Health drinks firm Provexis has secured a three-year £25m equity financing deal with Evolution Securities.

It said the shares deal will be used to accelerate the development of its current technologies.

Provexis uses extracts from tomatoes and bananas for medical benefits.

The firm operates a research and development centre in Liverpool’s MerseyBIO Incubator and has a 75% stake in a joint venture with the University of Liverpool which is working on a product to help in the relief of Crohn’s disease and the Clostridium difficile superbug.

They are also assessing other technologies aimed at helping with heart complaints.

Its Fruitflow drink has recently undergone a series of human trials to test its antithrombotic effects.

In a trading update, chief executive Stephen Moon reported “a year of strong progress,” adding: “With our pipeline of new technologies developing well, we plan to move additional products rapidly up the value chain.”