If you want to pick winning businesses, five hundred brains are better than one

An interview with Alex Sleigh, Newable Ventures Limited Investment Director.

Responsible for overseeing investments across the Fund, and has been involved in over 50 Investments since 2011. MA (Hons) in Economics and Modern History from the University of St. Andrews and Masters in General Management from Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School, Belgium. ‘Investor in Residence’ at King’s College London.

“For us, it all starts with deal flow. Newable’s 30 years’ experience and our public/private connections put us in contact with thousands of ambitious young British businesses. Typically, around 1,500 a year fit our disruptive tech profile. My team and I review them in detail and pick out 80 to 100 that really inspire us. We meet the people behind the businesses. We go through their plans and help them articulate their propositions. The next step is critical: we present each of these young companies to our 500-strong angel group in a series of investor events across the year. The entrepreneurs make their pitch. We watch and wait. If our investors are interested enough to follow up, if they’re prepared to do the due diligence and commit their own time and money, we know there’s real potential.

In most years, around 20 businesses get backing from our angel group. These companies form the shortlist for our Fund – each one stress tested by our private investors, backed by a syndicate of angels with serious skin in the game and guided by an experienced lead angel on their board of directors.

It’s a uniquely powerful methodology, which has meant last year’s fund is performing in line with our expectations. The Newable EIS Scale-up Fund is perfect for investors who want exposure to the exciting scale-up asset class but don’t have the time or experience to take on the heavy lifting of finding investable businesses or negotiating terms.”

 

For more information on Funds, visit https://investment.newable.co.uk/.

 

 Newable Ventures Limited (FRN 795277) is an Appointed Representative of Larpent Newton & Co Ltd. Larpent Newton & Co Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 141275.
Neither Newable Capital Limited nor Newable Private Investing Limited are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Risk warning: Your capital is at risk. Investing in early stage companies involves risks including loss of capital, illiquidity, lack of dividends and dilution. Newable Ventures Limited does not give tax or investment advice.
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