Members

Oxford Innovation Finance is the home of the Oxford Innovation EIS Growth Fund and OION, one of the oldest and largest Angel Investment Networks in the UK. Providing investors with the opportunity to invest in pre-screened opportunities either directly through our Angel Network or indirectly via our EIS Fund, and providing companies with the opportunity to secure investment from a large, diverse investor base. We look at technology companies from across the UK with a focus on Oxford and make sure we have a diversified portfolio across technology sectors. There is a focus on using the Oxford Innovation network and angel investors with industry experience to support the companies . Oxford Innovation has over thirty years’ experience of incubating and accelerating high growth businesses through the operation  of a network of innovation centres across large parts of the UK, and through Oxford Innovation Advice who provide a range of coaching support for innovative businesses.

Par Equity is an Edinburgh-based venture capital boutique active across the United Kingdom. It invests in innovative small companies with high growth potential within a number of carefully selected sub-sectors, including software, medical devices, energy-efficient lighting and technical textiles. Although portfolio companies do include businesses serving consumer markets, Par Equity is particularly interested in business-to-business propositions. Investors include many individuals with directly relevant experience of the sub-sectors Par Equity invests in, providing a reserve of intellectual capital to be deployed alongside financial capital. Par Equity offers execution-only investment services to business angels as well as managing an evergreen EIS fund (the Par Syndicate EIS Fund) that invests alongside and on the same terms as business angels in SEIS and EIS-qualifying companies.

Parkwalk Advisors is one of the UK’s leading technology Enterprise Investment Scheme fund managers. Parkwalk invests in high growth, knowledge intensive companies seeking to develop and commercialise technology and innovation originating from UK universities, research intensive institutions and technology clusters.

Founded in 2009, Parkwalk has assets under management of over £160m and has backed over 85 companies. Parkwalk is now part of IP Group plc, a FTSE 250 company with a market capitalisation of £1.7bn and the UK’s leading developer of intellectual property-based businesses. IP Group has agreements with over 80% of the UK Russell Group Universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial.

The Parkwalk Opportunities EIS Fund is a growth-targeted investment fund providing investors access to a portfolio of knowledge intensive technology companies, an area the Government continues to support. Investors will get exposure to a range of investments from AIM listed to seed stage companies.

Parkwalk also manages a series of early-stage funds in conjunction with the technology transfer offices of the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Bristol.

Praetura Investments is an FCA Authorised Firm having completed its first Venture Capital transaction in 2011, the acquisition and listing of Inspired Energy plc in November of that year. Since, we have grown steadily and have made a further 24 investments on behalf of investors having invested over £100m into high growth tech or IP enabled small businesses.

We’ve built a highly experienced and reputable team within Praetura Investments who bring with them over 250 year of sector experience having raised and transacted over £8bn within the UK.

Headquartered in the North West, the Praetura team have built an enviable network across the region generating strong deal flow and opportunities. The investment strategy has been developed and refined over the previous 8 years and we’ve built a reputation for being able to identify and back high performing, entrepreneurial teams who demonstrate they can execute their plan. As important is our ability to add “more than money”. We look for ways we can add significant value through our team’s skillset, network and experience. Deciding whether we can add value and help shape a company’s growth is critical when we decide where to invest.

We help individual businesses and funds to raise money from investors while complying with their regulatory obligations. These businesses can then access alternative sources of funding such as crowdfunding and networks of sophisticated investors. We have helped to raise over £200 million for small businesses over the last 5 year and have extensive experience of EIS and SEIS. We have particular expertise in property crowdfunding, technology, green energy and media.

We can act as alternative investment fund manager (AIFM) for your fund; provide your business with regulatory permissions on a monthly basis through our authorised representative service or help your business apply to the FCA to become directly regulated. We have retail permissions and can operate unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS).

Prosper Capital is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A full list of the activities that the firm is authorised to carry out can be found on the Financial Services Register on the FCA’s website at https://register.fca.org.uk