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.
Nesta
Nesta is a research and innovation foundation focused on addressing significant societal challenges. Their core strategy revolves around designing, testing, and scaling solutions to these problems across the innovation lifecycle. They focus on three main missions: ensuring a fairer start for every child, halving obesity rates in the UK, and reducing home carbon emissions in the UK. They apply deep expertise in applied methods to innovate within these mission areas. Nesta extends its impact through specialized units like BIT (Behavioural Insights Team) and Challenge Works. BIT focuses on improving people's lives through empirical problem solving and a deep understanding of human behavior, serving clients across government, nonprofits, and the private sector. Challenge Works designs and runs challenge prizes to stimulate innovation in science, technology, and society. Nesta's approach includes providing resources and guidance to support local authorities, such as in the 'Best Start in Life' initiative, aimed at maximizing impact for children’s development. They are also committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), integrating it into their operations and projects to achieve more equitable outcomes for minoritized and disadvantaged communities. This commitment is reflected in their goals to eliminate pay gaps and achieve representation across various demographic characteristics within their staff. Ultimately, Nesta aims to create a powerful ecosystem for innovation, working with various stakeholders to solve complex problems and achieve ambitious goals in areas of social and environmental impact. They measure their impact using a framework that helps them understand the value of their work and make informed decisions about resource allocation.
Newable Ventures
Newable Ventures exists to power business growth through a "Buy, Grow, Realise" strategy focused on the regulated B2B market. They provide more than just investment, offering deep expertise and access to high-potential B2B businesses across various regulated sectors. A key component of their approach is their Growth Team, which provides support in areas such as HR, Digital, Finance, Marketing, and ESG, aiming to unlock the next stage of growth for their portfolio companies. They connect people, capital, ideas, and opportunities to foster business expansion.
Newton Venture Program
Newton Venture Program aims to democratize access to the venture capital world by providing expert-led learning opportunities for individuals from typically overlooked and underestimated backgrounds. They strive to level the playing field and ensure the next generation of investors represents the diversity of the world. The program is designed for aspiring, emerging, and experienced investors, as well as key ecosystem players, providing learning opportunities tailored to different stages of a VC career. Their core values revolve around disrupting the venture ecosystem for positive impact, prioritizing learners, and fostering a team-first mindset.
NextEnergy Group
Leading the transition to a sustainable future by investing in solar+ infrastructure and renewable energy projects, combining mission-driven impact with attractive financial returns for investors and clients. Focus on operational and development stages across global solar markets, with a strong emphasis on environmental and biodiversity conservation.
Nexus Investments
Nexus Investments is a wealth planning and investment management firm focused on helping clients achieve their financial goals through a market-resilient, long-term investment strategy. Their core services include wealth planning and investment management. They emphasize disciplined and focused investing for the long term. A key aspect of their strategy is illustrated by their historical performance, where a $100 investment in a balanced portfolio in 1989 grew to $2,287 by September 30, 2025. This demonstrates their commitment to long-term value creation. The firm also publishes a quarterly newsletter, "Nexus Notes," covering investing, personal finance, tax planning, and market trends. This demonstrates thought leadership and a commitment to client education. Recent topics covered include navigating AI, addressing client questions on the economy and stock market, and holiday reading recommendations. Their investment approach is characterized by a balanced mandate, reflected in the returns of the Nexus North American Balanced Fund. Returns are time-weighted, total rates measured in Canadian dollars, and calculated after deducting direct and indirect costs such as withholding taxes, trading commissions, custody fees, and other fund/account expenses, but without deducting Nexus's management fees. This focus on transparency and client-centric value is a key element of their investment philosophy. They provide insights on various financial planning topics through their blog, including tax strategies, investment guides for young investors, and charitable giving. Overall, Nexus Investments aims to provide comprehensive wealth planning and investment management services with a focus on long-term, market-resilient results, coupled with educational content to empower their clients.
Northern LGPS
Northern LGPS (NLGPS) is a partnership between the Greater Manchester (GMPF), Merseyside (MPF) and West Yorkshire (WYPF) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds. Formerly known as 'Northern Pool', it operates as one of Britain’s largest public investment funds, managing approximately £61 billion in assets. Their core purpose is to effectively manage fund assets to ensure members receive adequate pensions for retirement. The partnership represents about a fifth of total LGPS assets, serves around 870,000 members, and collaborates with over 1,200 contributing employers. Based on available information, Northern LGPS invests across various asset classes to achieve its investment objectives. A recent investment highlight is the acquisition of PRS Holdco, bringing a large portfolio of single-family homes under joint ownership. This indicates an interest in real estate and infrastructure investments. The mention of Hornsea One Off-shore Windfarm in association with the Annual Report suggests an investment in renewable energy. The focus appears to be on long-term, sustainable investments that generate stable returns to support pension obligations. The acquisition of PRS Holdco shows a focus on UK housing and real estate investment. The mention of the Hornsea One offshore wind farm suggests infrastructure, and renewable energy, particularly offshore wind projects are relevant to their investment strategy. Given the size of the fund and its public nature, it likely participates in larger deals and co-investments. The partnership with Local Pensions Partnership Investments (LPPI) for the PRS Holdco acquisition further supports this assessment. They likely allocate capital across a diverse range of assets including listed equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure.
Notion Capital’s Pioneer Fund
Notion Capital is Europe's leading early-stage business software investor. They aim to be the investors they wish they had as former entrepreneurs and operators. They invest in Cloud and SaaS companies. Based on portfolio companies like Aikido Security, GoCardless and Upvest, they invest in companies providing software solutions in various fields, including cybersecurity, fintech and investment APIs. They have a library with articles, podcasts, videos and founder stories.
Notion.vc
Notion Capital is a leading early-stage business software investor in Europe. They aim to be the investors they wish they had when they were entrepreneurs and operators themselves. They focus on investing in cloud and SaaS companies at the early stages, with a strong emphasis on providing support and resources to their portfolio companies to help them scale and succeed. The firm's investment strategy is centered around backing ambitious founders building innovative software solutions that address significant market opportunities.
OGCI Climate Investments
The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is a CEO-led initiative comprising 12 of the world's leading energy companies focused on leading the industry's response to climate change and accelerating action towards a net-zero future consistent with the Paris Agreement. Their strategy revolves around three pillars: achieving net-zero operations, leading the industry in emissions reduction efforts, and helping to decarbonize society. OGCI members are targeting net zero emissions at their own operations and collaborating with partners across the industry and in other sectors to urgently reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. They also focus on partnering, capacity building, and innovations to support companies outside the group, particularly in key technologies and areas that can have the greatest impact on emissions reductions. OGCI's investment and operational focus includes carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), methane emissions reduction, and tackling emissions from transport, including shipping and aviation. Since 2017, OGCI’s member companies have collectively reduced their collective upstream methane emissions by 55% and upstream carbon intensity by 21%. They advocate for policies aligned with their goals through position papers on methane emissions reduction, carbon capture, utilization and storage, natural climate solutions, valuing carbon, and Article 6. OGCI actively collaborates with organizations like Carbon Mapper, IETA, UNEP, EDF, and IEA on projects and reports related to emissions reduction and climate action. They also provide resources like the Satellite Methane Detection Response Playbook to help oil and gas operators effectively respond to methane emissions detected from space, and reports on the potential role of CO₂ mineralizing rocks in expanding global storage capacity. Essentially, OGCI operates as a collaborative and catalytic entity aimed at decarbonizing the oil and gas sector and promoting climate-friendly technologies and practices through its member companies and broader industry partnerships.
Octopus Energy Development Partnership (OEDP)
Octopus Ventures invests in companies driving the transition to a cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable energy future. Focus areas include renewable energy generation, energy storage, smart grid technologies, electric vehicle infrastructure, and energy efficiency solutions. The firm supports innovative startups and scale-ups that are pivotal in reducing carbon emissions and accelerating the adoption of low-carbon technologies.
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.
Onstage
Onstage operates an events ecosystem aimed at simplifying the fundraising journey for startups and VCs. Their primary event, Demo Day, occurs bi-annually and is designed to connect pre-seed to Series A startups with over 300 leading VC funds. The process involves a streamlined application, VC introductions, the announcement of the Onstage Top 100, and a live Demo Day in London where the top 1% of applicants pitch. All applicants get exposure to VCs. Onstage also hosts "Deploy," an in-person summit for emerging and established venture fund managers to pitch their funds to a curated group of LPs. Onstage emphasizes efficiency, meritocracy, transparency, and collaboration in the startup ecosystem, aiming to provide an equal playing field for founders and funders and perfect information to all stakeholders.
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.
OpenseedVC
Openseed VC invests in exceptional operators who are starting their own companies, providing up to $150k in seed funding and leveraging a global operator network for support from zero to one. Focuses on reinventing enterprise-scale rails for modern businesses, health innovations, and work productivity.
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 Capital
Oxford Capital is a venture capital firm based in Oxford, UK, that invests in early-stage and growth-stage companies across the UK. They focus on backing founders of innovative companies with disruptive potential, investing from pre-seed to growth and beyond. With over 25 years of experience, they have invested over £500m into over 100 companies. The firm provides individuals, families, and institutions the ability to participate in these investment opportunities. Oxford Capital aims to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and private capital investors. The firm's strategy involves supporting companies from their earliest stages to later growth, enabling entrepreneurial successes. They are particularly interested in companies leveraging technology and science to solve complex problems. The firm's investment approach emphasizes backing companies that are creating new markets or disrupting existing ones. Oxford Capital looks for founders with a clear vision, strong execution capabilities, and the potential to build large, scalable businesses. They also focus on providing value beyond capital, offering support in areas such as strategy, operations, and fundraising. Oxford Capital actively monitors the venture capital landscape, providing commentary on industry trends and investment policy through its news and views section. They support the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) as a means to encourage investment in early-stage companies. The firm has a strong emphasis on governance and sustainability in both mature and high-growth companies.
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 Management specializes in investing in startup and early-stage technology companies based in and around Oxford since 1983. The firm leverages the UK's SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) and EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) tax reliefs to provide investors with tax-efficient access to innovative technology startups. Their investment strategy focuses on providing seed funding to SEIS-eligible companies and follow-on EIS funding to high-performing ventures within their portfolio. The firm believes that the ability to make follow-on investments is crucial for achieving the best returns and highest exit multiples. Oxford Technology manages two funds: a flagship three-year combined SEIS and EIS fund, and an approved Knowledge-Intensive EIS fund. The SEIS and EIS Start-Up Fund invests in approximately eight tech startups over three tax years, allocating a third of the subscription to SEIS companies in the first year and providing follow-on EIS funding in subsequent years. The Knowledge-Intensive EIS Fund invests in five select EIS companies already within the Oxford Technology portfolio, offering a slightly lower risk/return profile due to the companies' progression and higher valuations. The firm emphasizes the benefits of capital growth and tax reliefs associated with SEIS and EIS investments, including income tax reduction, capital gains relief, and tax-free capital gains after three years. Oxford Technology aims to provide investors with opportunities for significant capital growth while mitigating risk through tax advantages and downside protection offered by the schemes. Oxford Technology also operates WOTAN – Wider Oxford Technology Angel Network, connecting investors with early-stage technology opportunities. They host monthly investor presentations featuring follow-on EIS-eligible pitches, further facilitating investment in promising startups.
Oxford University Innovation
Oxford University Innovation (OUI) is the technology transfer and consulting arm of the University of Oxford, acting as a bridge between academic research and commercial application. OUI supports University researchers in commercializing their intellectual property through licensing and spin-out formation. They also facilitate academic consultancy services, connecting external organizations with Oxford's expertise. Their Venture Support & Funding team assists investors and donors interested in early-stage ventures, while the Spinout Equity Management team manages the University's investments in past spinouts. Additionally, OUI supports entrepreneur-driven ventures not directly spun out from the University through their Startup Incubator. OUI plays a crucial role in translating academic knowledge into tangible benefits for society and the economy. OUI operates by identifying promising research outputs from the University of Oxford and facilitating their commercialization. This involves assessing the potential for intellectual property protection, marketing technologies to potential licensees, and assisting with the formation of spin-out companies. They also provide a platform for University staff to offer consultancy services to external organizations, allowing them to apply their expertise to real-world challenges. They work to connect researchers with technology seekers, investors, and other external parties, providing support and advice throughout the process. Their strategy also extends to supporting social ventures, balancing profitability with a mission to deliver positive social, environmental, or cultural change. They are involved with ImpactU, a collective of UK universities supporting mission-driven businesses emerging from academic ecosystems, and actively seek investment from impact investors for research-backed social ventures. The Oxford Innovation Society also serves as a leading forum for collaboration, bringing together researchers and inventors, Oxford spinouts, technology transfer professionals, OUI colleagues, local and national companies, venture capital groups and some of the world’s most innovative minds. OUI operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, overseen by a board of directors with experience from both the University and the broader industry. This structure allows them to leverage the University's research capabilities while maintaining a commercially focused approach. Their overall goal is to maximize the impact of Oxford's research by translating it into products, services, and companies that benefit society.