Edinburgh-based venture capital firm Par Equity has announced its strategic expansion into Yorkshire. The firm will be opening offices in Leeds and Sheffield to act as a second base for investment activity and provide funding and scaling opportunities to startups and scaleups in the North of England. This move follows Par Equity’s recent investments in fast-growing businesses such as AEM, Fuuse, SamsonVT, Re:Course AI, and Nova Pangaea Technologies in the North of England.
Established in 2008, Par Equity is a standout investment firm specializing in the North of the UK. To date, the company has invested nearly £160m into 77 early-stage technology companies. The expansion into Yorkshire will allow Par Equity to further focus its offerings in the region and provide additional funding and scaling opportunities to startups and scaleups in the North of England.
Par Equity has extensive knowledge of the Northern technology ecosystem, both in Yorkshire and Humber and beyond. The firm will collaborate with key stakeholders in the region, including the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network and the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) based at the Olympic Legacy Park. Leading the expansion will be Giles Moore, a serial entrepreneur from Sheffield who has launched and scaled several tech companies in Yorkshire. Moore’s unique insight into the intricacies and opportunities available in the region will be instrumental in supplementing Par Equity’s hands-on investment approach with early-stage technology companies.
Regarding the expansion, Moore stated, “Having been involved in Yorkshire startups and scaleups for over a decade, I have firsthand experience of the challenges this region faces, as well as the opportunities and developments that have arisen over that time.” He believes that Par Equity can make a significant impact in a region that is still underserved from a funding perspective.
As part of its Regional Angels Program, Par Equity has been working with British Business Investments since 2020. Through this program, British Business Investments has provided £23m of funding to Par Equity, which, alongside Par Equity’s own capital of £60m, supports the firm’s successful investment model across the North of the UK. Judith Hartley, CEO of British Business Investments, expressed her support for Par Equity’s expansion into Yorkshire, stating that the region offers an abundance of exciting new investment opportunities and that it will help raise the profile of angel investing in the area.
Par Equity, a signatory of the Investing in Women Code, has been recognized as Angel Group of the Year at the UKBAA 2023 awards and achieved B Corp certification earlier this year. The firm’s commitment to social and environmental impact underpins its investment approach.
