Published: May 04, 2021
Focus:
NPIF Maven Equity Finance
Ryan Bevington, Investment Director at Maven Capital Partners, talks to the UK News Group about how growth funding has supported businesses across the North West during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based in our Manchester office, Ryan is responsible for new Private Equity investments across the North of England and also sits on the board of a number of portfolio companies.
What is the overall outlook for the North in 2021?
A pervasive sense of uncertainty has hung over the UK over the last twelve months though this is now beginning to give way to optimism – and the story is much the same in the North. In fact, with support from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), northern-based SMEs are well-placed to help them drive economic recovery in the region and in the UK more broadly. Businesses from northern England have a long history of delivering progress, whether that is in the industrial centres of yesteryear or the life sciences hubs emerging more recently, and resources such as the NPIF help ensure that this rich tradition can continue.
Does the region remain appealing to investors?
Yes, very much so. That much is evident from the sheer volume of deals which Maven alone has overseen in the last year. We recently managed a round of funding in Liverpool-based firm YR Free, for example, which provides a secure platform for sharing digitally recorded media. And it is not just the big cities seeing SMEs receive backing to deliver on their growth potential. In March, Maven helped Cheshire-based compliance SaaS provider iAM Compliant secure a funding package from the NPIF. As long as fund managers possess enough expertise at the local level, promising businesses throughout the region will be supported to embark on the next stage of their development.
A pervasive sense of uncertainty has hung over the UK over the last twelve months though this is now beginning to give way to optimism – and the story is much the same in the North. In fact, with support from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), northern-based SMEs are well-placed to help them drive economic recovery in the region and in the UK more broadly. Businesses from northern England have a long history of delivering progress, whether that is in the industrial centres of yesteryear or the life sciences hubs emerging more recently, and resources such as the NPIF help ensure that this rich tradition can continue.
Does the region remain appealing to investors?
Yes, very much so. That much is evident from the sheer volume of deals which Maven alone has overseen in the last year. We recently managed a round of funding in Liverpool-based firm YR Free, for example, which provides a secure platform for sharing digitally recorded media. And it is not just the big cities seeing SMEs receive backing to deliver on their growth potential. In March, Maven helped Cheshire-based compliance SaaS provider iAM Compliant secure a funding package from the NPIF. As long as fund managers possess enough expertise at the local level, promising businesses throughout the region will be supported to embark on the next stage of their development.
To read the full interview please click here.
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