Investment

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Venture Investment

As a charitable organisation we look to support organisations that are targeting the key areas embodied in our charitable objectives. In addition, we will look to support the development of programmes that encourage early stage entrepreneurship.

Nesta is a leading investment in innovation, from technology start-ups and public policy, to social enterprise and backing creative individuals. We work directly in supporting young, innovative businesses and indirectly by seeking to improve the environment within which early stage ventures can grow. Our current plans envisage a significant scaling up of Nesta's activity in all of these areas over the next few years, building on the many successes that have already been achieved.

  • We help to catalyse support and networks for early stage companies through partnering and investing with others. We are a founding investor in the micro seed fund Seedcamp and accelerators like Springboard and the European Microelectronic Academy which all help to build the UK start up ecosystem - we will be extending our work in these areas.

  • We invest and have helped create companies like Skimlinks, Basekit and Gnodal by making  direct investments at an early stage.  We have also looked to leverage our capital by investing in other  early stage funds including Pentech Ventures, the UMIP fund, IP Group and Bridges. Our direct and indirect portfolio is now over 75 companies. In addition our efforts are vital in developing the Impact Investment market and we have a portfolio of investments in funds and new financial products aimed at increasing the supply of capital to ventures that deliver positive social or environmental impact as well as return.

  • We bring together entrepreneurs, investors and angels through a variety of engaging events that cover key sectors and trends -   like Silicon Valley comes to the UK and our Hot Topics breakfasts as well as events we host for others like the EVCA and London Business Angels. Creating the opportunity to meet and learn helps grow networks.

  • Our investments research capability brings issues of concern to the attention of industry groups and policy makers - we have provided valuable research for the Angel, Accelerator, Impact Investment and Venture community that has helped shape UK policy for growing businesses including work on the UK Innovation fund, VC trends and the shaping of tax and other incentives to assist funding and growth.

  • Our broader programme of research has focused, amongst other things, on high growth firms and how they can be supported -  through influential reports like 'The Vital Six Per cent' - and through promoting policy ideas like the creation of Next Gen. The Livingstone-Hope review of skills for the video games and visual effects industries.

  • Nesta has steadily expanded its role in supporting social ventures and social venture intermediaries, as well as providing coaching and mentoring support for ventures in the creative industries.