• Worker tech start-up Orka Technology Group has raised £29m in its latest funding round and will use the capital to fuel the rapid growth of its earned wage access product Orka Pay. The fundraise was a mixture of debt financing from Sonovate and equity funding involving the British Business Bank Future Fund and existing investors, including former UK CEO of Adecco Peter Searle.

The Manchester-based start-up will also use the funding to double its headcount to 50 this year and invest in its full portfolio of tech solutions for shift workers, which also includes the company’s flagship product, labour-as-a-service platform Orka Works. Orka Works (formerly Broadstone) allows workers to quickly and easily find fair and flexible temporary employment with large organisations working in traditional, regulated industries such as security, cleaning and logistics.

• Recruitment and HR outsourcing and consultancy provider The Curve Group has announced it will be continuing its partnership with Propel, a finance provider to SMEs, providing recruitment and HR services to them for a further three years.