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Oxford Capital Appoints Tom Bradley As Managing Director Of Growth Capital

Oxford Capital has appointed industry heavyweight Tom Bradley as Managing Director of its growth capital investment business. Tom has invested in a series of successful businesses in the technology and media sectors including LOVEFiLM.com (sold to Amazon), NetEconomy (sold to Fiserv) and worked with the team which backed the US$1bn music app provider, Shazam. This is the second senior appointment to Oxford Capital’s growth team in 2015 after investment exit specialist, Robin Lincoln, joined from Lloyds Bank earlier in the year.

Tom Bradley joins from DN Capital where he was a Partner specialising in the software and internet sectors. His investments included Performance Horizon Group (PHG), Airsense Wireless, VouchedFor.co.uk, Lovespace, Brisk.io and Mister Spex. Tom was previously a Founder Partner at DFJ Esprit in London investing in a variety of technology and communications businesses. Tom is a graduate of Oxford University with an MA in Modern History from Brasenose College.

David Mott, Managing Partner, Oxford Capital, said:

“Tom joins Oxford Capital with an outstanding track record in originating successful technology deals and delivering high multiple returns to investors. He has held senior leadership roles with two of the UK’s leading technology VC investors and brings over 15 years of experience of investing in all market conditions.

“Tom will be responsible for leading our growth capital team at an exciting stage in our development and expansion. His appointment follows our successful investment in mobile games specialist Kobojo, where we led the company’s latest US$7m funding round. As well as originating new deals, Tom will work closely with the team to maximise the potential of our portfolio companies and aim to deliver profitable exits for our investors.

“I am very pleased that Tom has joined Oxford Capital. His appointment means we now have distinct, senior leadership for both of our investment strategies, with Tom leading our growth capital team and Oliver Hughes our infrastructure investment team.”

Tom Bradley, Managing Director Growth Capital, Oxford Capital, said:

“Oxford Capital has built an excellent reputation for identifying and investing in a series of exciting high growth businesses. The firm has ambitious growth targets and a top quality team who work effectively together in a highly collaborative culture. I am looking forward to working with the team to take Oxford Capital’s growth capital business forward into its next stage of development.”

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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.