UK businesses secure funding for padel expansion and semiconductor security

The Padel Club has raised £3m from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) – PXN Equity Finance to triple its presence across the UK. Following the opening of a new site in Handforth, Cheshire, the company plans to expand to locations including Chester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Brighton, and Birmingham. This expansion aims to bring the total number of operated courts to 85, capitalizing on the rapid growth of padel in Britain.

In a separate development, Sheffield-based SCI Semiconductor has raised £5m in an oversubscribed funding round led by NPIF II fund managers PXN Ventures and Mercia Ventures. The company specializes in ultra-secure microchips using CHERI technology to embed memory safety directly into computer architecture. SCI Semiconductor has already secured over £2m in orders and £7.7m in government contracts, establishing partnerships with Google Research and Microsoft to combat cyber vulnerabilities.