James Hull Associates, the UK's largest chain of private dental practices, has raised £21m (€34.5m) in second-round funding.

The company, which already operates some 30 practices across London, south-west England, and the Midlands, will use the funds to expand its number of practices across the UK. 3i contributed £5m to the latest funding round, bringing the pan-European private equity company's stake in James Hull to 37.5%. The remaining £16m is a debt and mezzanine facility arranged by Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance. The company is also negotiating a further £2.5m of fixed asset finance.