The Bank North executive management team
Venture Capital

Invest in Startups

We help experienced investors build their wealth by providing access to carefully selected investment opportunities including some of the UK's most exciting startups.

Join our Private Investor Network.

The Bank North Executive Team

Back the game-changers.

We make it simple to buy shares in high-growth startups.

Co-invest alongside a network of experienced private investors, family offices and institutional investors. Invest in carefully selected early-stage private companies. For UK based private investors, many of our startup investment opportunities offer attractive tax reliefs through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).

Venture Capital and Portfolio Diversification

Diversification

Venture capital is an exciting asset class that is gaining increasing interest among experienced private investors, particularly those who see the benefits of building a well-diversified investment portfolio.

Venture Capital Superior Returns

Superior Returns

Venture Capital has now outperformed every other primary asset class over the last three years and is expected to continue its strong performance. Invest in carefully selected startups and add a growth-focused strategy to your portfolio.

Venture Capital Positive Impact

Positive Impact

All of the start-up investment opportunties listed on the GCV Invest platforms are selected for their potential to deliver significant investor returns and wider positive social, environmental and economic impacts. A better way to invest.

Creating Value. Building Wealth.

Our Latest Startup Investment Opportunities

Invest in some of the UK's most promising high growth companies.

Join our private investor network and invest beyond property and pensions. Introduce an element of diversification to your portfolio by adding startup and venture-backed businesses with the potential to deliver significant returns. Here's a selection of our current open offers and previous investment opportunities.

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Hive HR
Round 1
Completed

Hive.Hr

Sector: HR Tech
Target Sought: £ 150,000
Funds Raised: £ 303,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Hive.Hr
Intelligence Fusion
Round 1
Completed

Intelligence Fusion

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 400,000
Funds Raised: £ 556,800
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Intelligence Fusion
Hive HR
Round 2
Completed

Hive.Hr

Sector: HR Tech
Target Sought: £ 300,000
Funds Raised: £ 1,150,000
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Hive.Hr
QikServe
Round 1
Completed

QikServe

Sector: Fintech
Target Sought: £ 2,500,000
Funds Raised: £ 2,624,694
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about QikServe
n-gage.io
Round 1
Completed

n-gage.io

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 150,000
Funds Raised: £ 170,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about n-gage.io
Finance Nation
Round 1
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 150,000
Funds Raised: £ 225,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
GCV
Round 1
Completed

Growth Capital Ventures

Sector: Fintech
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 561,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Growth Capital Ventures
GCV
Round 2
Completed

Growth Capital Ventures

Sector: Fintech
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Funds Raised: £ 1,290,410
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS, SEIS
Learn More about Growth Capital Ventures
Cathedral Gates
Completed

Cathedral Gates

Sector: Property
Target Sought: £ 400,000
Funds Raised: £ 2,000,000
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Learn More about Cathedral Gates
Middleton Waters
Completed

Middleton Waters

Sector: Property
Target Sought: £ 2,200,000
Funds Raised: £ 7,000,000
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Learn More about Middleton Waters
The Langtons
Completed

The Langtons

Sector: Property
Target Sought: £ 700,000
Funds Raised: £ 3,000,000
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Learn More about The Langtons
Thorpe Paddocks
Completed

Thorpe Paddocks

Sector: Property
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Funds Raised: £ 6,000,000
Investment Type: Equity & Debt
Learn More about Thorpe Paddocks
Atom Bank
Round 1
Seed
Completed

Atom Bank

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Funds Raised: £ 1,100,000
Round: Round 1
Investment Type: Equity
Learn More about Atom Bank
Finance Nation
Round 2
Super Seed
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Funds Raised: £ 800,000
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
Finexos
Round 3
Growth
Completed

Finexos

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 695,456
Round: Round 3
Minimum Investment: £ 500
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Finexos
Finance Nation
Round 3
Series A
Completed

Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 250,000
Funds Raised: £ 278,855
Round: Round 3
Minimum Investment: £ 1,000
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Business Finance Market (trading as Finance Nation)
GCV
Round 3
Growth
Completed

Growth Capital Ventures

Sector: Fintech
Target Sought: £ 1,000,000
Round: Round 3
Minimum Investment: £ 5,000
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Growth Capital Ventures
Finexos
Round 4
Pre A
Completed

Finexos

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 690,481
Round: Round 4
Investment Type: Equity
Learn More about Finexos
n-gage.io
Round 2
Seed
Completed

n-gage.io

Sector: SaaS
Target Sought: £ 500,000
Funds Raised: £ 633,963
Round: Round 2
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about n-gage.io
Finexos
Round 5
Growth
Completed

Finexos

Sector: Fintech & Banking
Target Sought: £ 1,309,999
Round: Round 5
Investment Type: Equity
Tax Schemes: EIS
Learn More about Finexos

Ambitious Businesses with High Growth Potential

Venture capital provides access to investment opportunities in game-changing startup companies with the potential to disrupt entire industries. A well-thought-through approach to portfolio construction, utilising tax-efficient investment schemes where possible, can ensure you minimise downside risk and maximise potential returns.

Young-Professionals-Talking

Minimise Risk. Maximise Returns.

GCV Invest has given me the opportunity to diversify my investment portfolio and include some early-stage companies alongside more traditional investments. The tax reliefs available through SEIS and EIS are a welcome benefit and have allowed me to take advantage of some lucrative tax breaks which help to minimise downside risk and maximise potential returns.

Karl Wintrell
GCV Invest Member

Karl Wintrell - Resized

Free Investor Guide

An Investor's Guide to Tax-Efficient Investing

Providing an in-depth insight into the range of tax-efficient investment options available to UK investors, our free guide offers a useful introduction to the schemes and wrappers that can help you maximise returns and minimise risk when investing into early-stage companies.

tax-efficient-investing-guide-cover

FAQs

Answer your GCV-related Queries

Should you have any further questions on tax efficient investing, venture capital or anything at all surrounding what we offer at GCV, you can contact us at any point - but we've provided a selection of frequently asked questions below.

  • GCV Invest was launched to help experienced investors build a more diversified growth-focused investment portfolio.

    To become a GCV Invest client, you must meet the following criteria;

    Be a Family Office, Institutional Investor, High Net Worth Individual or Sophisticated Investor, seeking to invest alongside like-minded investors and connect with the Alternative Investment ecosystem. Looking to deploy over £10k+ in Alternative Investment Opportunities per annum.

  • If you would like to join GCV and become part of our Private Investor Network, please contact Millie Haigh (Investor Relations Director) - millie.gerber@growthcapitalventures.co.uk

    Alternatively, you can register online here.

  • We charge no upfront fees for being part of our investor network, having access to our opportunities or investing in our opportunities.

    For investments into private companies, fees are only charged at the point of a liquidity event occurring (such as a trade sale or IPO). At this point, 7.5% of the investment gain is charged before funds are provided back to you as an investor.

    For investments into joint venture property transactions, a 7.5% fee is charged only at the successful completion of the development project.

    Whilst dividend payments should not be expected from your investments, if and when they are paid, 7.5% of the dividend amount is charged to investors.

  • If you're an experienced investor and considering ways to build a more balanced portfolio, venture capital is an asset class that has the potential to deliver a number of benefits;

    • Invest in early-stage high growth companies when the share price is attractive
    • Portfolio diversification
    • Potential for superior returns - typically you should be targeting investments with the potential to deliver 10x money return over a 5 year hold period
    • Access to lucrative tax breaks for UK based investors - SEIS and EIS

    Investing in startups and early-stage private companies can be exciting and rewarding if done properly. However, it's important to understand the risk and reward profile of this type of investment and ensure you're comfortable with this assets class as part of your portfolio.

    As with all investments, please remember returns are not guaranteed.

  • Startups and Venture Capital have become an increasingly attractive asset class for investors worldwide thanks to historical returns and liquidity in recent years.

    The many success stories of Venture Capital backed startups that have gone public have also brought in more and more attention from investors. The asset class has now outperformed every other primary class in the last three years and is expected to continue its strong performance.

    Investing in startups allows investors to buy shares at the early stages of the company's growth journey and at an attractive price.

    UK based private investors can also take advantage of lucrative tax breaks which can help to minimise investment risk and maximise potential returns.

  • The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) are two investment schemes provided by the UK government that offer some of the most generous tax reliefs to UK investors.

    After investing into an SEIS or EIS-eligible investment opportunity, investors will be provided with an SEIS3 or EIS3 form that can be submitted to HMRC to claim the relevant tax reliefs.

    Our free guide to the SEIS and free guide to the EIS provide details of the tax reliefs available, but investors should seek independent tax advice as tax reliefs can be dependent on individual circumstances. 

    Please note that whilst non-UK taxpayers will be unable to access the relevant SEIS/EIS tax reliefs, this will not prevent investment into an opportunity.

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.
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.