Any dialog centered on the U.Ok. tech scene typically has a robust heart of gravity across the south of the nation — to many, “the U.Ok.” and “London” could as nicely be the identical factor.
A current Home of Commons Committee report on enterprise capital allocation pointed to “uneven ranges of VC funding” throughout the U.Ok., with the so-called “golden triangle” of London, Oxford and Cambridge attracting some 80 % of the nation’s complete funding. The lion’s share — round 70 % of the full — is poured into the Larger London area, as per Dealroom information.
And that is one thing Edinburgh-based VC agency Par Fairness is looking for to handle, with a brand new £100 million fund focusing on early-stage startups within the north.
‘Wise valuations’
Whereas the fabled histories of Cambridge and Oxford entice a number of the world’s biggest minds, and the close by capital London serving as a perennial draw for high expertise through the likes of UCL and Imperial Faculty, the remainder of the U.Ok. isn’t precisely missing with regards to tutorial credentials both — whether or not it’s by way of the so-called “pink brick” universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Leeds, or additional north in locations corresponding to Edinburgh the place greats corresponding to Charles Darwin and Alexander Graham Bell studied.
Throw into the combination the flexibility to garner extra favorable phrases away from the buzzy south, and it’s straightforward to see why an investor is perhaps tempted to put their give attention to locales additional afield.
“Within the north of the U.Ok. we’ve a mix of a wealthy manufacturing and engineering heritage coupled with tutorial establishments with world class R&D departments that are producing expertise and innovation, accessible at wise valuations,” Paul Munn, Par Fairness managing accomplice instructed TechCrunch. “In 2022, we backed a sophisticated supplies enterprise at one sixth of the valuation of its high-profile competitor primarily based within the ‘golden triangle,’ which raised £60 million with an inferior product. Quick-forward 18 months, and key members of employees are leaving this competitor and looking for to affix our portfolio firm.”
Par Fairness staff in Edinburgh Picture Credit: Par Fairness
The story to this point
Par Fairness’s roots could be traced again to 2008, beginning with an inaugural “innovation fund” constituting £4.8 million in angel capital. It adopted this up in 2012 with a £40 million EIS (enterprise funding scheme) fund, which is mainly a tax-efficient funding initiative aimed toward high-net-worth people.
Along with this, Par Fairness has additionally been deploying capital raised through its Par Investor Community angel group, British Enterprise Funding’s (BBI) Regional Angel Program, and the Scottish Authorities’s innovation-focused funding physique Scottish Enterprise. In complete, Par Fairness has deployed some £167 million in capital to this point, incorporating 78 startups and 423 particular person transactions together with follow-on investments.
At the moment’s announcement is all about Par Fairness’s first ever institutional VC fund, dubbed Par Fairness Ventures I LP, with Scottish Nationwide Funding Financial institution and BBI spearheading the majority of the fund’s capital, with further enter from the Strathclyde Pension Fund.
Whereas Par Fairness is focusing on £100 million in complete, its first shut sits at £67 million, and shall be aimed toward tech firms with “high-growth potential” throughout the north of the U.Ok., significantly companies with sturdy IP. Particularly, Par Fairness shall be taking a look at local weather tech, industrial tech, and well being tech, with the latter class serving up a profitable exit for Par Fairness when Greatest Purchase acquired its Edinburgh-based portfolio firm Present Well being for $400 million in 2021.
Now, the funding boundaries could blur considerably as there isn’t a straight line that divides the north and south. However for the needs of its investments, Par Fairness will give attention to the Midlands up, which clearly contains Scotland and Northern Eire throughout the water. And whereas the fund shall be managed from Par Fairness’s central Edinburgh workplace, it additionally lately opened hubs in Leeds and Sheffield which is able to act in a assist capability.
Traditionally, the South — and London particularly — have at all times been large attracts for budding startup founders, due for probably the most half to the provision of capital and expertise. Nevertheless, the remote-work revolution spurred by the worldwide pandemic, coupled with the macro financial surroundings, could possibly be encouraging founders to rethink the place they name residence. And because of this now could possibly be a great time to double-down on investments throughout the entire of the U.Ok.
“We have now half of the U.Ok.’s finest universities within the north, lots of that are ranked world class in inside their science, know-how and engineering departments,” Munn stated. “Sadly, over the past 15 years, we’ve seen a relentless drain of firms and expertise leaving the north of the U.Ok. for London. There’s no denying the capital’s magnetic draw, nonetheless since Covid, and with the rise within the cost-of-living, we’re seeing extra graduates keep within the areas than ever earlier than.”
