Fresh Digital Merges with Peachy Digital to Become Full-Service Powerhouse in the North

In a move to provide a wider range of services to businesses across the North of England, two digital agencies have joined forces.

Fresh Digital, based in Spennymoor, and Peachy Digital, located in Northallerton, have merged their operations. This strategic partnership will create a full-service digital agency.

The newly expanded Fresh Digital will offer a comprehensive suite of services, including web design and development, SEO (search engine optimisation), social media management, content marketing, and public relations.

By retaining offices in both North Yorkshire and Spennymoor, the agency is well-positioned to expand its reach throughout the North and beyond.

Digital director Ashley Henderson said: "We have worked closely with Peachy on so many projects and have found our ethos and values to be identical. This move enables us to continue with that work all under one roof, improving the customer experience and enabling us to capitalise on the skills both businesses offer – with exciting opportunity for growth." 

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Evolve Strengthens Tech Leadership Team with Simon Saffidine as CTO

Managed network solutions and IT service provider Evolve (based in Wigan) has named Simon Saffidine its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Saffidine boasts extensive experience in IT engineering and technical service delivery. Previously, he served as Director of Technical Transformation at ANS Group, where he oversaw software and process integration while leading the technical aspects of acquisitions. He also spent six years at UKFast, the last two as Technical Director, where he influenced crucial decisions as a board member.

Evolve expects Saffidine's appointment to significantly boost their growth strategy and solidify their position as an industry leader.

Saffidine added: “Evolve has seen impressive growth in recent years, and my immediate focus will be how we build on that to take the business to the next level. Aside from the incredible Evolve offering, I was really drawn here by its people; it’s refreshing to be somewhere that people genuinely care and have a passion for the business. That level of motivation is incredibly unique.

“I look forward to getting to know our customers better, driving our technology strategy forward and advancing the company’s mission to take the pain out of connectivity.”

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13books Capital, a venture capital firm based in London, has secured £121 million for a new investment fund.

This fund will specifically target European start-ups in the fintech industry and focus on early-stage companies, providing investments between £1 million and £7 million, typically in the seed or Series A funding rounds.

This news comes alongside signs of recovery in UK venture capital investment after a two-year slowdown. Notably, fintech has emerged as the UK's leading tech sector in terms of funding for the first quarter of 2024.

“It is clear that European fintech entrepreneurs desire a sector-focused, founder-focused venture platform that has meaningfully impactful networks across the industry,” said 13books Capital partner Michael McFadgen.

“We believe European fintech is entering a golden period, and we thank our LPs and founders for their trust and look forward to supporting the next generation of pioneering fintech entrepreneurs.”

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Manchester Start-up CultureAI Secures $10m to Detect Risky Employee Cyber Behaviour

CultureAI, a startup specialising in software to detect risky cyber behaviour among employees, has secured a $10m (£7.7m) Series A funding round. The investment was co-led by Mercia Ventures and Smedvig Ventures, with additional support from existing backers Passion Capital and Senovo.

Founded in 2018 and based in Manchester, CultureAI's platform is utilised by IT and cybersecurity professionals to analyse behavioural data and identify actions that could compromise a company's cyber defences. The software monitors security-compromising behaviours, such as password reuse, storing business information on unauthorised applications, and engaging with phishing attempts. Based on these insights, CultureAI provides targeted coaching to improve employees' cyber practices.

James Moore, founder and CEO of CultureAI, said: “Imagine having a team of thousands who deeply understand your business and its employees. If this team could review, understand, and fix risks generated by each employee at the source, breaches could be reduced by around 80%. While it’s impractical to build such a team, we can emulate its effectiveness using intelligent technology.”

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