Fund managers

Sapphire Capital Partners LLP (“Sapphire”) is a multi-award winning firm based in London and Belfast which specialises in SEIS and EIS funds. Sapphire currently manages over twenty SEIS and EIS funds across a wide variety of sectors. The partnership, founded in 2009, is authorised by the FCA (FRN: 565716) to act as an investment manager. Sapphire is also a Home Office approved endorsing body to provide start-up and innovator visa endorsements.

Sapphire’s services are delivered by an experienced team that provide quality services in a cost-efficient way. The individuals behind Sapphire have a considerable breadth of knowledge in the financial sector.

Seneca Partners is an FCA regulated investment management and corporate advisory services business, dealing with UK based companies in the turnover range of up to £100m per annum. Seneca was formed in 2010 by a senior group of accountants, bankers, stockbrokers and investment management specialists to provide services for high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs, companies, charities and trusts.

In early 2014 we acquired Miton Capital Partners, (now Seneca Investment Managers), a traditional, risk rated, upper quartile fund management business. In the same period we also acquired Manchester based corporate finance boutique and fellow EISA member, Acceleris, who have specialised in the provision of growth capital and earlier stage company funding since 2000.

Seneca currently has assets under management in excess of £0.5bn. Investment management activities are provided in a range of asset classes including private equity, secured income, property bridging finance, turnaround & special situations and growth capital in a mix of senior debt, mezzanine finance and equity. We are fund manager to the Seneca EIS Portfolio Service which invests in profitable, growing UK companies. We are also investment adviser to an IHT Portfolio Service via Seneca Secured Lending Ltd, a BPR qualifying company whose trading activity is the provision of short and medium term secured loans.

When the government announced the SEIS initiative in 2012, Jenson Funding Partners LLP (JFP), was founded by the team behind Jenson Solutions Limited, Paul Jenkinson and Sarah Barber. As an appointed representative of Foresight Group, JFP launched the Jenson Seed EIS Fund to provide start-ups with the level of financial and operational support normally only available to much larger businesses.

Raising £5.5 million in the first fund iteration, JFP has closed 4 funds and now manages more than £14 million, which has been invested in just under 100 companies.

In 2015 JFP, recognising that the SEIS investee company portfolio was maturing, started raising funds under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to provide follow on funding to its more successful companies. To date the EIS, combined with the syndicated investors, has invested over £5 million, and raised over £5 million of debt facilities.

We now have a combined evergreen SEIS and EIS Fund open for investment. The Fund aims to target exciting new innovative and disruptive technologies to be nurtured alongside existing investment opportunities that require follow on investment to fully exploit commercialisation of a proven business model.

Mercia is a specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. We provide capital across four asset classes of balance sheet, venture, private equity and debt capital; the Group’s ‘Complete Capital Solution’.

Our EIS Funds, which are managed under Mercia Fund Management Limited, have an investment-led venture capital strategy, investing nationally with a focus on the underserved regions; specialising in the identification, creation, funding and scaling of innovative technology businesses with high growth potential, creating a strong investment proposition.

The Investment Team of industry specialists with venture capital expertise, works extensively with portfolio companies to scale each business with the aim of ultimately delivering shareholder returns.

Our vision is to be the first choice for investors, investees and employees and, by aspiring to be the first choice, we believe that Mercia will deliver superior returns for business owners, shareholders and fund investors alike.

Fund investors and intermediaries benefit from a diversified portfolio offering the tax advantages of EIS, detailed reporting with a strong focus on transparency to investors and their advisors, externally audited funds, and an experienced investment panel.

Please get in contact if you have any queries

We invest in seed and early stage companies from a range of different industries, with a particular focus on technology. Oxford Capital is one of the most experienced tax-efficient investment managers in the UK. Since pioneering the first EIS funds in 1999, Oxford Capital has been recognised multiple times as Best EIS Fund Manager. We have invested over £400m in small companies across the UK and are proud of partnering with some exceptional founders. Our current portfolio includes some well known brands such as Curve, Moneybox, Push Doctor, Spoke and more.  More information can be found at www.oxcp.com.