Praetura Ventures, a venture capital firm based in the North West, has introduced a new program called PraeSeed. The aim of this program is to provide equity investment to early-stage businesses in the North, particularly targeting those in the “preseed” or pre-revenue stage. This initiative comes as a response to the identified funding gap in this specific area of business development.
Scheduled to kick off in June, the PraeSeed program will be headquartered in Praetura’s Manchester office and will span over a six-week evaluation period. Workshops led by industry experts and successful founders will be conducted to impart their knowledge and experiences in scaling companies, providing valuable insights to the participants. The application process will begin in May, with 10 businesses selected to participate and up to 7 investments offered at the conclusion of the assessment period. Over the course of five years, the program plans to inject over £6 million into 35 startup ventures.
Recent reports by the British Business Bank and Praetura reflect a growing need for increased access to early-stage “risk capital” for startups in the North of England. While certain regions have witnessed successful entrepreneurial endeavors and notable levels of investment, there remains a consensus among industry leaders that more support is essential to nurture and propel new businesses onto the global stage.
In response to this, various accelerator models have emerged across the North, with programs like Exchange in Manchester and Baltic Ventures in Liverpool offering specialized education and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs. PraeSeed aims to complement these existing accelerators by focusing on capital-first investments in early-stage businesses, providing additional support and networking opportunities to participants.
Leading the PraeSeed program is Jess Jackson, an experienced Investment Manager with a successful track record in seed stage investments. Jackson expressed enthusiasm for the launch of PraeSeed, highlighting the firm’s dedication to fostering the next generation of success stories in the region by offering support from inception and guiding startups on the path to sustainable growth. The program will prioritize thorough evaluations of businesses, supplemented by valuable insights from industry veterans and connections within the Praetura community.
For successful candidates, PraeSeed will also offer a clear pathway for follow-on investments, enabling them to secure funding efficiently and scale their businesses effectively. Praetura Ventures has also recently been appointed as the fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II – Equity North West in collaboration with the British Business Bank, a £100 million fund aimed at providing equity investments of up to £5 million to support regional businesses.
