SME record investment

UK small business investment soars to £8.5bn The British Business Bank's annual Small Business Equity Tracker report shows investment in UK tech businesses rose by 27% last year to hit £4bn – the highest level for eight years. The study found that 52% of deals took place outside of London, with the south west of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland showing a strong increase in 2019, rising by 34%, 26% and 24%, respectively. Meanwhile, equity investments into UK "growth stage" companies rose by 39% to £5.3bn. Keith Morgan, chief executive of the British Business Bank, said: "The UK's small business equity finance market saw a record year in 2019 with investment amounts soaring to £8.5bn. This was a clear sign of investor confidence in UK smaller businesses located across the country and their potential for growth as well as the strong fundamentals of the UK economy as a place to start and grow a business.” Matt Adey, director of economics at the British Bu siness Bank told City AM that there had been “a fair bit of activity in April and there were still deals being done even in May,” despite the coronavirus lockdown.