YFM Private Equity and MTI are delighted to announce that the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has awarded them a fund management mandate for the North West region.

YFM managed North West Business Investment Scheme (NWBIS) and DxS one of its investments both picked up awards at last Thursdays North West Insider Dealmakers awards.

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Manchester based personalised medicine company DXS has been sold to international sample and assay technology giant Qiagen.

YFM Group the UK Small/Mid Size Private Equity Firm of the Year

British Smaller Companies VCT goes above and beyond to win Best Shareholder Communication Award

Businesses backed by the NWDA backed North West Business Investment Scheme (NWBIS) are better placed than many to weather the current economic uncertainties.

Five years have passed since the North West Business Investment Scheme made its first innovative investment. Since then 102 investments have been made in 55 companies in a diverse range of businesses and sectors.

Tekton Group, the UK’s fastest growing construction software specialist, has been sold to Sage (UK) Ltd for £21 million. The sale represents a complete exit for the funds managed by YFM, realising a 2.7 times return, equivalent to an IRR of 121.7%.

Vivienne Upcott Gill has joined YFM Group as Funds Development Manager. Her role is to maintain awareness in Government of the impact of investment in small and early stage businesses, as well as source opportunities and build relationships.

YFM Group has been acquired by GLE Group, a leading economic development company delivering investment, products and services to promote small business growth.

With the European launch of a companion diagnostic for Vectibix, Amgen’s drug for advanced bowel cancer, UK-based diagnostics developer DxS stands to benefit from being one of the only players in the market with a CE-marked KRAS test.

KDC Contractors Limited, the specialist decommissioning, demolition and remediation contractor has been bought by its management team in a deal worth £12.5m.

Clinton Cards has commissioned K3, the UK's largest provider of Microsoft Dynamics, to develop and implement a solution to manage Clinton Cards' central merchandising, stock ordering and sales anal

YFM Private Equity has backed the buy in of domiciliary care business Able Care

North West Business Investment Scheme (NWBIS), managed by YFM Private Equity, has successfully exited Independent Pharmacy Care Centre (IPCC) doubling its investment in 12 months.

Catalyst technologies company Reaxa has completed second round financing for the next stage of its commercial expansion programme

This is another national award for a North West fund

NVM Private Equity Ltd (NVM) has committed £1 million as part of a new funding round of £1.4 million into Gentronix

8 February 2006 - Preston, UK: Plant Impact plc (Pi or the Company), the plant health technology company, announces that they have received £750,000 in investment during their recent funding round.

Intempo Digital Ltd, a leading manufacturer of DAB Digital Radios in the UK, today announced YFM Private Equity (YFM PE) has raised funding from the North West Business Investment Scheme, on its behalf.

Manchester-based Company to Use Funds To Commercialize its Proprietary Quantum Dot Technology

Firms and entrepreneurs across the North West are being urged to review their growth plans and take advantage of a £18 million fund of European money, which has been earmarked for investment in ambitious companies looking to expand.

With offices around the UK, £260m under management, a rapidly growing national portfolio and an investment rate of in excess of 70 new investments per annum, YFM Group has established itself as one of the major sources of equity finance to small businesse

With offices around the UK, £260m under management, a rapidly growing national portfolio and an investment rate of in excess of 70 new investments per annum, YFM Group has established itself as one of the major sources of equity finance to small business

Gentronix Ltd has just completed a £1m fund raising round supported by YFM Private Equity Ltd.

A Blackburn-based scientific equipment manufacturer is on course to double its turnover for the third year running following the acquisition of another major supplier of scientific instruments.

Over the past two issues this section has introduced the Northwest Regional Development Agency-backed North West Business Investment Scheme as a potential source of funding for businesses in Cumbria.

As highlighted in last month’s Business Gazette, the £17.3 million North West Business Investment Scheme (NWBIS) has co-invested in a pioneering energy project in Barrow-in-Furness.

The £17.3 million, Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) funded North West Business Investment Scheme (NWBIS), which was launched a year ago, has just completed its twelfth investment in the region.

A Manchester-based company which is helping to improve the effectiveness of medicines has secured £1 million of funding enabling it roll out its service to the giant US market.

A venture capital company set up to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) bridge the funding gap has appointed the head of its Manchester office as its new managing director.

A university research-led venture is set for rapid growth after securing funding to spin itself out of academia and commercialise its technology.

Since the map of the human genome was completed in 2000, the new focus in biotechnology is proteomics - the study of the molecules, called proteins, which are produced from the information held in genes.