OVER 20 YEARS

BACKING SOME OF THE UK’S
MOST INNOVATIVE EARLY-
STAGE COMPANIES.

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment.

BACKING Founders Disruptors Growth Potential Technology Science Oxford The UK Startups
SINCE 1999

Based in Oxford – one of the greatest knowledge clusters in the world – we invest across the UK, and support early-stage founders and companies to reach their full potential. 

Over 25 years, we’ve invested over £500m into over 100 companies, and are proud to have enabled entrepreneurial successes from the earliest stages to later growth. 

We pioneered, and continue to offer, products and services that enable individuals, families and institutions the ability to participate in and benefit from these investment opportunities.

Our Team

MEET THE PEOPLE
BEHIND OXFORD CAPITAL

David
Lucia
Stephen
mark
Ted

Recent NEWS

FinCrime

Oxford Capital Leads Seed Round of FinCrime Dynamics to Revolutionise Financial Crime Prevention 

Over 3 million cases of fraud are reported in the UK every year, shockingly it accounts for nearly 40% of all reported crime. To tackle this, financial institutions are turning to AI but AI requires large amounts of data and access to that data is …

Read More
oxfordcityillustration

Oxford Capital celebrates 25th Anniversary

Twenty-five years ago, in a garage near Oxford, Oxford Capital was born. This week, we had the privilege of speaking with the Oxford Times, the first publication to write about us all those years ago. As we reflected on our journey, it was a moment …

Read More
Image

Oxford Capital wins ‘Investor of the Year award’

Oxford Capital has been named Investor of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Investor Awards.  This category celebrates investors who have made a significant impact in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Investor entrepreneurs are the financial strategists who blend their business acumen with investment savvy. Driven …

Read More

OUR affiliations

our awards

Best EIS Investment Manager – Finalist

Best Investor Return Winner 2022

Best Investment Platform Finalist 2022

Best Journalist or Advocate Finalist 2022

EISA Impact Award Finalist 2022

Best Investment Platform Finalist 2021

Exit of the Year Finalist 2021

eisa21 best eis funds

Spirit of EIS Finalist 2021

BVCA Excellence in ESG Category – Commended 2020

Exit of the Year One to Watch Finalist 2020

VC Investor of the Year Winner 2020

Best Angel Syndicate Winner 2018

Venture Capital House of the Year Winner 2013 and 2005

Best EIS Fund Manager 2013, 2012, 2010 & 2016

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.