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Building companies that transform industries

We create, launch and scale businesses that transform industries.

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Welcome to GCV Labs

Venture Builder and Startup Incubator

Our innovation arm is an impact-driven venture builder dedicated to launching products and new ventures that make a positive difference to society, the environment, and the economy.

Utilising our multi-disciplinary skill-set, we invest our knowledge, experience, ideas and infrastructure to help high growth startups scale fast.

Spin out Venture Builder

1. GCV Spinouts

Our core area of focus is financial services and fintech. Our Fintech Venture Builder Team identify opportunities where technology can create value and streamline processes.

We explore new business models and ways to provide a better customer experience. We test new products and services, when one shows great promise, we build a dedicated team, incubate and then spin it out into a company and grow a successful business.

Startup Venture Builder

2. Co-Founded Startups

Typically we work with non-tech co-founders with deep domain knowledge. We help to define and design the business idea. We’ll work together on product specifications and roadmap then assemble a multi-disciplined team to tackle the challenge. We know what building businesses is about and have experience building and successfully exiting start-ups.

We work closely with our co-founders through every step of the start-up journey - from product development to raising capital and building the team and the business.  That’s the GCV Labs way.

Corporate Venture Builder

3. Corporates

We support entrepreneurial businesses and corporations through our 'venture builder as a service' solution. We assemble an experienced delivery team to work with your company to create and launch new products or new businesses.

From research and discovery to ideation and business model development. We work with you to understand your market, define your product then build, launch and scale.

Building Ventures Together

A multidisciplinary team with experience across a number of sectors including technology, financial services, media and property. We also team up with entrepreneurs and companies to build and launch ventures in areas where, together, we have complementary skill sets and deep sector knowledge.

IF logo

GCV has supported Intelligence Fusion from idea stage and proof-of-concept stage right through to launching and scaling the business.

The GCV Invest team supported each funding round raising £1.25m of seed and growth capital.

The GCV Labs team helped to create, launch and scale the business, from developing our core software product and intelligence platform including cutting-edge UX and UI, to helping to recruit the team and create enterprise value.

Michael McCabe

Founder & CEO, Intelligence Fusion

Learn More
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Companies We've Backed

Ambitious businesses with high growth potential.

We always look for the businesses that can make an impact; the businesses that can make a difference. Since launch, we've built a portfolio of a dozen companies across banking to threat intelligence and each continues to thrive to this day.

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Intelligence Fusion

Intelligence Fusion

Sector: SaaS
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 556,800
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn more about Intelligence Fusion
QikServe

QikServe

Sector: Fintech
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 2,624,694
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn more about QikServe
n-gage.io

n-gage.io

Sector: SaaS
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 803,963
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn more about n-gage.io
Atom Bank

Atom Bank

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 1,100,000
Learn more about Atom Bank
Hive HR

Hive.Hr

Sector: HR Tech
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 1,453,000
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn more about Hive.Hr
Finance Nation

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 1,303,855
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn more about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
Cathedral Gates

Cathedral Gates

Sector: Property
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Investment to Date: £ 2,000,000
Learn more about Cathedral Gates
Middleton Waters

Middleton Waters

Sector: Property
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Investment to Date: £ 7,000,000
Learn more about Middleton Waters
The Langtons

The Langtons

Sector: Property
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Investment to Date: £ 3,000,000
Learn more about The Langtons
Thorpe Paddocks

Thorpe Paddocks

Sector: Property
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Investment to Date: £ 6,000,000
Learn more about Thorpe Paddocks
GCV

Growth Capital Ventures

Sector: Fintech
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 2,381,069
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn more about Growth Capital Ventures
Finexos

Finexos

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Investment Type: Equity
Investment to Date: £ 2,096,414
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn more about Finexos

Ready To Raise Capital?

We back the game changers, the innovators and value creators.

Those who make a positive difference to the way we live and work. Whether that’s the UK’s first app-only and most trusted bank, or a tech startup that’s transforming the way businesses engage employees and strengthen culture, the mission is the same - identify and accelerate those businesses with the potential to grow, scale and create value.

Venture Builder FAQs

Find out more about the Venture Builder process

The Venture Builder model differs from traditional venture capital. We invest more than just funds; we invest our knowledge and experience, our ideas and our infrastructure.

  • Venture Builders, also called startup studios, startup factories, or venture studios — is an organisation that creates, launches and scales startups using their own ideas and resources.  This innovative new model is responsible for startups like Twitter, Medium, Lazada, Food Panda and Zalora, just to name a few, and increasingly adopted by the corporate world.

  • The venture builder model is growing. High-growth startups need more than just capital, particularly in the venture creation stage.  Many tech startup founders may possess deep domain and sector experience, but not the software development or capital raising expertise needed to create, launch and scale a high-growth startup.

    The venture builder model provides more than just capital.  It’s a much more hands-on approach. Many venture builders provide strategic and back-office support combined with deep startup knowledge and experience. 

    The focus is very much on launching and scaling fast using techniques such as lean startup methodology and agile software development.  In many cases, with the right founders, it can increase the chances of success significantly, and provide a solid pathway to raising traditional venture capital investment and long-term value creation.

  • As the business develops we provide formal support from GCV Labs and GCV Invest.  Team members will help the company with core functions, strategic advice and funding support, including access to our private investor network and institutional investors.

    Our Venture Builder Services and Investment support include:

    • Business Model Development
    • Investment Readiness
    • Corporate Finance
    • Marketing
    • Accounting
    • Legal
    • SEIS and EIS forward assurance
    • Capital raising
    • Sales & leadership coaching and mentoring

    These support services are typically charged with bundled fees under a formal agreement between ventures and GCV.

    In addition, new ventures can access the services of GCV Labs in the North East covering:

    • Technology development
    • UX/UI development and rapid prototyping
    • Financial support
    • Market research and competitor analysis

If you have a query that is not answered here please leave us a message or visit our insights page.

Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.
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Risk Summary

Estimated reading time: 2 min

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  • You could lose all the money you invest
  • Most investments are shares in start-up businesses or bonds issued by them. Investors in these shares or bonds often lose 100% of the money they invested, as most start-up businesses fail.
  • Checks on the businesses you are investing in, such as how well they are expected to perform, may not have been carried out by the platform you are investing through. You should do your own research before investing.

You won't get your money back quickly

  • Even if the business you invest in is successful, it will likely take several years to get your money back.
  • The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
  • Start-up businesses very rarely pay you back through dividends. You should not expect to get your money back this way.
  • Some platforms may give you the opportunity to sell your investment early through a 'secondary market' or 'bulletin board', but there is no guarantee you will find a buyer at the price you are willing to sell.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

  • Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. Learn more here.

The value of your investment can be reduced

  • If your investment is shares, the percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
  • These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don't have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong

  • Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker.
  • Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated platform, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA's website here.

For further information about investment-based crowdfunding, visit the crowdfunding section of the FCA's website here.
Driving Growth.
Creating Value.
Delivering Impact.

Backed by

Growth Capital Ventures (GCV) is backed by funds managed by Maven Capital Partners, one of the UK’s leading private equity and alternative asset managers.