Oxford capital eis fund
Investor Portal

Meet the Oxford Capital team – Amber Hanlon, Analyst, Investor Relations

1. What’s a typical day like for you at Oxford Capital?

My role is really varied, and no two days are ever the same within the Investor Relations team.

There are always new tasks to tackle each day – from supporting the team and engaging with clients throughout a valuations period to communicating new investments or approaching an exit. My role means

I’m the first port of call for answering the phone to investors and advisers and responding to queries that come into the investors support inbox. Whether that is helping investors and advisers register for our Investor Centre Portal, or responding to queries regarding their individual investment, no two days are the same and there are always new queries coming in.

I also support the marketing team, which is something I really enjoy and means I can showcase my creative talents (I studied Visual Communication at University and specialised in photography). This year we have focused on producing more video content and it’s been a great project to work on and expand how we communicate to investors and their advisers.

2. Can you tell us a bit more about your role engaging with our clients and advisers?

It’s fantastic to engage with our investors and it gives me the opportunity to bring our investment strategy to life and highlight all the positive things our portfolio companies are achieving.  I also

process all new applications and help with the preparation work for valuations, fund reports and ongoing communication to investors. This involves having an in depth understanding of our portfolio companies and providing the most up to date information.

3. What have your learnt working through Covid?

Joining Oxford Capital during the pandemic has been a really interesting experience. During months of lockdown and separation, it’s been great to be able to connect with people every day. I mainly work from home and although I’m here to help investors (and their advisers) to give them great service and a positive experience, I don’t think many of them realise how sometimes helping them also helps me.  Having that daily contact has been invaluable.

4. Which of our portfolio companies is your favourite and why?

Picking a favourite is hard as we have so much variety and some interesting and promising companies. If I had to choose then maybe my personal favourite would be Bower Collective. Their sustainable mission is one that is quite important to me and it’s great to see the impact they have made and their passion for what they do.

5. What most interests you about working with early stage companies and our investors?

The best thing about working with early-stage companies is watching their growth and how they evolve in real-time. As a firm we place a lot of emphasis on backing founders beyond our initial investment, through the ups and downs of building their businesses.  One thing that the past year has taught us is that life is fairly unpredictable, so it’s great to see when companies can grow and blossom, especially when faced with adversity.

Quickfire round

1. Favourite pastime/hobby

Probably playing video games or reading. Three days a week I run a Twitch stream which keeps me busy. I also enjoy crocheting and painting/drawing when I get the time.

2. Favourite holiday destination

I’ve not travelled too much so it’s hard to say for sure, but Sorrento was stunning, and the food is incredible. With sights to see like Vesuvius and Pompeii not too far away, as well as the “beaches” to relax and unwind, there is always something to do.

3. Favourite meal

Nothing beats my mother’s cooking. She makes an amazing Chilli Con Carne.

4. Favourite film/TV show

I’m going to cheat and pick a franchise – Marvel! I’ve watched all the Marvel movies numerous times. It’s even harder to pick a TV show as there are so many good ones. Some of the Netflix Original series are really good but if I’m being honest then I have to admit that I’ve rewatched all seven seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer about 15 times!

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.