About the Fund
A new DTI sponsored Small Business Service initiative to make venture capital funding available to small and medium sized businesses ("SMEs") across the English regions was launched in 2002. Nine Regional Venture Capital Funds ("RVCFs") were established to provide "equity gap" capital to suitable SMEs located in the regions, to address the difficulty in attracting equity funding at levels below £500,000 from purely commercial sources.
YFM Venture Finance has been appointed as the fully discretionary and independent fund manager for the RVCF in the South West, the South West Ventures Fund. YFM Venture Finance is responsible for assessing, making and monitoring investments of between £50,000 and £250,000. A further £250,000 may be invested into businesses as second round funding to take the total amount invested to £500,000. The £25 million equity fund will be invested over 6 years (from Autumn 2002) into businesses from start-ups to management buy outs/ins across a wide range of sectors.
The South West Ventures Fund will be invested on a minority equity stake basis, and will look for a commercial return commensurate with the investment risk. The team at YFM Venture Finance anticipate working with you and your management team in order to help build a successful business, and will therefore reserve the right to appoint a non-executive director to the board.
For information on other funds managed by YFM Venture Finance please click here or, for information on the full product range offered by YFM Group please click here.