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© WM Enterprise 2010


Investments

WM Enterprise's Investment Division provides venture capital to the Midlands, North West and South East of England.  It is an independent niche equity investor in SMEs, providing the finance and post investment support, crucial to success.  To date, WM Enterprise* has raised over £90m and has invested more than £50m.

 

Funds Under Management  

WM Enterprise is currently managing / advising four funds across England.  The funds are summarised in the table below and further details on each fund is provided beneath with links to the website for each fund.


Fund
Investment Size
Investment Area
Fund Value

Seed up to £700k
West Midlands
£12.8m
Up to £250k‡
South East
£30.0m
Up to £250k‡
North West
£25.0m
£2m to £8m
National
£22.0m†

† This is a national fund being invested by 3 regional managers.  Each has access to 1/3rd of the fund's £66m total capital.
‡ Initial investment size is up to a maximum of £250,000 but a further £250,000 can be invested after 6 months.

Mercia Technology Seed Fund  
The Mercia Technology Seed Fund specifically target high growth, patented technology-backed ventures based in the West Midlands region.

The fund typically invests in opportunities that are post proof of concept, often pre-revenue but with demonstrable commercial interest in the technology under development. The fund invests between £50k and £250k, with the potential to invest up to 1million.

Key sectors of interest to the fund include: Medical Health Care Technologies, Advance Materials; Environmental Technologies, ICT and Transport Technologies.
  
For further details contact Dr Mark Payton and the team on 0121 236 8855 or see the Mercia Technology Seed Fund website at www.merciafund.co.uk


South East Growth Fund (SEGF)  

The South East Growth Fund (SEGF) is another of our Regional Equity Gap Funds and is aimed at providing Risk Capital to SMEs in the South East.  The fund has a 10-year life and is expected to invest in up to 100 companies over this period.

The fund considers investments in a wide variety of manufacturing and service sectors at any stage of the business cycle. Initial tranches are limited to £250k, with subsequent investments possible up to a normal maximum investment of £500k.

As of May 2008, 95 investments have been made into 45 separate companies operating in the South East of England.  This comprises Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight.

For further details visit the SEGF website www.segrowthfund.co.uk or contact the team on 01883 621023.
SEGF Logo

North West Equity Fund (NWEF)  
The North West Equity Fund (NWEF) is one of the regional equity gap funds and provides Risk Capital to North West SMEs looking to achieve significant growth.  NWEF has a 10-year life and as of April 2008 has now reached the end of its investment period and is now entering its harvesting period.
 
As of April 2008 investments had been made into 34 separate companies.  The Fund covers the North West of England which comprises Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.
 
For further details visit the NWEF website www.nwef.co.uk
NWEF Logo

Baring English Growth Fund (BEGF)

 

BEGF is sponsored by NCM Management (UK) Ltd and is a national fund.   WM Enterprise is one of three advisors responsible for the fund and handles one third of the money. WM Enterprise is responsible for the Central England region, being the area from Bristol, Oxford and Norwich in the South and from Lincoln to Chester in the North.  The fund is structured as a limited partnership and in June 2005 BEGF's primary investment period ceased.  The focus is now on managing out the remaining portfolio.

BEGF Logo

 

The Investment Team

The Investments division currently employs a number of executives including:

Mark Payton Investment Executive Mercia Technology Seed Fund
Tim Hazell Investment Executive Mercia Technology Seed Fund
Everard Mascarenhas Investment Executive Mercia Technology Seed Fund
Derek King Investment Executive South East Growth Fund / North West Equity Fund
Jason Gould Investment Executive South East Growth Fund
Geoffrey Doyle Investment Executive South East Growth Fund
Simon Thelwall- Jones Investment Executive North West Equity Fund
     
* WM Enterprise is a trading name of West Midlands Enterprise Ltd.  West Midlands Enterprise Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the conduct of its Investment Business

Pillar Three Disclosure

 

West Midlands Enterprise Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the conduct of its Investment Business.   As required by the Financial Services Authority, West Midlands Enterprise Limited publishes a Pillar 3 disclosure document annually which can be accessed in adobe pdf format by clicking HERE.