List of 16 VCT investors active in 2023

Published in

Mountside Ventures

5 min readFeb 28, 2023

Given the state of the market, fundraising is harder than ever before for the majority of early-stage companies, and so here is a list of VCT investors who have been active in 2023.

What are they?

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) are investment funds listed on the London Stock Exchange that invest in early-stage companies. There are four types of VCTs, of which two are relevant to startups; Generalist VCTs and Specialist VCTs (as opposed to AIM VCTs and Limited Life VCTs). They offer tax incentives to their investors, including 30% income tax relief, tax-free dividends from their investees and capital gains exemption upon exits.

Why are they worth exploring?

Between them, VCTs in the UK raised over £1bn last year. One of the reasons the UK has developed such a strong reputation for early-stage investing is as a result of a government initiative introduced in 1995 (a year after the EIS schemes were introduced) to encourage investment into startups by offering further tax incentives to investors.

What are their investment criteria?

Startups must meet all the following criteria (with few exceptions):

Based in the UK
Raising £2m — £10m
Commercial traction — over £1m recurring revenue for B2B companies, £3m revenue for B2C companies and evidence of traction for healthcare companies. Recently, some VCTs have increased their revenue requirements.
Growth rates of at least 50%. Recently, some VCTs have focused on lower cash burn rather than growth metrics.
Profitability targeted within 3 years

If you don’t meet all of these criteria, there are other investors who might be more relevant for your funding needs — and you can find many of them on our resources page.

Looking for a warm intro? Satisfy the above criteria?

Our clients have received investment from most of the investors on this list. Get in touch with us here or reach me directly via email on jonathan@mountsideventures.com if you are raising funds in the next 6 to 12 months.

Below is a complete list of VCT investors who have been active in 2023.

Albion VC

Albion Capital is a London-based investment firm that was founded in 1996. Albion Capital manages a number of VCTs, including Albion Technology & General VCT, and invests in a range of sectors, including deep tech, healthcare, and renewable energy.

Beringea

Beringea is a private equity firm with offices in London and the US. The firm manages a number of VCTs, including ProVen VCT and invests in a range of sectors, including tech, media, and healthcare.

Blackfinch Ventures

Blackfinch Ventures is an investment management firm that was founded in 1996. The firm manages several VCTs, including Blackfinch Ventures EIS Portfolios, and invests in B2B companies.

Calculus Capital

Calculus Capital is a private equity firm based in London that manages Calculus VCT and invests in B2B and healthcare companies.

Edge

Edge Investments is a venture capital firm based in London that manages several VCTs, including Edge Performance VCT and Edge VCT, and invests in companies in the media space.

Foresight

Foresight Group is an SME investor who has supported companies for close to four decades. They manage several VCTs, including Foresight VCT and invest across all sectors and stages.

Gresham House Ventures

Gresham House Ventures is a private equity firm that manages several VCTs, including Livingbridge VC and invests in a range of sectors, including tech, healthcare, and consumer brands.

Guinness Global Investors

Guinness Global Investors is an investment management firm based in London that manages several VCTs, including Guinness AIM EIS, and invests sector-agnostically.

Maven Capital Partners

Maven Capital Partners is an investment management firm based in the Midlands that also manages several VCTs, including Maven Income and Growth VCT and invests in a range of sectors, including tech, healthcare, and consumer btands.

Mercia Asset Management VCT

Mercia Asset Management is an investment management firm that manages several VCTs, including Mercia EIS Fund and Mercia Growth Capital VCT, and invests agnostically.

Molten Ventures

Molten Ventures is a private equity firm that manages several VCTs, including Molten Ventures EIS and invests at a slightly later stage than the other VCTs in the group, across a range of sectors, including technology, healthcare, and renewable energy.

Octopus Investments

Octopus Investments is an investment management firm based in London that manages several VCTs, including Octopus Titan VCT and Octopus AIM VCT, and invests in a range of sectors, including tech, healthcare, and consumer brands. They are one of the largest VCTs in the UK.

Pembroke VCT

Pembroke is a Venture Capital fund based in London that manages several VCTs, including Pembroke VCT, and invests mainly in the consumer space with specialties across education, wellness, food, beverage & hospitality, design, digital services and media.

Puma Investments

Puma Investments is a private equity firm that manages several VCTs, including Puma VCT, and invests in a range of sectors.

Seneca Partners

Seneca Partners is a private equity firm in the North of the UK that manages several VCTs, including Seneca Growth Capital VCT, and invests in a range of sectors, including healthcare, energy, and tech.

Triplepoint Ventures

Triplepoint Ventures is a private equity firm based in London that manages Triplepoint VCT and invests in a range of sectors with a focus on companies making an impact.

YFM Equity Partners

YFM Equity Partners is a private equity firm that manages several VCTs, including British Smaller Companies VCT and invests in a range of sectors, including tech, healthcare, and consumer brands with a focus on B2B companies.