Activity feed

Hi everyone, we have now set up a new Par Equity organisation profile where we intend to post all future Par Equity news. The use of an organisation profile rather than a group allows us to manage our Kiltr connections more effectively and provide enhanced functionality to the Par Equity connections we link with. Please feel free to connect with our new organisation profile.

The Glasshouse proved to be an excellent new venue for Par's investor events. On this occasion we had over 80 people listening to presentations from Larosco and Kiltr, who are two of our existing portfolio companies. Both of these businesses made a good show of the progress they are making in their fields. We also saw a presentation from a firm who demonstrated a new way for musicians to get their material to market. To find our more feel free to connect with me......

Looking good for 2012. After seeing 90 people at our last investor event at SG Hambros (thanks guys) at the end of February, our next venue will be the Glasshouse in Edinburgh. The location is great and the team there have been extremely helpful to deal with. Look forward to seeing our investors at the event. Its not open house. so to find out more about how to become involved with Par, feel free to contact anyone in the Par Equity team....

This is an exciting opportunity for LED technology of the future and one to watch....

Par Syndicate investment, MiiCard expands its global presence....

One of the Par Syndicate investments, Simple Audio, made it into the press this weekend. The link to the Scotland on Sunday article is attached below.....

More than 80 Par Syndicate members and investors attended last weeks Par Equity event held at the offices of SG Hambros in St Andrews Square, Edinburgh. This was one of Par's usual monthly gatherings, providing an update on recent Par Equity activities, as well as showcasing both an exciting new investment opportunity, and the outstanding work and opportunities created by the Saltire Foundation and some of it's fellows. To find out more about Par Equity, go to www.parequity.com. To find out more about the Saltire … Foundation please click on the attached link....More

In a sign that the Technology sector is performing well, despite the gloom in other sectors, one of my portfolio companies, Head Resourcing, has posted a 30% increase in revenues for 2011, exceeding £45m and posting strong growth for both its IT resourcing and international Medical divisions. To facilitate further growth and development during 2012, Head Resourcing is creating a group structure, involving key appointments to the leadership of each of its businesses. To find more, click on the URL below...

Keeping your network Scottish with KILTR – Interview with Brian Hughes. Kiltr is an investment for Par Equity's angel syndicate, and our investment partners at Barwell and the Scottish Investment Bank. Please see the attached link.....

Tips for fund raising and how to avoid some of the pitfalls. Thought you might find this article interesting......

One of Par's portfolio companies, MiiCard, has made a fantastic start to 2012, with the announcement of it partnership with credit solutions provider, Callcredit (www.callcredit.co.uk). Its also created some great PR on Wired magazine's website........

2011 has been a busy year, with Par Equity completing 17 investment transactions into companies with the potential for high growth within International markets. This represents another year of significant progress for Par Equity and our fellow-travellers on the journey – the Par Syndicate, the Par Advisory Panel and the Limited Partners of Par Innovation Fund I LP. We should like to take this opportunity to thank all who have been involved for your continuing support for what we are trying to achieve with Par Equity and … with our portfolio companies and partnerships. We ended the year with a sprint finish and are already looking to a couple of significant investments to conclude in the first quarter of this year, so it looks as though the year in prospect will see more of the same in terms of activity levels – if not more. Our focus will remain firmly fixed on seeking out the most promising innovative young companies as well as continuing to grow our investor base of private investors, family office investors and appropriate institutions in due course. More

EIS tax relief of up to 50% from next April regardless of your tax rate and also capital gains tax relief. This is great news for early stage businesses in which Par invests. It's also great for raising capital for our the Par EIS Fund. Take a look at the analysis from the autumn budget statement...

LAST techpitch 4.5 OF THE YEAR WITH THE LATEST TECH STARTUPS - Winner invited to pitch for investment with Par Equity - see the attached PDF for more information.

Par Equity is participating in MUSIC techpitch 4.5. Taking place at EMI's HQ in Kensington, London on Tuesday the 22nd November, this event will showcase some of the latest music-tech start-ups in Europe.......

Robert Higginson of Par Equity talking about the future of music.......

Par Innovation Fund invests in Larosco...

SOFTWARE start-up Larosco has landed its first round of external funding as it prepares to launch an updated version of its online communication service next month.

Based in Rosyth, Larosco has secured a six-figure sum from venture capitalists Par Equity, … Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Investment Bank. The money will be used to step up sales and marketing of its online marketing product, BongoMagic, as well as funding continued development.

Set up in 2009, Larosco currently employs about 10 people but will be adding to its workforce as it expands its sales and marketing efforts. The aim is to take BongoMagic outside the UK to a wider global audience.

Laura Sullivan, the firm’s co-founder and director, runs the business alongside her husband Dave Young – an original shareholder in the RecruitmentScotland.com job website that was sold to Monster in 2000. Immediately before setting up Larosco, Young was MD of e-commerce specialist Alcuda in Edinburgh.

BongoMagic combines a company’s existing contacts with automated viral marketing to create a targeted system for reaching an online audience. Those who receive the message can then share it with their own contacts. The firm says it is particularly useful for companies looking for potential employees.

Sullivan said BongoMagic had already attracted “substantial” interest from a number of UK-based firms recruiting in sectors such as finance, oil and gas, charity and legal services. The product has also been popular among retailers, who use the system in a similar fashion to promote special offers and new products.

“It maximises the value of a database,” Sullivan said, noting that BongoMagic also analyses buying patterns of both individuals and their wider networks.

“We can turn that one person on your database into six people.”More

Many thanks to all those have joined the Par Equity Community group. From 47 to 235 members in four hours..............