FOR FOUNDERS / FUNDING
88 investors, funds, grants and lenders that back UK companies, with what each one backs, how much it usually puts in and how to reach it. Pick the ones that fit, then pitch them yourself: 77 take applications or pitches directly.
London
London-based VC with teams in Berlin and Copenhagen, investing in energy, industry, materials and the built environment, plus the AI that improves them. Its Fund II closed at EUR 210m in 2026; it typically enters at Series A, once product and pilots exist.
Palo Alto
Global VC with offices in Palo Alto, San Francisco and London; its London-based team runs dedicated early-stage funds for Europe and Israel. Backer of Deliveroo, Synthesia, Lovable and Vinted. Its website lists no pitch form or pitch email.
London
Pre-seed and seed fund with offices in London and Bristol, investing in founders working on climate equity, economic empowerment and healthy ageing. It puts £250k to £1m into a company's first funding round.
London
London solo-GP venture firm run by Nathan Benaich that invests in AI-first companies, mainly at pre-seed and seed, across Europe and North America. Its $232m Fund III launched in March 2026. Backer of Synthesia and Black Forest Labs.
London
London early-stage VC investing at seed and Series A across deep tech, fintech, health tech, digital assets and B2B software. Backer of Quantexa, Oviva and Elliptic. Founders can submit a pitch deck through its online form.
London
Deep tech investor with offices in London, Cambridge and Oxford, backing companies from seed to growth in AI and computing, health and medicine, and sustainability, energy, materials and space. Proposals go through a secure web form.
London
London-based online platform, founded in 2004, where founders pay to list a pitch that is sent to matching angel investors in the UK and, on higher plans, worldwide. It does not invest itself and charges no success fee.
London
Early-stage investor in fintech, insurance, AI, climate, health and embedded finance, with offices in London and New York. Founders pitch by email with a short note on what they do, their stage, location and why Anthemis fits.
London
Early-stage investor running an eight-week, full-time residency in London where founders form teams and build. Backed companies get £210,000 at inception (£125,000 for 8.5% plus an £85,000 convertible note, with a £40,000 programme fee). It does not back solo founders.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh angel syndicate backing Scottish technology and life sciences companies with B2B models and defensible IP, from proof of concept to Series A. Companies must be based and registered in Scotland; it reviews about 200 submissions a year.
London
London VC founded in 2006 by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström. Its 2024 funds total $1.24bn: Venture VI for Series A and occasional seed rounds, and Growth VI for Series B to pre-IPO, both for European technology companies.
London
London fintech investor backing early and later-stage companies in banking, insurance, wealth and asset management across the UK and Europe. It was delisted when Verdane completed its takeover in May 2026 and says it will keep backing new founders.
London
London VC backing European-founded technology companies from seed through growth; it backed Revolut at seed in 2015 and Wayve at Series A. There is no pitch form: its contact page asks founders to reach the investment team via the team page.
London
London tech-for-good investor backing early-stage UK startups that tackle social and environmental problems. Twice a year it picks 10-15 teams for a six-week programme with £60,000 investment for 7% equity, and can follow on with up to £1m.
London
Minority-stake investor with 15 offices across the UK and Ireland. Growth deals are £3m to £30m for firms with profits of about £1m+ (or £3m+ ARR in tech); its early-stage arm puts £3m to £10m into IP-protected deep tech and life sciences.
London
Social investor from the Big Issue Group lending to UK social enterprises and charities working to end poverty and inequality. Offers loans from £20,000 to £4m, quasi-equity and blended loan-and-grant finance through funds such as Impact Loans England.
Bradford
Not-for-profit community lender (CDFI) in the North of England. Lends £500 to £250,000: government-backed Start Up Loans, Momentum small business loans of up to £250,000 over up to five years, and NPIF II smaller loans in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Cambridge
Angel network founded in 2001 with up to 65 members, investing £150k to £1.5m in UK science, engineering and IP-rich technology companies, usually in their first equity round. It aims to respond to applications within 21 days.
Cambridge
Cambridge VC with about £0.6bn under management, backing deep tech and life sciences companies with close links to the University of Cambridge. It calls itself a leading Series A investor in the Cambridge ecosystem and also leads seed rounds.
London
UK climate tech VC investing £500k to £5m in early-stage companies across power, transport, industry, buildings, agrifood and the circular economy. It invests only in UK businesses and takes applications through an online form.
Belfast
Invest NI equity fund, managed by Clarendon Fund Managers, that co-invests alongside business angels and other private investors in Northern Ireland SMEs, usually up to 50% of a round on the same terms. It does not take direct approaches: secure a lead private investor first.
London
London pre-seed fund that writes first cheques of up to $1.5m and was an early backer of ElevenLabs. Its $88m Fund II (2025) is sector-agnostic and plans to back up to 50 UK and European startups, with tracks for first-time and repeat founders.
London
Venture programmes for PhD researchers at UK and European universities. The part-time, nine-month Venture Scientist 100 fellowship and the 10-week Raise programme give top teams access to up to £300,000 in equity investment through XTX Ventures and a CX angel syndicate.
Exeter
UK equity crowdfunding platform where limited companies sell shares to the public and their own communities. UK or Irish limited companies can apply; fees include a listing fee of £4,995-£9,995, a success fee of 5-8% and a 2.5% platform fee.
St Austell
UK reward and donation crowdfunding platform used by small businesses, social enterprises and community projects; projects can also apply for match funding from partner funds. For-profit businesses pay a 5% platform fee plus 2.9% + 30p per pledge.
London
London VC specialising in European B2B software from Series A onwards, including fintech, security and AI infrastructure. Its $620m Dawn V fund makes initial investments of $10m to $40m. Backer of Mimecast, iZettle and Dataiku.
Wrexham
Welsh Government-owned lender and investor for businesses based in Wales or willing to relocate. Offers micro loans from £1,000 to £100,000, loans and equity from £50,000 to £10m, seed equity for pre-revenue tech start-ups, and property development loans.
Glasgow
Glasgow-based not-for-profit lender for start-ups, small firms and social enterprises across Scotland. Loans of £500 to £100,000 over 1-5 years; Start Up Loans partner in Scotland and smaller-loans manager for the Investment Fund for Scotland.
Sheffield
£140m British Business Bank fund launched in September 2026 for smaller businesses in Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Loans from £25,000 to £2m through Eastmeare and equity up to £5m through Mercia Ventures.
London
Talent investor that backs individuals before they have a co-founder or idea. Founders build in a full-time, in-person cohort in London and finish in San Francisco; EF invests up to $250,000 once a company is formed, with follow-on capital available.
London
London pre-seed and seed fund that describes itself as an AI and infrastructure investor backing defensible software for technical problems. Often the first institutional investor, it takes its pro-rata up to Series A and backs 10 to 12 companies a year.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh angel syndicate investing across Scotland at initial or seed stage, typically £100k to £500k in ordinary shares, with co-investment from Scottish Enterprise. Focus themes are climate change, access to healthcare and inclusion in the digital economy.
London
London venture studio and accelerator running corporate-backed investment programmes, such as its Aviva fintech accelerator, which gives £50,000 cash investment and four months of operational support to pre-seed to Series A startups.
Newbury
Charity and impact-first lender offering £20,000 to £50,000 of revenue-share finance to social enterprises, charities and B Corps trading for at least a year, with mentoring. Repayments flex with revenue up to an agreed cap; no equity or personal guarantees.
London
London early-stage VC investing from pre-seed to Series A through SEIS, EIS and VCT funds. Focus areas include vertical AI, AI-enabled software, fintech, B2B, hardware, consumer and biotech; it has backed more than 210 UK companies since 2014.
London
Online lender for UK small businesses. Offers business loans of £10,000 to £750,000 over up to six years (rates from 6.9% a year), Growth Guarantee Scheme loans of £25,001 to £250,000, and FlexiPay credit from £1,000. Online decisions in as little as five minutes.
Wrexham
Lender in the Development Bank of Wales group that manages regional loan funds in England and Wales. Lends mainly £100,000 to £2m to established, growing businesses through NPIF II, the South West Investment Fund, the Investment Fund for Wales and North East funds.
Stamford
Operator-led VC based in Stamford that backs UK B2B software founders at pre-seed and seed, looking for companies targeting annual contracts of £12k or more. It has put over 70% of its capital into companies outside London.
London
London early-stage VC that leads pre-seed and seed rounds in European tech, often before product or revenue, and calls itself deliberately anti-thematic. Backer of Deliveroo and Darktrace; founders upload a deck through its online pitch form.
London
London venture capital firm backing under-represented founders, including women and founders of colour, in technology and creative media across the UK, Europe and the US. Announced the final close of its latest fund in March 2025.
London
Multi-stage VC with offices in London, San Francisco and New York, investing from seed, including through its Index Origin seed funds, to growth. Backer of Revolut, Wise and Deliveroo. Its website lists no pitch form or pitch email.
Swindon
Competitive R&D funding, mostly grants, from the UK's innovation agency for UK-registered businesses. Competitions are themed by sector or technology and open and close through the year on the Innovation Funding Service; each brief sets eligibility, project size and grant rate.
Swindon
Innovate UK programme that pairs an R&D grant with aligned equity from its pool of approved investor partners (VCs, angel groups, corporates, impact investors). A grant is only paid if a partner leads aligned investment. Now run through Innovate UK Growth Catalyst rounds.
Edinburgh
Female-led angel syndicate founded in Scotland in 2014, backing UK companies with at least one female founder at pre-seed and seed. It invests up to £250k, often within larger syndicated rounds, and holds six online pitch meetings a year.
Sheffield
Around £100m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses across Northern Ireland. Debt from £25,000 to £2m through Whiterock and equity up to £5m through Clarendon Fund Managers.
Sheffield
£150m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses anywhere in Scotland. Smaller loans and debt from £25,000 to £2m and equity up to £5m, delivered by DSL Business Finance, The FSE Group and Maven Capital Partners.
Sheffield
£130m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses across Wales. Smaller loans from £25,000 to £100,000, debt from £100,000 to £2m and equity up to £5m, through BCRS Business Loans, FW Capital and Foresight.
London
London-listed investor that builds and funds science-based companies, many spun out of universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial, across health tech, deep tech and cleantech. It uses its own balance sheet plus managed funds, including Parkwalk.
London
Deep tech VC with offices in London and Cambridge, backing B2B companies at pre-seed, seed and Series A in Europe and beyond. It leads with first tickets of $1m to $10m and can follow on with up to $40m from its growth funds.
London
Online lender offering UK limited companies and LLPs flexible business loans of £1,000 to £1m, with interest from 1.5% per 30 days charged only on the outstanding balance. Apply online in about five minutes; decisions usually within 24 hours.
Glasgow
Glasgow angel investment syndicate, active since 2009, that leads and co-invests in revenue-generating or near-revenue companies, typically investing at least £500,000. Also runs the Kelvin Capital Catalyst Fund for established, profitable UK SMEs.
New York
Reward-based crowdfunding platform for creative projects and products; backers pledge in return for rewards, not shares. Open to UK creators. Funding is all-or-nothing; successful UK projects pay a 5% fee plus payment processing of 3% + £0.30 per pledge.
London
London early-stage VC that leads or co-leads its rounds and describes its model as 'equitable venture'. Its portfolio spans AI inference hardware, industrial robotics, programmable biology, online payments and warehouse robotics.
Hastings
Community development finance lender (CDFI) for start-ups and small firms in London, the South East and the East of England. Delivers government-backed Start Up Loans of £500 to £25,000 and its own business loans of £25,000 to £250,000.
London
Seed-stage, sector-generalist fund that is part of Phoenix Court in King's Cross, London, where most of the group's company relationships begin. Recent backing includes AI, biotech and space companies in the UK and Europe.
Glasgow
UK private equity and venture investor that funds growth capital, management buyouts and regional SME finance, investing up to £20m in a single deal through its VCTs and funds. Manages equity for several British Business Bank regional funds in Scotland and England.
Henley-in-Arden
Venture capital investor (part of Mercia Asset Management) backing UK companies with early traction, typically at Series A and beyond, with up to £10m of initial capital. Also manages regional funds such as NPIF II, MEIF II and the East of England Investment Fund.
Sheffield
£400m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses across the West, East and South East Midlands. Offers loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity up to £5m through five appointed fund managers, chosen by where the business is based.
Coventry
Midlands angel network that is part of the University of Warwick Science Park, with over 100 investors and regular pitch events across the region. Typical investments are £100k to £2m in early-stage technology businesses, with a strength in cleantech.
London
London VC investing at seed and Series A in AI and data-driven companies, with teams for enterprise AI, fintech, cloud and data infrastructure, and data-driven health. Founders contact the relevant sector team through its contact page.
London
London VC investing £2m to £50m at Series A and B in European technology companies with product-market fit and revenue; its Growth Fund targets Series B and later. Pre-revenue founders are pointed to its separate seed fund programme.
Lisbon
Lisbon-based impact venture capital fund investing in fast-growing European startups that solve social and environmental problems, with each company mapped to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Founders can submit a deck online.
Sheffield
£660m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses across the North of England. Offers loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity up to £5m, applied for directly through its appointed fund managers in each part of the North.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle venture capital firm investing in high-growth companies, with a focus on climate tech and healthy ageing. Runs the North East Spinout Inspire Fund and the £16m Venture Sunderland fund (first investments of £200,000-£750,000) and an EIS fund for the North of England.
London
Multi-stage VC with 30 years of investing and offices in London, Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam and New York, backing companies at early and growth stages. Early backer of Spotify and Klarna; its website lists no pitch form.
London
London VC that invests only in B2B companies across software, AI-driven services and fintech, from seed and Series A through growth via its Growth Opportunities funds. Founders pitch through an online investment submission form.
London
London VC investing from pre-seed to Series B across B2B software, bio, climate, consumer, deep tech, fintech and health. It has separate online pitch forms for pre-seed and for seed onwards; pre-seed decisions can come within ten days.
Oxford
Oxford investor that builds and funds companies from University of Oxford research and works with researchers at Harwell and Culham, across deep tech, health tech and life sciences. Researchers start the conversation through an online form.
London
London fund that invests only at pre-seed in the UK and Europe, from angel rounds to large pre-seed rounds, across sectors. It says it reviews every pitch submitted online and aims to reply within five working days.
Manchester
Venture capital firm formed by the merger of Praetura Ventures and Par Equity, backing founders based in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from pre-seed to Series B+. Runs the PraeSeed pre-seed programme, EIS and VCT funds and NPIF II equity investments.
London
Equity crowdfunding platform formerly called Seedrs, now part of Republic. Businesses based full-time in the UK, EU, EEA or Switzerland can apply to raise from the public; the target raise should be over £150,000 (or €150,000).
London
London multi-strategy investor, renamed from Hambro Perks in 2024, backing early and later-stage private companies through equity, secondaries and growth debt. Its focus areas are finance, healthcare, sustainability and productivity.
Glasgow
Scotland's economic development agency. Co-invests equity of £100,000 to £2m in Scottish start-ups and growing firms alongside an approved or lead private investor (Scottish Co-investment Fund, Scottish Venture Fund), and offers R&D and other grants.
Edinburgh
Scotland's publicly owned development investment bank. Provides patient debt and equity, typically over £1m, to businesses and projects in or moving to Scotland that serve its net zero, place or innovation missions. It does not give grants.
London
London pre-seed and seed fund, founded in 2007, that is often a company's first institutional investor. Sector-agnostic, it focuses on founders in Europe and Israel and follows on through its Select fund up to Series B and beyond.
London
UK SEIS and EIS fund manager, formerly Startup Funding Club, investing £100k to £300k per round in SEIS-qualifying UK startups in any sector, with EIS follow-on for top performers. Offices in London and Northwich.
Sheffield
£210m British Business Bank fund launched in September 2026 for smaller businesses in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Loans from £25,000 to £2m (The FSE Group) and equity up to £5m (Maven).
Sheffield
£200m British Business Bank fund for smaller businesses in Bristol, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity up to £5m, applied for through its fund managers.
Sheffield
Government-backed unsecured personal loan of £500 to £25,000 per founder at a fixed 7.5% a year over 1-5 years, with 12 months of free mentoring. For people aged 18+ starting a UK business or trading for under 60 months. Run by the British Business Bank.
Truro
Social enterprise lender providing responsible finance to start-ups and small businesses in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol and Hampshire. Delivers Start Up Loans of £500 to £25,000 and its own business loans of £25,001 to £250,000.
London
London VC investing around Series A in the UK, Europe and the US, with themes of electrification, decoding nature and applied AI. Backer of ZeroAvia and Basecamp Research. Founders are invited to share what they are building via its contact page.
London
Three-month, mentorship-driven Techstars accelerator in London for early-stage startups in any sector. Techstars invests $220,000 per company: $20,000 for 5% common stock plus $200,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE, with no programme fee.
Belfast
First-cheque venture capital fund for founders based in Scotland or Northern Ireland, investing from inception to pre-seed without needing revenue. First cheques of up to £750,000, with follow-on capacity. Manages Invest NI's £48m SME equity fund and Proof of Concept grant fund.
London
Free business start-up programme for 18 to 30 year olds from the charity The King's Trust, with workshops and mentoring. Participants can apply for a £500 test grant, then up to £30,000 to launch: a Start Up Grant of £100 to £5,000 plus a Start Up Loan of £500 to £25,000.
London
London lender for online brands and retailers, including Amazon sellers. Offers non-dilutive working capital from £100,000 to £2m as fixed-term loans, lines of credit, and cash advances repaid as a share of revenue, with a fixed fee.
Dublin
Dublin-based lender to consumer brands, retailers, software and services firms in the UK and other markets. Provides £10,000 to £20m as term loans or cash advances repaid as a percentage of sales, for one fixed fee, with no equity or personal guarantees.
San Francisco
US accelerator that invests $500,000 in every company it accepts ($125,000 for 7% plus $375,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE) and runs in-person batches in San Francisco. Takes founders worldwide; UK companies must set up a US, Canadian, Cayman or Singapore parent.
London
London venture builder and pre-seed investor for UK science ventures improving the health of people or the planet. Makes an initial pre-seed investment of up to £250,000 and supports founders through their first two years. Pitch decks reviewed on a rolling basis.
KINDS OF FUNDING
Funds that buy shares in start-ups aiming for fast growth, usually from pre-seed or seed onwards.
See 41 funders →Private investors who back early companies with their own money, often with advice and contacts.
See 7 funders →Programmes that invest a small amount for shares, alongside a few months of intensive support.
See 7 funders →Public money: national and regional funds, development banks and the Start Up Loans scheme.
See 13 funders →Money that is not repaid and takes no shares, usually won in a competition for a defined project.
See 3 funders →Lenders to small businesses, including community lenders for firms the banks turn down.
See 7 funders →Platforms where many people each put in a smaller amount, for shares, a reward or a loan.
See 4 funders →Advances repaid as a share of future sales, for companies that already have revenue.
See 2 funders →Investors who back companies for their social or environmental good as well as a return.
See 4 funders →APPROACHING FUNDERS
FOR INVESTORS
Company Signal lists every newly registered UK company, by city and by industry, with its public record. Browse the new companies directory, and leave a message for a founder on any company's page: it reaches the company's verified owner, with your name and email address.
QUESTIONS
Company Signal lists funders so founders can find them. We are not a broker or a financial adviser: we do not recommend funders, pass pitches on or take any fee from them, and nothing here is an offer of finance. Each entry comes from the funder's own public pages, last checked 1 Oct 2026; amounts, terms and rates change, so check them with the funder before you apply. Tell us about a missing funder or a change.