Oxford Capital - Mark Bower-Easton
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.
Oxford Innovation Finance - Richard Cooper
Oxford Innovation Finance is the home of the Oxford Innovation EIS and SEIS Growth Funds 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 Growth Funds, and providing companies with the opportunity to secure investment from a large, diverse investor base. Our Growth Funds and OION Angel Investors invest in the next generation of innovative, high-growth technology and science businesses from across the UK, creating a diversified portfolio across sectors. There is a focus on using the wider Oxford Innovation network and Angel Investors with industry experience to support the portfolio companies. Oxford Innovation has over thirty-five years’ experience of incubating and accelerating high growth businesses through Oxford Innovation Space, operators 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 LLP - Andrew Castell
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 - Susie Harris
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 - Jonathan Prescott
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.