Regional fund's £150m milestone

Since the fund was established, it has had a significant impact on the North West economy, boosting GVA by £60m.

This figure will continue to rise as investments continue to mature and grow.

Over the last six years, the fund has created and safeguarded 4,500 jobs and has leveraged an additional £140m in private sector finance.

Cliff Maylor, CEO of The North West Fund, said: “Reaching this milestone is a fantastic achievement for The North West Fund and caps off a period of great success for the organisation and the management teams we work with.

“Our funding and strategic guidance has enabled businesses to expand into new markets, create additional jobs, along with developing new and existing products.

“I am certain that these success stories will continue to have a positive impact on the North West economy for many years to come.”

The figures reflect the sustained success of the fund, which has impacted businesses across a range of key North West sectors, including technology, life sciences, energy, manufacturing, and digital and creative, to deliver growth objectives and expansion into new markets.

It has worked with a number of highly successful businesses including Manchester-based consumer data specialist RealityMine, which was backed by The North West Fund for Digital & Creative in 2015.

The fund has also helped other businesses succeed on the public markets after Manchester molecular diagnostics company Premaitha listed on AIM in 2014, along with Evgen, the Liverpool-based clinical drug development company, which was also admitted to AIM last year.