Member Directory

Sapphire Capital Partners LLP is a multi-award-winning investment manager with a track record of deploying over £350 million across more than 300 portfolio companies. As a trusted long-term partner to leading institutional investors and venture partners, including Fuel Ventures, Zero Carbon, Sustainable Ventures, and the SideBySide Partnership, Sapphire is committed to delivering superior value through rigorous fund governance, transparent stewardship, and an innovative approach to venture capital.

The Sapphire EIS Fund exemplifies the firm’s data-driven philosophy, leveraging advanced analytics derived from Sapphire’s management of over 60 distinct funds to deliver robust portfolio modelling and actionable market insights. This approach, supported by deep sector expertise and sophisticated data science capabilities, enables Sapphire to identify and invest in high-growth, high-potential companies across key markets.

Its clients benefit from the expertise of a highly experienced team dedicated to providing exceptional fund management and strategic advisory services, focusing on cost efficiency, value creation, and regulatory best practices. Collectively, Sapphire’s team bring significant venture capital experience and in-depth knowledge of the EIS sector, supporting investee companies with strategic guidance and support.

Sedicii enables confidential data collaborations between organisations without any data being shared. It is a collaborative data processing protocol that uses advanced cryptography (based on secure multiparty computation and zero knowledge proofs) to enable financial institutions and businesses securely share insights they have, about clients or transactions, without disclosing any underlying data or information outside their organisation. The protocols can be used for collaborative AML & KYC compliance activities in financial and insurance services while remaining fully compliant with GDPR and other similar legislation governing privacy. Additionally, Sedicii has developed an advanced customer onboarding platform to enable the verification of personal identity data and corporate information used in a digital onboarding process. The platform has almost 10,000 identity document templates and can verify company information directly with companies registers in over 130 companies globally.

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.

SFC Capital (formerly Startup Funding Club) is a leading early-stage investment firm providing capital and support to British startups. By combining its Angel Network and Seed Funds, SFC has created a unique model that allows investors to get exposure to SEIS- and EIS-qualifying businesses, either directly or through a diversified portfolio curated and managed by SFC’s expert team. SFC is backed by an impeccable track record and recognised by Pitchbook as the UK’s most active VC, and has received a £10m allocation from Business Investments as part of the Regional Angels Programme.

Shakespeare Martineau is a full-service UK law firm with global reach. The firm has a strong private equity and corporate finance practice. We act as solicitors to numerous EIS funds (and companies in receipt of EIS investments) with a particular expertise in EIS fund launches and transaction structuring for EIS investments. Shakespeare Martineau has been voted Best EIS Legal Adviser on several occasions by the EISA. The firm has also been a leader in the VCT market since the mid-90s and is one of the largest providers of legal advice and assistance to the sector. What sets Shakespeare Martineau apart is our uncompromising commitment to know our clients, their business and the regulatory and commercial environment in which they operate and to cultivating long-term relationships with our clients; rather than being a faceless firm that just provides legal advice. Our reputation as a firm that cares and that can be trusted is based on these qualities. Our clients and competitors describe us as having an “approachable, informative and clear style”, being “extremely diligent” and providing “very good, concise (and economical) advice with a good level of commercial thinking”.

Tom is a partner in the tax department at Shoosmiths LLP and heads up the firm’s enterprise investment scheme and venture capital trusts practice. Tom is a Solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser with extensive experience advising a wide range of investors and investee companies on structuring and implementing tax efficient investments, reorganisations and exits in compliance with the EIS and VCT regimes. Shoosmiths LLP is a major UK law firm with 10 offices across the UK.