Scottish VC firm Par Equity confirms strategic expansion into Leeds and Sheffield

Edinburgh-based venture capital firm, Par Equity, is establishing offices in both Leeds and Sheffield, utilising the Yorkshire hub as a secondary base to support its investment endeavors across Northern UK.

This move comes on the heels of Par Equity’s recent investments in the North of England, providing backing to rapidly growing enterprises such as AEM, Fuuse, SamsonVT, Re:Course AI, and Nova Pangaea Technologies.

Founded in 2008 by Paul Munn, Robert Higginson, Paul Atkinson and Andrew Castell, Par Equity has injected nearly £160 million into 77 early-stage technology firms with this latest expansion offering increased funding and growth opportunities to promising startups and scale-ups in the North of England.

Par Equity will collaborate with key stakeholders in the area, including the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network, and will continue its partnership with the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT), based at the Olympic Legacy Park.

Taking the lead as regional development manager for this expansion, Giles Moore, a serial entrepreneur from Sheffield, commented: “After more than a decade of involvement with Yorkshire startups and scale-ups, I’ve witnessed both the challenges and the opportunities this region presents. Despite our successes, we often remain modest and unnoticed by the wider world. This is an incredibly promising phase for the region, and with its funding gap, I see Par Equity making a substantial difference.”

Since 2020, Par Equity has been collaborating with British Business Investments through its Regional Angels Programme. The partnership has resulted in a total of £23 million in funding from British Business Investments, combined with £60 million in capital from Par Equity, fueling the investment model’s growth across Northern UK.

Judith Hartley, CEO of British Business Investments, stated: “Par Equity was among the pioneer delivery partners of the Regional Angels Programme. Their consistent track record of generating returns and their ability to uncover opportunities beyond Scotland has remained strong. We welcome their expansion into Yorkshire, a region brimming with exciting new companies ripe for investment. This move will also raise the profile of angel investing in the region.”