Investor
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publictech
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Despite fears that the pandemic would mean public-tech investors would focus on operative businesses rather than up-and-coming ones, Europe’s startups are still receiving investment. According to Speedinvest and Dealroom, there are 626 funded digital health companies active across Europe today, and 63% of them were founded in the past five years. The Govtech.com website released its annual top100 govtech firms in January 2021 suggesting the companies on the list have raised a combined $3.2 billion [up from 1$ billion only 6-years ago]. The team at Mantis can support your public tech business with content, tech PR and comms services at whatever stage of investment you have reached. Get in touch.

Clients

Helping Florence to address recruitment and retention issues in social care

Campaign activities

A start up, investor backed, business run by an ex-NHS doctor that is trying to help solve the social care staffing crisis by disrupting the traditional recruitment agency model. Through the development of an innovative online recruitment marketplace where nurses and carers and care homes can connect over shifts, Florence is helping
to address recruitment and retention in social care; an issue high on the political and media agenda.

Whilst negotiating Series A funding, Florence approached Mantis for earned media relations support, particularly to enrolment from care workers as employees, and care homes as employers.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Narrative and messaging developed
  • Case studies and opinion from care home customers
  • Rapid response to social care
  • Awards and speaker programme
  • Leadership profile placement

Campaign outputs

  • 64 earned media articles in six months
  • Coverage hit all key targets in nursing and care home media including exclusive interviews placed in Care Home Professional, Care Markets and Nursing Times for the CEO and Chief Nurse
  • Podcast secured with Care Home Management
  • Award entries submitted to: Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Leaders in Care Awards (finalist), The Care Home Awards, National Technology Awards, Tomorrow’s Care Awards (finalist)
  • Speaker opportunities secured: Future of Care Conference, Care Roadshow and The Care Show

Results

  • 180% Increase in potential employees signed up to use the platform
  • Helped raise £5m Series A funding
  • 64 Pieces of coverage for Florence in six months

I don’t think being a unicorn company changes our day to day activity, or even our marketing and PR. What it does do is give us the flexibility to jump away from failure and create the next success, because we have the resources to do so.

The only constant at OrCam is change. Plans are made and changed in a week. All our [PR] agencies work to a fast pace too.

Tsachi Moshinsky, UK Director, OrCam

VCs are more frequently seeking investment opportunities in companies that can do some material good in the world, and those companies often provide services to governments, who ultimately serve the public.

STATEUP 21, report: Data-driven Insights into Global GovTech

The biggest, step-change improvement in investors’ perspectives of Govtech startups is the necessity of using tools like ours in a socially distanced society. Many government technology leaders expect technology budgets to continue to grow this year, which may further boost interest.

STATEUP 21, report: Data-driven Insights into Global GovTech

Death tech is seeing remarkable upswings this year, certainly driven in part by the pandemic, and investors should take note. Guardian Angel up in Manchester has seen a 500% upswing in users. Farewill raised 22.1 million euros in July this year. Glasgow firm Exizent has raised £3.6m to build a new interoperable platform to connect people with services and data when dealing with a death.

Client investment news

Dec 20, Granicus Announces Joint Investment From Harvest Partners and Vista Equity Partners

The leading provider of cloud-based citizen engagement technologies and services, today announced that Harvest Partners (“Harvest”) has joined as an investor alongside Vista Equity Partners (“Vista”) and K1 Investment Management (“K1”) to support Granicus’ continued growth and market leadership.

As a technology innovator and trusted partner to governments, Granicus will continue to support government institutions as they transition to the cloud and adopt broader digital transformation initiatives to modernize their operations and connectivity to their constituents. Read more

 
 

Dec 20, OrCam sets sights on $3 billion valuation in 2021 IPO

The artificial vision company, set up by the founders of Mobileye, joins ironSource and Monday.com, among others, in ever-growing list of Israeli unicorns targeting a lucrative public offering

OrCam, which develops devices to help blind or visually impaired people navigate day-to-day life with greater ease, is hoping to raise $300 million in the IPO according to a valuation of $3 billion. OrCam is currently finalizing the list of underwriters for the public offering, which is set to be led by Goldman Sachs, which also guided Mobileye in its IPO. Read more

 

 
 

Sept 20, Connexin secures £80m investment from Whitehelm Capital to take UK Smart Cities to the next level

Smart City operator Connexin today announces it has raised an initial commitment of up to £80 million in funding to further strengthen its position and become the leader in the smart infrastructure and Internet of Things (IoT) sector.

Connexin has already achieved many ground breaking achievements in a short time frame. In 2019, Connexin delivered the UK’s first purpose built Smart City Operating System for Hull City Council and this year helped Amey implement Connexin’s CityOS platform to improve highway maintenance services across Sheffield. Read more 

 
 

Jun 19, Florence raises £5m in Series A funding led by SEEK

Florence – the marketplace redefining staffing and recruitment for UK social care unveils strategic development plans for latest round of investment.

Florence, the recruitment marketplace connecting care home providers with qualified professionals to fill temporary shifts, today announces it has raised £5 million in Series A funding. Read more

 
 

May 19, Arcus Global Secures £2.5 Million Additional Series A Funding

Arcus Global Limited, a market leader in GovTech cloud solutions, is pleased to announce it has raised an additional £2.5 million to support its growth ambitions into 2020 and beyond.

The proceeds will be used to accelerate the growth of the business and continue investment in its transformative product portfolio, including further development of Arcus’ local government software platform and recently launched AI-powered voice solution, Arcus Answer. In the financial year ended 30 June 2018, Arcus delivered annual revenues of £13.0 million representing 34% year-on-year growth. Read more

 
 

May 18, Arcus Global secures £3m investor funding to enable further growth

The funds from YFM will be used to support the continued rapid growth of the business, and increase Arcus product portfolio by boosting our R&D investment.

Arcus solution is a true cloud multi-tenanted and scalable platform, designed to replace legacy line of business systems. Arcus has also developed artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that are driving extensive savings across the wider public sector, including groundbreaking work in the NHS. Read more

 
 

Feb 18, OrCam has been valued at $1 billion after a $30.4 million round of funding

OrCam, a company developing technology for the visually impaired, has been valued at $1 billion after a $30.4 million round of funding.

The company raised $30.4 million by selling an approximate 3 percent stake to investors including Israel’s Clal Insurance CLIS.TA and Meitav Dash MTDS.TA. That brought the total amount OrCam has raised from investors so far to $130.4 million. Read more 

 
 

Feb 18, Further funding for AutonoMe

A new tranche of £330,000 investment capital from Bristol Private Equity Club is helping a West Country firm that provides technology to support people with learning disabilities to double its workforce further improve its technology.

The funds take the Bristol Private Equity Club’s total investment in AutonoMe to £435,000. The club is made up of successful entrepreneurs with spare capital from the region, who want to support growing businesses in the Bristol and Bath area. Read more.

 
 

Jan 18, Montagu completes acquisition of Servelec Group plc

Montagu Private Equity (“Montagu”), a leading pan-European private equity firm, today announces that the scheme of arrangement to implement the acquisition of Servelec Group plc (“Servelec”) has become effective

Edward Shuckburgh, Director at Montagu Private Equity, commented: “We are very excited to be investing in Servelec, a strong brand name with great opportunities for growth, both organically and through potential acquisitions.” Read more

 
 

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