What is the aim of this fund?
"There is an exciting roster of businesses that are seeking investment and I can’t wait to help them get to market!"
Jasper Smith, General Investment Partners Limited
The UK Challenger Fund seeks to invest in and provide support for UK small and medium-sized enterprises across a range of sectors including (but not limited to) technology, engineering, fintech, media, lifestyle, and food and beverage. The Fund will be assisted by the Company Mentor, General Investment Partners Limited, who are a team with strong experience across the sectors in to which the Fund aims to invest, and it is this team (headed by Jasper Smith) that will mentor the Investee Companies.
The Fund will seek to provide start-up, early stage and follow-on funding to UK small and medium-sized enterprises by purchasing equity in qualifying companies across a range of sectors including technology, engineering, media, lifestyle and food & beverage. The Investment Manager intends that the Fund will invest in Investee Companies that require levels of investment in the region of between £50,000 and £1,000,000. It is expected that the Fund will invest in a portfolio of at least six Investee Companies, depending on the capital requirements of each Investee Company and the size of the Fund. It is noted that the entrepreneurs who provide Mentoring Services may also be shareholders in each Investee Company.
Key Individuals - Jasper Smith runs Vala Capital and has overall responsibility for the Vala EIS Portfolio’s deal flow and mentoring services. He is an entrepreneur who has founded and invested in many companies in the media, technology and engineering sectors. He has achieved a number of successful exits, creating significant shareholder value along the way.
Jasper is supported by a team of experienced investment professionals with backgrounds in venture capital, private equity and entrepreneurship.
At a glance
Investment goal
Growth
Relative risk
High / Adventurous
Invests in
Technology sector
Engineering sector
Fintech sector
Media sector
Lifestyle sector
Food and beverage sector
Target Return
2.5x return after four years
Not a reliable indicator of future income.
CURRENT STATUS
Closed to new investors (as of March 2018).
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