Approach

YFM Private Equity has managed the NorthWest Interim Venture Capital Fund since October 2009.

The NorthWest Interim Venture Capital Fund (NWIVCF) is part of a £13 million package announced by Northwest Regional Development Agency in October 2009.

The Fund will invest between £250,000 and £1,000,000 of equity based finance to companies based in the North West region of England, ie, Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Managed by YFM Private Equity, who has been making investments for the NWDA backed North West Business Investment Scheme since 2003, the NWIVCF will be delivered by YFM in partnership with MTI, the specialist technology venture capital investor.

Criteria

You may be eligible for the NWIVCF if your business is:

• An early stage  or established  SME: An SME is a business employing less than 250 employees, with an annual turnover of less than 50m Euros (approx £45m) or have balance sheet net assets of less than 43m Euros (approx £39m). The business cannot be part of a larger group employing more than 250 employees where the group owns at least a 25% share of the business.
• Operating or will operate from a base in the North West region.
• Able to demonstrate that the business has growth potential  and is viable or has potential to be seeking equity based finance to develop and grow the business.
• Able to attract private investment to match the Fund investment
• The Fund can invest up to a maximum of £1m.

Investments

Currently the fund has no new investments.

However, YFM Private Equity has successfully managed the award winning North West Business Investment Scheme since 2003.

See the North West Business Investment Scheme's investments.

If you would like NorthWest Interim Venture Capital Fund to consider investing in your company, please contact us on 0161 832 7603 or 0151 600 5134 for further details.

Case Studies

Currently the NorthWest Interim Venture Capital Fund has no new case studies. See the North West Business Investment Scheme for examples of our North West portfolio.

Team

Our team of investment specialists are based in Manchester and Liverpool.

Simon Cleaver 
Simon joined YFM Group in September 2003. Before joining YFM he spent 5 years with London Stock Exchange plc as a Senior Manager working in the North West Region building and managing relationships with existing and potential quoted companies. Prior to that Simon worked for Charterhouse Securities, 3i and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Simon is an investment director in our Manchester/Liverpool team and has a special focus on AIM listed investments.

Jennifer Harvey
Jennifer joined YFM in July 2006, having worked in support roles for Siemens Building Technologies and Zurich Financial Services.  Jennifer is the office manager for the Manchester team.

Viktoria Harrison
Vikki joined the YFM Group in 2007 having spent 15 years in the Financial Services industry working for large outsourcing companies.

Vikki is responsible for supporting the Manchester team in all investment activities.

Deborah Heyes
Deborah has 12 years experience of managing regional venture capital and private equity funds, working for North West fund managers. She has a wealth of knowledge of a wide range of industrial and service sectors having continually assessed SMEs for investment over this period.

Deborah is responsible for making and managing investments and is well connected in the North West region with advisors and providers of other types of finance.  Deborah is based in Manchester.

Paul Gower
Paul joined YFM in 2006.  Prior to this, Paul had a wide range of experience including eight years at Burmah Castrol plc in analytical, marketing and business development roles, working within PwC's Business Regeneration Department, and interim General Manager within the Halo Group.

Paul is an investment manager in our Manchester team, responsible for making and managing investments.

Doug Stellman
Doug joined YFM in 2000 and has been in the venture capital industry since 1993.  During that time he has made investments on behalf of various venture capital funds with a focus on early stage / start-up  technology situations, including university & industrial spin-outs, across a wide range of sectors.

Doug specialises in early stage technology investments and makes and manages investments.  He is based in Manchester.

Vivienne Upcott Gill
Vivienne joined YFM Group in January 2008, having spent 20 years developing and managing venture capital and loan financing schemes in the North West, and helping shape Government policy and the growth of public sector investment in venture capital.

She established TEChINVEST, one of the first business angel investment services in the early 90s, and, as Head of Business Finance at the Northwest Development Agency from 2000, created a number of public sector backed seed and venture capital and loan funds, including YFM's North West Business Investment Scheme. Vivienne is based in Manchester

Ian Waterfield
Ian joined YFM in 2007.  Prior to this Ian spent five years supporting private equity-backed and listed businesses on a wide range of transactions in a senior transaction services role with KPMG in Leeds.  Ian also spent two years working for KPMG Canada in Vancouver, predominantly with hospitality and property development businesses. 

Ian is responsible for new and existing investments and is based in Manchester and Leeds.