INVEST RAISE ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL arrow_back BACK 04 April 2018 In 2017 Downing Ventures successfully completed 44 investment deals (13 of which were into new businesses) making the fund one of the UK’s most prolific early-stage investors. Looking ahead, Downing has merged its Growth and Ventures teams under the banner Downing Ventures in order to provide better long term support and a ladder of funding to early-stage entrepreneurs. The fund is now capable of providing funding from Seed through to Series A +. The majority of the companies backed by Downing Ventures operate in and around the UK tech sector, including some of its most diverse and exciting deals from 2017. Downing Ventures also announced the addition of three new members to the team: Michael Tefula, who previously worked at the Oxford Seed Fund, BGF and Deloitte; Kathy Gromotka, who joined from Microsoft; and Sophie Andre, who has worked her way up within the company. UK tech companies to watch out for in 2018 and beyond: Online healthcare platform Live Better With Live Better With is an online marketplace that aims to make day-to-day life better for people living with long-term conditions worldwide. Founded by Tamara Rajah, the youngest-ever partner at management consultants McKinsey, the platform curates and creates products, services and content that help with symptoms and side effects. The company recently collaborated with Browns More Hair Now and Guys Hospital to open the UK’s first shop for people living with cancer, selling a range of products from the Live Better With platform. Downing Ventures originally supported Live Better With through a £1.5 million joint investment in 2016 and also participated in a further investment round in September 2017. Data analytics service E Fundamentals A new company added to the Downing Ventures portfolio at the end of 2017, E Fundamentals provides a data analytics service that helps traditional brands improve their online revenues. Downing Ventures thought that the company had a strong competitive advantage in the market due to the depth of information and insight its data provides to big name clients including Bosch, Nestle Purina and Wilkinson. As a result, Downing Ventures committed over £2 million in this Edinburgh and London-based e-commerce service. E-commerce is an area of focus for Downing Ventures more broadly, thanks to the continued growth of the market coupled with increased demand for this type of service. Alex Cochand, Deal Origination Manager, Downing Ventures, comments: “When it comes to seeking out what we believe to be the best companies to invest in within the vibrant UK tech sector, we hone in on what we see as both ‘defensible’ tech and strategy. What this means is technology that we think cannot easily be replicated or disrupted, and that can also demonstrate signs of early traction in its target market. “As Venture Capitalists, we don’t chase the largest investment opportunities, choosing to focus on targeting a wide variety of high quality deals instead of cheque size, something which we believe allows us to help as many truly talented entrepreneurs as possible. We’re also ideally positioned to support businesses that are ready to scale, thanks to our ability to invest from seed right through to growth stage." - ends - For all press enquiries, please contact: Pamela Morris, PR Director at the lang cat 0131 202 6037 / 07712 515 503 pamela@langcatfinancial.com Jean Birrell, Downing LLP 07799555353 jean.birrell@downing.co.uk Downing Home Our story The team News & views Responsible investing Careers Contact us Invest Bonds EIS Estate planning Downing Fund Managers VCT Existing investor Investor centre Institutional Institutional investors Infrastructure asset management Raise Development Capital Energy Healthcare Leisure Property Wholesale Finance Ventures Ventures home About ventures Portfolio Ventures team Ventures careers Legal & support Privacy & cookie policy Information Security Policy Statement Terms and conditions Terms of business Inducement disclosure FAQs Pillar III Modern slavery statement Fraud prevention Complaints Social Twitter LinkedIn Downing LLP does not provide advice or make personal recommendations and investors are strongly urged to seek independent advice before investing. Investments offered on this website carry a higher risk than many other types of investment and prospective investors should be aware that capital is at risk and the value of their investment may go down as well as up. Any investment should only be made on the basis of the relevant product literature and your attention is drawn to the risk, fees and taxation factors contained therein. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances of each investor and may be subject to change in the future. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Downing LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 545025). Registered in England No. OC341575. Registered Office: St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6HD. VAT Number: 112 940 149 We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Click here for more information. DISMISS