Maven backs Shawpak with £500,000 funding package through MEIF II
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 30 September 2025
UPDATED: 1 October 2025
Shawpak Limited (“Shawpak”), a UK manufacturer of packaging equipment for medical devices, has secured a £500,000 debt funding package from the British Business Bank’s Midlands Engine Investment Fund II through appointed Fund Manager for the East and South East Midlands, Maven Capital Partners (“Maven”).
Founded in 2013, Shawpak designs and manufactures specialist packaging machinery for the medical sector. The business was established to create more compact and efficient alternatives to traditional thermoforming machines that shape heated plastic into precise forms using pressure to produce injection moulding, radiotherapy masks, parts for hospital beds and MRI machines, to name a few.
Its first innovation, the rotary thermoforming machine, reduces the space required, speeds up tool changes and eliminates material wastage, helping customers improve efficiency and reduce downtime.
Shawpak operated as a division of Riverside Medical Packaging, the business founded by CEO David Shaw, until Riverside was sold in January 2024. Shawpak has since operated as an independent company. The company holds ISO 9001 certification that verifies an organisation's quality management system, and its electrical engineers are accredited to design, manufacture and build electrical panels in line with UL 508A standards.
The company’s rotary thermoforming machines are now in use at sites across the world. Shawpak supports several of the world’s largest medical device companies through its growing service capability and worldwide spares operation, with parts shipped directly from its Derby base.
The funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II will support Shawpak’s move to a larger, modern premises in Derby, providing space to build and test bigger machines, expand production capacity, as well as scale its service and spares operations.
David Shaw, CEO of Shawpak, said:
“This investment marks an exciting new chapter for Shawpak. With the support of Maven and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, we can expand into a facility that will allow us to increase capacity, deliver even greater innovation, and continue supporting our customers worldwide.”
Richard Brighty, Investment Manager at Maven, said:
“Shawpak has brought genuine innovation to medical device packaging, re-engineering a legacy process into a compact, efficient solution that resonates with global manufacturers. David and the team have built a strong installed base and a compelling aftermarket proposition across service and spares. This investment will help them step up to a facility that matches their ambitions and supports the next phase of growth.”
David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:
“The British Business Bank and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II are committed to improving access to finance for growing businesses across the whole of the Midlands. We’re thrilled that this latest investment will support Shawpak to build and test new machinery to increase operational capacity.
“We would encourage businesses in the region to explore the options available through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II.”
The deal was introduced to Maven by Ben Lavin and Mark Jones of Copper Swan.
This latest investment adds to a growing list of businesses backed by Midlands Engine Investment Fund II via appointed Fund Manager Maven Capital Partners. The £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II covers the entire Midlands region, providing debt finance 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.
