Powdr Secures £1 Million Pre-Seed Investment, Revolutionising Fundraising with Proprietary Software

Innovative financial modelling platform Powdr has raised close to £1 million in a successful Pre-Seed funding round, with backing from Haatch and a group of private investors. The company, which focuses on making professional-grade financial forecasting tools accessible to businesses of all sizes, used its own proprietary software to drive the fundraising process—a move that sets it apart in the crowded SaaS space.

Powdr’s platform offers KPI-driven P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow models designed to eliminate errors and communicate business plans effectively to investors. The software is notable for its user-friendly interface, allowing even non-financial professionals to create investment-grade models.

In this funding round, Powdr took an unconventional approach by replacing traditional pitch decks with an interactive, data-driven presentation. This allowed investors to test the platform's capabilities firsthand and gain real-time insights into the company’s financial strategy. Highlights of the pitch included:

• A clear breakdown of how £850,000 of the funding would be used to drive growth.
• A demonstration of the platform’s unique value in addressing the financial modelling challenges faced by SMEs.
• The opportunity for investors to stress-test the models, enhancing transparency and trust.

The company plans to use the funding to accelerate platform development, with a particular focus on enhancing AI capabilities and expanding its features to cater to larger enterprises. Powdr has already added new engineering talent to its team, with further hires planned in development and testing roles.

Co-founder Stephen Foster and COO Nicola V. have highlighted their mission to democratize access to professional-grade financial tools, aiming to empower SMEs with the same level of strategic clarity typically reserved for larger organizations.

By using its own technology to secure funding, Powdr has provided a proof-of-concept that reinforces its core value proposition—offering reliable, intuitive, and investment-grade financial models. This milestone demonstrates how the right tools can streamline the investment process and build confidence among stakeholders.

With support from Haatch and private investors, Powdr hopes toreshape financial planning for businesses in the UK and beyond.

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New AI Hub in Merseyside to Create 1,000 Jobs as UK Aims for Global AI Leadership

A new AI hub planned for Merseyside is expected to generate 1,000 jobs over the next three years, according to the UK government. The initiative, spearheaded by global IT company Kyndryl, aims to establish a major tech centre in the Liverpool City Region. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer emphasised the UK’s ambitions to become a global AI "superpower," using the sector to drive economic growth and enhance public services.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram expressed strong support for the investment, highlighting its potential to benefit the local workforce. He noted that the project's swift development followed discussions he had with Kyndryl in New York last year. Rotheram also recognised the significance of attracting a leading IT infrastructure services provider to the region, pointing to the collaboration between local ambition and national backing as key to attracting international investment.

The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which has secured commitments from major tech firms, is expected to create 13,250 jobs and support growth zones across the UK. Rotheram also noted the Liverpool City Region's role in driving the UK's AI revolution, underlining its long-standing history of innovation and readiness to leverage AI to improve the economy, develop skills, and address inequality.

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MRJ Recruitment Launches "talego," a Dedicated Tech-for-Good Recruitment Brand

MRJ Recruitment, a prominent Northwest firm known for its work with tech companies like Awaze and Moonpig, has expanded its services with the launch of "talego." This new division focuses exclusively on connecting purpose-driven companies in the Tech-for-Good sector, including EdTech, GreenTech, and MedTech, with skilled professionals.

Led by Principal Consultant Rekiel Moss, Talego aims to be a "force for good" in recruitment by prioritising social and environmental impact. The brand emphasises sustainable practices, including partnering with Carma to plant a tree for every successful placement and donating 1% of its fees to charity.

This move aligns with MRJ's broader "MRJ 3.0" strategy, demonstrating a continued commitment to innovation and purpose-driven business within the tech recruitment space.

The team are currently expanding their team with a number of senior recruitment consultant positions available - for more details get in touch with grant@mrj.co.uk

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Adarga Secures £12M Enterprise Agreement Lite with UK Ministry of Defence

Adarga, a leader in AI-driven information intelligence, has secured an Enterprise Agreement Lite (EAL) with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), valued at up to £12 million. This agreement allows the MOD to swiftly access and deploy Adarga’s AI products and services as part of the UK’s Defence capabilities. Marking a significant milestone, it is one of the first agreements of its kind offered to a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), underscoring the strategic importance of Adarga’s AI technology to the British Armed Forces and reflecting a shift in the MOD's technology procurement practices.

Led by founder Robert Bassett Cross & CFO & COO Jesse Sherman Adarga has been collaborating with the MOD to enhance information advantage in increasingly complex operational environments, with successful deployments of its AI tools to UK Strategic Command. These tools are benefiting analysts and leaders by providing enriched intelligence outputs and streamlining processes, leveraging Adarga’s generative AI and search capabilities.

The company’s AI solutions, capable of being deployed across different classification levels, offer a variety of toolkits and services adaptable to various mission needs. Adarga’s rapid prototyping and solution development capabilities are driven by its proprietary NLP and generative AI technologies, which support faster, deeper insights from complex data sets.

Victoria Cope, Commercial Director of Defence Digital, commented on the significance of the agreement, highlighting the MOD’s support for indigenous SMEs and their role in bringing innovation to defence. Charlie Maconochie, Senior Vice President of Public Sector at Adarga, emphasised the pivotal role of AI in the future of UK Defence and the company’s pride in supporting the MOD with cutting-edge capabilities to stay ahead in an evolving global security landscape.

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Leadership Changes at Robin AI

Robin AI, a fast-growing player in the legal technology space, has appointed Tramale Turner as its new Chief Technology Officer. Turner joins the company with a wealth of experience, having held senior roles at companies including Nintendo, Stripe, Volkswagen, and most recently ActionIQ, a B2B customer data platform acquired by Uniphore. At Robin AI, he will oversee key teams spanning research, legal engineering, product, design, and engineering, while collaborating with CEO Richard Robinson on the company’s growth strategy, which includes aspirations for a future IPO.

Founded in 2019, Robin AI focuses on applying generative AI to streamline contract management for legal teams. Its Legal AI Assistant is used by hundreds of businesses globally, with the company receiving backing from prominent investors such as Google, Episode 1, Plural, and Forward Partners.

Turner’s appointment comes as Robin AI continues to expand under the guidance of its founding team. CEO and co-founder Richard Robinson is a former corporate lawyer who transitioned into entrepreneurship after working at leading law firms like Clifford Chance and Boies, Schiller & Flexner. Since its inception, Robinson has overseen the company’s strategic direction, helping it grow to over 170 employees and significantly increasing revenue.

James Clough, the outgoing CTO and a co-founder of the company, is an expert in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Before founding Robin AI, Clough worked as a research scientist at Imperial College and King’s College London. His contributions have been instrumental in developing the company’s machine learning applications and building out its engineering team. Clough will remain involved in Robin AI’s ongoing technological efforts as Turner takes the reins of the CTO role.

Speaking about his new position, Tramale stated, “Coming aboard the Robin team is an exciting opportunity to help bring Legal AI to the next level. This is a trillion-dollar market in need of the transformational software that Robin’s teams build.”

Robin AI’s leadership shift signals a continued focus on scaling its operations and advancing its position within the competitive legal tech market.

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SaaS Companies: Solve the Tech Talent Shortage with MRJ Recruitment

The SaaS industry evolves rapidly, and staying ahead requires the right tech talent. Struggling to find skilled developers or engineers? MRJ Recruitment is here to help.

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We specialise in sourcing top-tier tech talent, from JavaScript developers to senior .NET experts, ensuring your team has the skills to thrive.

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With years of experience in SaaS recruitment, our strategies deliver exceptional hires who align with your company's goals with many case studies to draw upon to showcase our wins and successes

🤝 Personalised, Culture-Driven Approach
We don't just fill roles — we find talent that fits your company culture and vision, driving long-term success.

What MRJ Recruitment Offers

• Access to a vast network of skilled developers and engineers.
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