Taking 'business as usual' online

We’re sure you don’t want to read yet another update about COVID-19, but we thought it was worth letting you know how we’re responding to the situation and preparing to run our upcoming programme of support for tech for good founders. The BGV team are now all working from home but we’re available as always. We’ll be running our Spring 2020 programme online and are working hard to ensure that our ventures – current and future – are equipped with the tools and resources to build a successful tech for good business. So if you're an investor, a founder, or just a tech for good enthusiast, we’re still here and continue to fuel the tech for good movement online! 🔥We highly recommend reading and contributing to the Coronavirus Tech Handbook created by our friends at Newspeak House. It includes excellent sections on remote working and isolation, how you can help support the most vulnerable and much more. Stay safe and healthy!The BGV Team

Deadline for our Fund approaching fast

The deadline is approaching to invest in our Tech For Good SEIS and EIS Fund for the 20/21 tax year. Applications are open until the 3rd April 2020. Read our blog detailing what the opportunity with BGV entails and check out the review of our fund from industry experts and independent reviewers Hardman & Co. This opportunity is exclusively for individual professional investors and gives access to a diversified portfolio of BGV’s ventures, while also gaining the advantages of SEIS and EIS tax reliefs. Further information can be found at bgvinvest.com.

Meet our Future News Pilot Fund teams

Last month we were pleased to announce the eight teams joining the accelerator track of the Future News Pilot Fund with Nesta and DCMS. We selected eight teams from over 178 applications covering a range of tech-driven startups – from organisations innovating newsroom, publishing and distribution models and more – paving the way for sustainable journalism. Read about the teams in our blog.

– Melanie, our Investment Director and Managing Partner, is featured in Sifted about the opportunities of tech for good investing. – BGV’s very own Bethany writes about taking our tech for good ventures to Silicon Valley. – EVPA and Maze published the Enablers of Impact report looking at the role of business support programmes in the social impact space, which we’re proud to have supported. – BGV named Top 25 VCs in the UK to know about by Sifted. Read their analysis here.

Here we feature our usual roundup of news and updates from our portfolio companies.– OurPath rebrands to Second Nature and raised $10m Series A led by Beringea and including follow-on funding from BGV, with coverage from Techcrunch, Tech.EU, Business Insider and UKTN. – DrDoctor rank #240 out of 1000 in FT’s fourth annual list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies.– Syrona Women and Salve are changing the game in the femtech industry as Sifted reports. – Hospify becomes the first NHS-approved clinical messaging app providing an alternative to WhatsApp for NHS staff. – Organise are featured on BBC News helping gig workers to campaign for fairer pay policies at Nandos. – Birdsong launched their spring collection shaping made to order the norm for sustainable fashion. – European lawmakers propose a right to repair for mobiles and laptops to reduce electronic waste highlighting how Fairphone is contributing to such a circular economy. – WalkerBooks are going to publish a coding fiction series from Bright Little Labs. – LettUs Grow are among the vertical farming startups that could help shore up the UK’s food security. – Devie’s founder Puja is featured by Tide as one of 20 female entrepreneurs to watch in 2020. – Mini Mealtimes founder Marie Farmer shares her story about building a business to help parents manage their kids' nutrition in the Daily Mail. – Local Electricity Project with backing from Innovate UK are launching a crowdfunding campaign to upskill students in the energy sector. – Nu Wardrobe founder Aisling Byrne talks to Irish Times about building a circular economy business. Our ventures are hiring!– Commonplace are hiring a VP Product and Technology, Business Development Manager, Engagement Manager, and a Senior Fullstack Javascript Developer. – Piclo are hiring a Frontend Developer, Fullstack developer and Policy and Communications Manager. – Second Nature (formerly OurPath) are looking for a Financial Controller, Head of People, Senior Product Designer, Senior Software Engineer and Performance Marketer. Check out the roles here.– Fairphone are hiring a Financial Controller. – DrDoctor are looking to fill the roles of a Senior Data Engineer, Senior UX Designer, Delivery Analyst, and Business Development Manager. – Chatterbox is looking for a tech lead in Lisbon. Check out our portfolio companies on our website.