Film, a video production company in Wetherby, sought a £70,000 loan through the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) to expand the business. Facing a shift in the industry towards short content projects, the loan allowed Reel Film to grow its marketing and sales efforts and hire a dedicated business development team.

Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Envoke

A UK company whose simulation software enables medical staff to train to use laboratory equipment and troubleshoot problems has raised a further £1m.