Seed fund Jenson offering investment to Liverpool city region start-ups
Jenson Funding Partners will look to offer funding for new firms up to the value of £150,000 per investment under the Government’s Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme. Tony McDonough reports
A new seed fund is seeking to invest in start-up businesses across the Liverpool city region.
Jenson Funding Partners will look to offer funding for new firms up to the value of £150,000 per investment.
The cash will be offered under the Government’s Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).
Tax reliefs
SEIS is designed to help small, early-stage companies raise equity finance by offering tax reliefs to individual investors who purchase new shares in those companies.
It complements the existing Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) which offers tax reliefs to investors in higher-risk small companies.
£10m invested
The first Jenson Seed EIS Fund was launched in 2012 and has since gone on to raise over £10m and invested in more than 80 start-up companies.
Jenson’s contact point in the city region is local entrepreneur Adrian McDonald, co-founder of a soon to be launched Liverpool-based data intelligence start-up firm.
He told YBNews: “Having sought SEIS funding for my own businesses and having worked with start-ups in the region for some time, it is great that Jenson want to invest in the Liverpool city region.
“I very much welcome a fund of Jenson’s calibre establishing a presence in the city, as it will fill a large hole in the current funding environment that other funds and banks are unwilling to satisfy.”
Start-up scene
Jenson is initially looking to invest in 10 local companies and its chief executive, Sarah Barber, added: “We have watched with great interest as the start-up scene in Liverpool has evolved and is now starting to thrive.
“We are excited at the prospect of investing and working alongside the best start-ups the region has to offer, both through this tranche of investment and in the future as we build a presence in the region.”
For more information on the fund contact Adrian by emailing amcdonald@jensonsolutions.c