A Middlesbrough software firm that helps e-commerce stores drive sales has raised £2m from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) as part of a £2.25m funding round.

The investment – which also included funding from a private investor – will enable Salesfire to add more AI-powered features to its platform and double the size of its team, creating around 50 new jobs in the Tees Valley. Salesfire helps online stores optimise conversion rates by personalising and enhancing the customer journey.

Its rapid site search enables visitors to see an almost instant set of product results, making it easier for them to find what they are looking for.  The platform also makes intelligent product recommendations and provides targeted messaging to prompt visitors to complete actions or finalise their purchases.

Salesfire was founded in 2017 by Rich Himsworth who had previously worked in software and marketing agencies. The company now serves over 650 customers including Moss Bros, Sports Shoes and Hamleys, and has annual recurring revenue of over £2m.

Rich Himsworth, founder, said: “Salesfire aims to replicate the in-store experience, where sales assistants and effective signage help customers to find the right products and maximise sales. In the current challenging retail environment, it is even more important that online stores make the most of their marketing spend. The investment from Mercia and NPIF will enable us to develop exciting new features to make the platform even more powerful.”

Will Clark of Mercia said: “Salesfire is the only platform of its type that offers this level of functionality at a price that is accessible to businesses of all sizes. Rich leads a dynamic team who understand the needs of e-commerce companies and continue to grow the user base. This investment will allow them to take their product to the next level and target the global market.”

Sean Hutchinson at British Business Bank, said: “Great businesses thrive right across the North and we are pleased to see Mercia finding strong companies in Tees Valley to invest in. This investment in Salesfire will create many new highly skilled jobs in Middlesbrough, which is part of our goal in delivering a stronger North. The power of technology and AI is becoming more advanced year-on-year, and this is especially prevalent in the North of England.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank. 

ENDS

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Mercia Asset Management PLC

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About Mercia Asset Management PLC

Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. Mercia provides capital across its four asset classes of balance sheet, venture, private equity and debt capital: the Group’s ‘Complete Connected Capital’. The Group initially nurtures businesses via its third-party funds under management, then over time Mercia can provide further funding to the most promising companies, by deploying direct investment follow-on capital from its own balance sheet.

The Group has a strong UK footprint through its regional offices, 19 university partnerships and extensive personal networks, providing it with access to high-quality deal flow. Mercia currently has c.£940million of assets under management and, since its IPO in December 2014, has invested c.£111million gross into its direct investment portfolio.

The Group raises its own Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) Funds and manages Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) details about open offers can be found through Mercia’s website.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic “MERC” and includes the following wholly owned subsidiaries –

• Mercia Fund Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 524856
• Enterprise Ventures Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 183363
• EV Business Loans Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 443560

www.mercia.co.uk

About The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund

• The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund will invest in Microfinance, Business Loans and Equity Finance sub-funds which will offer financing ranging from £25,000 to £2m, specifically to help small and medium sized businesses secure the funding they need for growth and development.
• The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is operated by British Business Financial Services Limited, wholly owned by British Business Bank, the UK’s national economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to make finance markets for smaller businesses work more effectively, enabling those businesses to prosper, grow and build UK economic activity.
• The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, the European Investment Bank, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and British Business Finance Limited, a British Business Bank group company.
• The NPIF covers the following LEP areas: Tees Valley Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Hull and East Yorkshire, Leeds City Region, Sheffield City Region, and York & North Yorkshire
• The project is receiving up to £140,359,192 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
• The funds in which Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and Tees Valley.
• The British Business Bank has published the Business Finance Guide (in partnership with the ICAEW, and a further 21 business and finance organisations). The guide, which impartially sets out the range finance options available to businesses and provides links to support available at a regional level, is available at www.thebusinessfinanceguide.co.uk/bbb