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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 by a keen eye for potential and a desire for growth, they’re the backers who support and nurture the ideas of others, playing a pivotal role in shaping the entrepreneurial landscape. 

David Mott, founder partner of Oxford Capital, said: “We are delighted to receive this award which celebrates the hundreds of founders that we have partnered with over the years. They have built incredible businesses that have transformed their industries with innovation and new business models. They are purpose-led, full of ambitions to make an impact and masters of execution. Our team work tirelessly to back founders with incredible talents at the start of their startup journeys and continue to support them throughout.”  

“And to our investor clients, this award recognises the trust placed on us to manage their capital and invest into companies that are initially often small, unknown, fragile but full of potential and ambition. We have a long track record of partnering with founders to convert this potential to build great companies and realise their visions.” 

The awards brought together over 1,300 entrepreneurs and supporters from across the UK and was a reminder that the UK has a robust startup ecosystem. We have the third largest venture capital market in the world after the US and China and more unicorns than any other European country. With the right conditions and support from investors and policy makers, more startups will emerge and turn into great British success stories. 

Through events like the Great British Entrepreneurs Awards, the start up community comes together to highlight and celebrate the achievements of many amazing companies. 

Acknowledgments: 

Allica Bank – headline sponsors https://www.allica.bank 

JD & Co – Award sponsor https://www.jdand.co 

Great British Entrepreneur Awards www.greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com 

About Oxford Capital: Oxford Capital is a specialist investment manager focused on high-potential investments in early and growth stage UK technology companies. With over 25 years of experience, we invest in sectors such as digital health, fintech, and artificial intelligence and have a strong focus on delivering value to our investors. We have invested more than £500m across more than 100 EIS-qualifying companies. 

About the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the UK Venture Capital sector: The Enterprise Investment Scheme was established in 1994 to encourage investment into small companies with the potential for high growth. The scheme has helped over 56,000 UK companies raise £32 billion. It is an important factor making the UK’s startup ecosystem the most vibrant in Europe. The UK has more unicorn companies than any of its EU partners – more than France and Germany combined. The UK is the third largest venture capital market in the world after the USA and China. 

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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.