Mid-Week Tech News Roundup – June 16th to June 20th 2025
17 Jun, 20256 minutes🚀 North West’s Fastest 50 Revealed — DragonPass Crowned 2025’s Fastest Gr...
🚀 North West’s Fastest 50 Revealed — DragonPass Crowned 2025’s Fastest Growing Business
The results are in: the North West Fastest 50 list for 2025, published in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, has officially landed — spotlighting the region’s most dynamic, fast-growing companies based on average turnover growth over the past three years.
🏆 DragonPass International Ltd took the top honour, being named the North West’s Fastest Growing Business of 2025, as well as winning the Fastest Growing Large Business category (turnover over £35m). Founded by Jane Zhu, now CEO, DragonPass has grown from a niche airport lounge provider into a global travel tech powerhouse, serving over 30 million members worldwide. With Andrew Harrison-Chinn as CMO, the company continues to deliver on its mission to enhance the airport experience through customer-led innovation, spanning everything from lounge access and dining offers to spa experiences, limousine bookings, and digital concierge services.
In the medium and small business categories:
- Bilyana Golf (UK) Ltd was named Fastest Growing Medium Business (turnover between £10m–£35m), and
- Oakwood House (UK) Ltd secured the title of Fastest Growing Small Business (turnover under £10m).
The Fastest 50 list is calculated based on percentage turnover growth over the last three financial years, highlighting companies that are not just growing — but accelerating.
For DragonPass, the award cements its position as a leader in travel tech innovation, built in Manchester and scaling globally. Originally founded in 2005, the company’s journey from lounge access provider to one-app, full-service airport experience platform is a testament to the power of customer insight, relentless product development, and a commitment to service excellence.
As the company’s leadership puts it: "Innovation and customer satisfaction is our passion... we aim to cover every touchpoint along your journey."
One thing is clear: Northern innovation is flying high.
🧪 F2G Sets Up New HQ at Alderley Park Following $100M Raise
F2G Ltd, a clinical-stage biopharma company pioneering novel antifungal treatments, has announced its move to a new UK headquarters at Alderley Park, consolidating its teams from Eccles and MediaCity into a single 3,000 sq ft high-spec lab and office facility. The decision marks a major milestone in the company’s growth journey, following a $100 million funding round in late 2024 to accelerate its late-stage development and regulatory plans.
Led by CEO Francesco Maria Lavino and co-founded by Dr Mike Birch (now COO) and others, F2G is focused on developing first-in-class therapies for rare and drug-resistant fungal infections — a field gaining increasing attention from global health leaders. The company’s mission recently drew a visit from Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty, who met the team at Alderley Park to discuss challenges and opportunities in the UK’s antifungal R&D landscape.
The relocation to Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park campus places F2G among an elite group of life sciences innovators including Medicines Discovery Catapult, Evotec, CellCentric, and Revvity. The move also unlocks access to the wider Bruntwood SciTech network of over 1,100 science and tech companies across the UK, enabling future collaborations and talent attraction.
Alongside cutting-edge lab facilities, F2G will benefit from shared science services, coworking spaces, and a broad range of on-site amenities — from The Churchill Tree pub and an on-site gym to collaboration-focused meeting hubs and green spaces. Strategic partnerships with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester further enhance opportunities for clinical collaboration and access to talent.
Dr Mike Birch, COO and co-founder of F2G, commented: “Relocating our laboratories and offices to Alderley Park is an exciting next chapter. It allows us to consolidate our current partnerships and build new ones in an environment purpose-built for innovation.”
Bruntwood SciTech’s Chief Scientific Officer, Kath Mackay, added: “F2G’s decision to base itself at Alderley Park is a powerful endorsement of the infrastructure and scientific community we’ve built. With more than 250 science and tech companies now on site, they’re joining a thriving ecosystem designed to help companies scale and succeed.”
📣 Leadership Appointment Fuels Global Growth at UniTaskr
Fast-growing student work platform UniTaskr has announced the appointment of Jenny Welsh as its new Head of Growth and Strategy, as the company continues its expansion beyond the UK. Welsh, a seasoned growth leader with a background in digital scaling and youth-focused innovation, joins at a pivotal time for the business as it looks to deepen international reach and strengthen its employer and university partnerships.
Founded in 2019 by Joseph Black and Oliver Jacobs, UniTaskr has become a standout player in the gig economy space - connecting a community of 350,000 students with flexible work opportunities from major brands like Adobe, Amazon, Uber Eats, and Red Bull. With over £10 million in student income generated through the platform to date, the startup continues to deliver on its mission to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Welsh’s appointment signals UniTaskr’s intent to scale with purpose. She will lead growth strategy across user acquisition, engagement, and monetisation, while also launching initiatives like the upcoming “24 Under 24” campaign, spotlighting emerging young talent across the UK. A champion for equity in tech, Welsh also sees the role as an opportunity to increase female representation in leadership within the startup ecosystem.
Jenny Welsh commented: “Helping young people access opportunities and unlock their potential is a passion of mine, so joining UniTaskr feels like a perfect fit. I’m excited to align commercial growth with social impact, and to help shape the next phase of the company’s journey on a global scale.”
Co-founders Joseph Black and Oliver Jacobs both praised the hire, with Black noting: “Jenny’s passion for youth empowerment completely aligns with our founding mission,” while Jacobs added: “Her insight will be invaluable as we expand our impact and continue building new bridges between education and industry.”
Having already entered the US market in the last 24 months, UniTaskr is well positioned to further scale its platform and community — all while redefining what the future of student work looks like on a global stage.
💡 Beauty Tech Gets a Seat at the Table: CurrentBody CEO Joins British Beauty Council Advisory Board
In a milestone moment for the beauty tech space, Laurence Newman, CEO and co-founder of CurrentBody, has been appointed to the British Beauty Council’s Advisory Board — becoming the first representative from the sector to join the council.
Newman, who launched CurrentBody in 2009 alongside Andrew Showman, brings deep expertise in consumer tech and skincare innovation. His appointment is set to strengthen the council’s engagement with technology-driven brands and ensure that beauty tech has a stronger voice in shaping the future of the UK beauty industry.
The move comes amid growing recognition that beauty tech — from at-home LED devices to connected skincare — has been underrepresented in industry-wide discussions. British Beauty Council CEO Millie Kendall described the appointment as a crucial step in improving that balance and bringing more innovation into the fold.
As part of his new role, Newman will contribute to key initiatives such as evidence gathering and policy responses related to beauty and technology, while also offering strategic guidance to smaller, emerging beauty brands looking to scale.
Speaking to Cosmetics Business, Newman called the appointment “an opportunity to better represent beauty tech and help future-proof the sector,” adding that the council’s evolving approach to innovation is a major step forward for the industry.
With CurrentBody already a global leader in beauty devices, this move is seen as both a personal and sector-wide win — one that could drive greater integration of tech into the UK's beauty landscape.
💥 Northern Powerhouses Unite: Par Equity and Praetura Ventures Merge to Form PXN Group
In a landmark move for the UK’s regional startup ecosystem, two of the most prominent early-stage investors outside of London — Manchester-based Praetura Ventures and Edinburgh’s Par Equity — have announced a merger to form PXN Group, a new venture and investment firm managing over £670 million in assets.
The merger, still pending FCA approval, will bring together decades of experience in backing ambitious founders across the North of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. PXN will offer equity investments ranging from £200,000 to £8 million, covering a broad spectrum of sectors and growth stages.
The newly formed group will be led by Dave Foreman, founder of Praetura Ventures, as Chief Executive, with Paul Munn, co-founder of Par Equity, stepping into the role of Executive Chair. Both leaders emphasised the firm’s regional mission and founder-first approach.
“PXN Group combines deep regional roots, complementary strengths, and a shared belief that founders deserve more than just money,” said Foreman.
“PXN is built in the North, for the North,” added Munn. “This merger gives us the scale to do more of what we do best: back the most ambitious founders and help them build category-leading businesses.”
With continued operations from offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds, and London, PXN Group aims to become the fastest-growing investment platform outside of London and the South East. The firm will also expand its reach into financial adviser networks with a broader suite of investment products to support clients nationwide.
This move signals a major boost for regional innovation — with more capital, stronger networks, and a unified platform ready to back the next generation of globally significant companies from the North.
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