Oxford capital eis fund
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David Van Oss

Non-Executive Director
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David joined the Board of Oxford Capital in 2022 bringing his experience from a career in industry and management consulting. He focuses on innovation, R&D, new product development and how companies organise to deliver rapid growth.

David began his career in a start-up marketing agency in London. He joined BT plc in 1991 to work on advanced technology, innovation and the company’s international expansion strategy. He was then seconded into BT’s nascent global joint venture to harness the explosive growth in data communications. From a standing start the JV achieved sales of $1 billion within eight years. As the business grew David was appointed as a Product Director, Platform Director and finally a Transformation Director.

In 2005 David joined the European division of a management consulting firm: the business was later acquired by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). David became a Partner in PwC in 2013 and worked extensively across Europe, North America and Asia in multi-disciplinary teams bringing together consulting, tax and M&A. He became practice lead for Programme Delivery, Risk and Quality in consulting. Building on this experience he also chaired numerous independent Risk Management panels in the consulting division.

He has broad experience working with boards and leadership teams in sectors including: telecommunications, media, industrials, aerospace, transportation, shipping, medical devices and life sciences, with a consistent focus on innovation and operations.

David is now working as a Senior Advisor and Non-Executive Director for a range of clients, including specialist operations advisory and M&A in emerging technologies and growth markets.

David read English at Oxford University and has an MBA from INSEAD. He speaks German and French and has worked extensively in both countries, enjoying their languages, culture and proximity to good ski slopes.

Estimated reading time: 2 min

 

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  1. You could lose all the money you invest
    1. If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invested. Most start-up businesses fail.
  2. You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong
    1. Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.
    2. Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.
  3. You won’t get your money back quickly
    1. Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.
    2. The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
    3. If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.
  4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
    1. Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
    2. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/5-questions-ask-you-invest
  5. The value of your investment can be reduced
    1. The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
    2. These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.