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St Helen’s firm increases productivity with significant NPIF II funding boost

Press release 13 April 2025

St Helen’s based digital card manufacturer Company Cards Ltd, trading as Swype (“Swype”), has received a six-figure investment to support its accelerated growth plans. This includes the purchase of a Hewlett Packard HP Indigo 7900 digital press and expansion into green and renewable printing options with recycled PVC, board cards, wooden cards and PVC free cards.

Portrait of the team at Company Cards

The funding comes from NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).

Swype is the UK’s original digital card manufacturer and pioneer of digital printing and supplier to the card trade industry. It was the first to beta test a digital printing press for Hewlett Packard 25 years ago and has today become the UK’s leading digital card manufacturer.

It comes as the business experiences significant sales growth and sought investment to support its capital expenditure and working capital needs to allow it to accelerate and capitalise on this growth potential. 

Tim Scott, Managing Director and Founder of Swype explains:

We operate in a very capital-intensive industry and all the machinery we use is expensive. It’s important that we remain at the cutting edge and this investment enables us to achieve this, enhancing and increasing our productivity, quality and capacity.

The new Hewlett Packard HP Indigo 7900 digital press will future proof the printing side of the business for the next 8-10 years. We’ve swiftly installed the press, modifying the room with no disruption to the day-to-day operations which has meant our clients have been able to take advantage of this seamless transition.

We’ve found FW Capital to be very supportive and this investment will also assist our expansion into green and renewables card options with recycled PVC, board cards, wooden cards and PVC free cards.

Barry Wilson, Investment Executive at FW Capital said:

With this latest printing press Swype are continuing a relationship they have had with Hewlett Packard for over 25 years. Using NPIF II investment we’ve been able to provide working capital support to help Swype invest in the business, expand their offering and product efficiencies with this new printing press. It’s also exciting to hear about their plans to expand their eco-friendly card options too which is an area where demand is increasing. We look forward to following Swype’s progress over the coming months and years.

Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:

The digital printing sector continues to evolve, and it’s fantastic to see businesses like Swype leading the way with innovation and sustainability. NPIF II is committed to supporting businesses across the North West in accessing the funding they need to scale and drive economic growth. This investment highlights how NPIF II is enabling firms to capitalise on opportunities and enhance productivity, contributing to a thriving regional business ecosystem and the transition to net zero.

NPIF II - FW Capital Debt Finance can provide loans in the NPIF II area with a primary focus on the North West regions of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.  FW Capital will provide debt finance options from £100,000 to £2million to businesses based in the North West of England, with some flexibility to lend across the North.

Further Information

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Notes to editors

About FW Capital

FW Capital is a fund management company currently managing UK-based funds of £390.8m. 

For further information visit the FW Capital website.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II)

NPIF II is a £660 million investment fund to support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the North of England launched in March 2024.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is one of a series of new Nations and Regions Investment Funds launched by the British Business Bank delivering a £1.6 billion commitment of new funding to drive sustainable economic growth.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II offers a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund covers the entire North of England including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Yorkshire & the Humber, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, County Durham, Tyne & Wear, and Northumberland.

It aims to tackle an identified funding gap between the North and South of England and increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses.

FW Capital manages the £75 million NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance fund, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II  on behalf of the British Business Bank. Finance of £100,000 to £2 million is available to businesses in the North of England with a focus on Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

FW Capital is part of the DBW Group one of the UK’s largest SME investors. The DBW Group manages funds of in excess of £1.9 billion For further information on the Group visit developmentbank.wales

FW Capital is a fund management company currently managing UK-based funds of £390.8m

For further information visit fwcapital.co.uk/about-us/performance-and-impact.

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