Midven
Future Planet Capital Regional, formerly Midven, focuses on amplifying growth for innovative SMEs in the West Midlands. With over 30 years of experience, the firm has invested more than £100 million into early-stage businesses and startups. Their investment strategy goes beyond providing capital, offering a hands-on approach that includes driving growth strategies, creating value throughout the business, and concentrating on key priorities. They aim to connect entrepreneurs with a network of business contacts, offering mentoring and resources to maximize their business potential. The firm targets ambitious founders in the West Midlands, aiming to create a fertile environment for innovative early-stage businesses. They actively seek businesses with high growth potential that can contribute to the regional economy. While sector-agnostic, they have demonstrated expertise in scaling up companies in technology and SaaS. Future Planet Capital Regional manages various funds, representing over £110 million. These funds include the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), providing up to £2 million for high-growth potential businesses, and the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO), supporting innovative businesses with equity up to £1 million. They also manage legacy funds that have historically supported growth in the Midlands. The acquisition by Future Planet Capital in April 2021 allows Future Planet Capital Regional to leverage a global network and impact investing approach, addressing global challenges in climate change, education, health, sustainable growth, and security. This combination of regional focus with global perspective provides a unique value proposition for entrepreneurs seeking to grow and scale their businesses.
Midven Ltd
Future Planet Capital Regional, formerly Midven, invests in early-stage businesses and startups in the West Midlands. Their strategy focuses on fostering collaborations across the region to create a fertile environment for growing innovative companies. They provide capital and hands-on support, including mentoring, resources, and access to their network, to help entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. They prioritize companies with high growth potential that can contribute to the regional economy. They also emphasize impact investment through Future Planet Capital, connecting investors to address global challenges in climate change, education, health, sustainable growth, and security. Their regional focus stems from the firm's origins as a venture capitalist firm founded by Midlands-based entrepreneurs in 1990. Every fund under their management has been regionally-focused, indicating a strong commitment to the West Midlands. They look for businesses with a well-developed proposition and a talented management team, embracing risk as an opportunity. While sector agnostic, they have proven expertise in scaling up companies in technology and SaaS. Future Planet Capital Regional manages over £110 million across various funds, each with specific investment criteria tailored to early-stage businesses and SMEs. They aim to be more than just a silent partner, offering resources and network to help companies maximize their potential. Their team is composed of experienced professionals with operational and strategic skills to assist portfolio companies in their growth journey. Following the acquisition by Future Planet Capital in 2021, they now also align their investment focus to solve global challenges and impact investment. The parent company, Future Planet Capital, focuses on connecting world's largest investors with solutions to the world's grand challenges.
Milltrust Ventures
Milltrust Ventures, the venture capital arm of Milltrust International Group, champions 'Sustainable Prosperity' with a global presence on four continents. They invest in areas critical to sustainable development, including emerging economies, food security, healthcare, technology, and climate change. Milltrust collaborates with leading global venture capitalists to foster innovation and sustainable growth, indicating a strategy of co-investing or fund-of-funds approach. Milltrust International Group is committed to sustainable, ethical, and visionary investments that ensure enduring financial security and safeguard the planet and its inhabitants. Their vision is to leave the world a better place by focusing on the health of the planet, food systems, and the human race, a concept they label "One Health," harmonizing personal wealth with planetary well-being. Milltrust International LLP provides asset management, investment advisory, and execution services, crafting innovative, alpha-generating investment solutions since 2010. Milltrust's dedication to offering life-changing investment solutions is evident in their focus on the development of emerging economies, rising food demand, technological revolutions, and climate change.
Minerva Business Angels
Minerva Business Angels is a network of business angels operating primarily in the Midlands, London, and Northwest of the UK. They focus on supporting high-growth tech companies with a not-for-profit objective. The network operates through investment groups that meet regularly to discuss opportunities, offering both financial support and valuable expertise from experienced investors. Their approach is collaborative, encouraging investors to work together, provide mentorship, and leverage their networks for the benefit of the portfolio companies. Minerva is powered by the University of Warwick Science Park and has supported over 90 companies since 2010, raising over £63 million. Minerva emphasizes the importance of investor experience and active involvement in the growth of the companies they invest. They encourage investors to participate beyond just providing capital, offering guidance, making introductions, and sharing insights. The firm also facilitates access to support from partner universities and growth hubs, enhancing the value proposition for entrepreneurs seeking investment. Their investment criteria include a detailed business plan, a validated growth plan, sound reasoning for valuation, and a clear exit plan. For entrepreneurs, Minerva seeks companies looking for growth and expansion capital, with a validated business model and a clear understanding of their market. They emphasize the importance of founders having "skin in the game" and are willing to support companies through multiple investment rounds, offering both financial and strategic guidance. Minerva's investors are often involved in helping companies overcome challenges, such as technical issues or management difficulties. The firm’s roots within the University of Warwick Science Park and partnerships with numerous other academic institutions and regional growth hubs grant them a unique vantage point for deal flow and access to early-stage companies. They provide a platform for individuals with varied career backgrounds to contribute to the growth of both established and fledgling companies. They prioritize companies who will benefit from the hands on expertise of the angel investors.
Mobeus Equity Partners
Mobeus Equity Partners is a leading equity investor in UK-based SMEs with strong growth potential. They partner with talented and determined management teams, focusing on companies making up to £5 million EBITDA and requiring funding of up to £20 million. Their investment strategy involves Management Buyouts (MBOs) or providing equity release in founder-owned businesses. They aim to build diversified portfolios across sectors where they have strong credentials and expertise. Mobeus supports portfolio companies through organic growth initiatives and bolt-on acquisitions. A key part of their strategy is to appoint or introduce key executives to the senior management teams of their portfolio companies, adding additional experience, capabilities and oversight. They actively assist portfolio companies with M&A activity to accelerate growth. Mobeus invests in companies in the UK and looks to unlock the next phase of growth for these businesses. They focus on sectors where they have strong knowledge and expertise and look to actively support management teams in their scaling and growth plans. Mobeus has a hands-on approach, partnering with management teams to drive operational improvements, expand into new markets, and invest in systems and processes to support scalability. They also leverage their network to facilitate strategic acquisitions and provide ongoing support for portfolio companies to achieve their growth ambitions.
NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance
Backing high-growth, innovative SMEs in the North West of England with up to £5m equity investments to fuel scaling, economic growth, and regional innovation across all sectors.
Newable Ventures
Newable focuses on powering business growth in regulated B2B markets through a 'Buy, Grow, Realise' strategy, emphasizing sustainable and responsible investment practices with a strong ESG commitment.
Nordstar
Nordstar invests in the next generation of global businesses, partnering with exceptional founders to accelerate their global ambitions. They provide strategic capital and operational expertise to founders at their next stage of growth. Their investment approach focuses on software and tech-enabled businesses, favoring models where execution and operational excellence are key to success. They leverage their global operating experience to assist founders in international expansion.
Notion Capital
Notion Capital invests in European software and AI-native startups, leveraging decades of business software experience to support founders from early-stage startup formation through scaling to $100M+ in revenue. The firm emphasizes tailored strategies for each growth stage, focusing on operational expertise and founder alignment.
Octopus Energy Development Partnership (OEDP)
Octopus Energy focuses on accelerating the transition to a greener energy future by investing in renewable energy infrastructure, smart energy solutions, and sustainable technologies. Their portfolio includes energy efficiency measures, smart tariffs, and EV charging networks, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs for consumers.
Octopus First Cheque Fund
Octopus Ventures is a large and active venture capital investor in Europe, focusing on investing in people, ideas, and industries that are changing the world for the better. Their mission is to invest in areas where they can make the biggest impact: building a more sustainable planet, empowering people, and revitalizing healthcare. They aim to back entrepreneurs who are reimagining how whole industries behave, specifically those eliminating carbon footprints, creating cancer vaccines, building the next phase of the internet, and charting a greener approach to space travel. They aim to invest £10 billion in industries bringing about positive change by 2030. The firm seeks founders with purpose, building revolutionary solutions to change the world, with clear visions and focused on solving society’s biggest problems. They prioritize businesses that put people, community, and the environment first, investing as early as an idea on a page and supporting every growth stage with funding and hands-on support. Octopus Ventures also runs a mentorship program, matching founders and senior leaders with seasoned professionals from their network for knowledge and experience sharing. Octopus Ventures emphasizes diversity and inclusion, striving to welcome people from the widest range of backgrounds and experience into their team and portfolio companies. They acknowledge their leadership in investing in female leaders but recognize the need to do more to support everyone, regardless of culture, race, gender, orientation, or economic status. The firm invests across seven core areas to build long-lasting relationships with founders.
Octopus Investments
Octopus Group's investment thesis centers around backing people, ideas, and industries that will change the world. They aim to be a catalyst for positive, meaningful change by investing in disruptive and progressive companies. The group is comprised of entrepreneurs and investors, focusing on sectors like financial services, energy, and education. They believe in outbehaving the competition and prioritizing purpose over profit, which in turn drives sustainable growth. Octopus seeks to build companies that contribute positively to society and create lasting partnerships with investors.
Odyssey Ventures
Odyssey Ventures focuses on bridging the valuation gap between European and US startups. They aim to capitalize on the disparity where European startups are often undervalued compared to their US counterparts, creating an opportunity for higher returns upon exit or further funding rounds that reflect US-level valuations. Their strategy appears to involve identifying promising early-stage European companies, providing them with not only capital but also strategic guidance and resources to help them scale and compete effectively in the global market. This approach includes supporting expansion efforts into the US market and facilitating connections with US investors and potential acquirers. Their $75M fund is likely deployed to facilitate the aforementioned strategy, targeting firms ripe for rapid growth.
Open Ocean Capital
OpenOcean is a pan-European early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in technical teams that are reshaping knowledge work and the infrastructure required to scale it. They target companies in the AI-native software, automation, and foundational technology sectors. The firm's roots are in building and scaling fundamental data software companies, and they leverage their experience as former operators and entrepreneurs to work closely with founders from early technical decisions to global scaling. Their strategy involves backing data-driven businesses built for long-term advantage. With a deep understanding of underlying technologies and software stacks, OpenOcean aims to identify and invest in category-winning startups at the early stages. Their expertise enables them to support companies with unique solutions that can be rapidly scaled and adopted globally. They are focused on partnering with technical founders shaping how humans and technology thrive together. They focus on companies driving the growth of innovative new digital platforms and services. OpenOcean emphasizes a strong technical background and global scaling expertise as key elements to identifying and investing in early-stage startups.
Osney Capital
Osney Capital is a sector specialist venture capital firm focused exclusively on early-stage cybersecurity companies in the UK. Their core strategy revolves around identifying and supporting UK cyber founders during the critical early phases of their growth. They aim to add unique value by leveraging their deep sector expertise and network, focusing their investments where they believe their team can significantly impact the company's success. They aim to specialize in early-stage ventures, providing the resources and knowledge needed to scale effectively. Osney Capital aims to create a supportive environment for its portfolio companies by combining financial investment with strategic guidance and operational support. Their value proposition extends beyond just capital; they strive to be a trusted partner, navigating the complexities of the cybersecurity market with their portfolio companies. The firm appears to have cultivated strong relationships with innovation leaders within the UK cyber ecosystem, working with entities such as NSSIF, Cyber Runway by Plexal, HMGCC CoCreation, UKC3, and Cyber ASAP. Osney Capital also demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion through its participation in the Investing in Women Code. By supporting female entrepreneurship in the UK, the firm aims to contribute to a more diverse and inclusive business ecosystem, recognizing the value it brings to customers, entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, and society. This commitment aligns with the firm's broader objective of fostering innovation and growth within the UK cybersecurity sector. Osney Capital appears to be an active player in the venture capital landscape, offering a Venture Capital Internship Program to cultivate talent and provide opportunities for individuals from non-VC backgrounds to gain hands-on experience. This initiative reinforces their commitment to supporting the wider venture capital community and fostering the next generation of investors.
Oxford Technology
Oxford Technology specializes in investing in startup and early-stage technology companies based in and around Oxford, UK. Their investment strategy centers around leveraging SEIS and EIS tax reliefs to provide seed and follow-on funding to innovative tech ventures. They manage two funds: a flagship three-year combined SEIS and EIS fund and a Knowledge-Intensive EIS fund, each with slightly different risk/return profiles. The SEIS fund targets earlier-stage companies, investing a portion of the capital upfront and following on with high performers in subsequent years. The Knowledge-Intensive EIS fund focuses on companies already in their portfolio, offering a potentially lower risk/return profile. The firm typically invests up to £150k of seed funding into SEIS-eligible companies and up to £300k of EIS follow-on funding. They emphasize the importance of follow-on investments for achieving the best returns and exit multiples. Oxford Technology also runs WOTAN (Wider Oxford Technology Angel Network) to provide further investment opportunities. The firm prioritizes investments in companies with novel science or technology that can disrupt existing sectors or create new ones. They seek companies that are SEIS-eligible, especially those located in or around Oxford. Oxford Technology's investment approach includes tax relief benefits for investors under SEIS and EIS schemes. They provide investors with opportunities to participate in monthly presentations of follow-on EIS-eligible pitches. They also actively assist portfolio companies in their early years, especially those located near Oxford. Their investment philosophy is oriented towards providing both capital growth and tax reliefs.
Oxford Technology Management
Oxford Technology specializes in investing in high-growth technology startups, leveraging SEIS and EIS tax reliefs to provide downside protection and tax-efficient capital growth. They focus on science-driven companies, actively engaging with founders to refine business models and pricing, aiming for long-term, high-multiple exits. Their strategy combines early-stage investments with follow-on funding to maximize returns.
Pelion Green Future
Pelion Green Future invests in companies driving the energy transition by scaling renewable energy sources, developing new low-carbon technologies, and transforming infrastructure systems. They provide long-term capital, hands-on support, and access to a global network of clean energy experts to accelerate decarbonization and foster sustainable growth.
Penta Capital
Penta Capital partners with entrepreneurs to provide capital and support, focusing on businesses with strong management teams, proven profitable growth, and expertise in niche sectors. They deliver decades of experience and top-decile returns through sector-specific knowledge and additive value in deal-making, financing, and buy-and-build strategies.
Permira
Permira is a global investment firm focused on multiplying the potential of companies and people to build successful businesses with growth ambitions. Their approach is based on sector expertise, a thematic investment philosophy, and a commitment to partnership. They aim to drive long-term value and transform businesses into market leaders by supporting management teams and entrepreneurs, helping them to drive growth at scale. They focus on partnering with global, market-leading businesses to drive growth and work collaboratively to support the growth ambitions and strategic goals of their portfolio companies. Permira's investment strategies encompass Buyout, Growth Equity, and Credit. The Buyout strategy focuses on partnering with market-leading businesses in technology, consumer, healthcare, and services. Growth Equity targets disruptive technology, tech-enabled, and category-creating companies. The Credit strategy supports European businesses with flexible financing solutions across Direct Lending, CLO Management, and Structured Credit. This diversified approach allows them to capitalize on various market opportunities and provide tailored solutions to their portfolio companies. A core element of Permira's approach is a value creation team composed of professionals with diverse operational backgrounds and skillsets, along with a network of Senior Advisers who offer decades of industry experience and specific functional expertise. This team assists management teams in building stronger businesses and unlocking the next phase of value creation. They emphasize the importance of aligning with their Limited Partners (LPs), maintaining a stable leadership team, a focused investing strategy, high transparency, and consistently delivering on their commitments. They are building every facet of the firm around specialism and performance, total alignment with LPs, and being the best possible destination for talent in private equity. Permira is committed to maintaining the highest standards across all its activities, underpinned by global policies covering risk management, confidentiality and security, conflicts of interest, anti-corruption/anti-bribery and anti-money laundering. They recognize the importance of responsible investing and sustainability, with a commitment to values-based decision-making and a forward-thinking approach to excel in a rapidly changing world. The firm emphasizes a code of business conduct and ethics that guide decision-making for partners and employees and requires portfolio companies to be aware of these principles.
Pitalia Capital
Pitalia invests in UK property markets, prioritizing sustainable development and long-term partnerships with owners and developers. They emphasize reputation over profit and focus on assets that contribute positively to the built environment.
Piton Capital
Piton Capital focuses on investing in online businesses with network effects. The firm's core strategy revolves around identifying and supporting companies that demonstrate strong potential for generating and leveraging network effects to achieve sustainable growth and market dominance. While the provided website content offers limited details, this focus suggests a deep understanding of how businesses can create value through user interaction and platform dynamics.
Pollen Street Capital
Pollen Street Capital is a private equity and private credit firm focused on the financial services ecosystem. They partner with inspirational leadership teams to drive strong sustainable growth. They emphasize a human-centric approach, bringing expertise and knowledge to bear while caring about the businesses and teams they invest. Their investment approach appears to be dedicated to buying and building great businesses in the financial services ecosystem, and providing the funding behind everyday credit that powers the economy.
Portage
Portage is a global investment platform focused on fintech and financial services. Their mission is to empower entrepreneurs reshaping financial services by providing flexible capital and a global network of investors, commercial partners, advisors, and value creation experts. They have deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial experience, and are committed to supporting leaders in the fintech and financial services space. Portage leverages a thesis-driven investment approach, enabling differentiated insights, understanding of market dynamics and opportunities, and deep research and expertise. They aim to be long-term partners, with various pools of capital that allow them to partner with companies across all stages, from seed to later-stage. Their Value Creation team of vertical domain experts accelerates the growth of their portfolio companies through access to expertise in go-to-market, technology and cybersecurity, commercial partnerships, and business acceleration & M&A. Portage was founded in 2016 by Adam Felesky and Paul Desmarais III to help fintech and financial services entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling from local startups to global companies. They started with early-stage fintech venture capital and have since expanded to late-stage fintech and financial services through Portage Capital Solutions in 2022. They have over 115 portfolio companies in 13 countries and have facilitated 142+ partnerships for their portfolio companies. Additionally, they have 1,000+ relationships with financial institutions and investors worldwide, with over 40 institutional, corporate, and family office investors, along with 20+ advisors with deep entrepreneurial and financial services experience.