Written by Oli Hammond
Fuel Ventures launches a new SEIS fund for early seed stage companies, with access to follow-on investment from its flagship EIS funds.
Since 2014, Fuel Ventures has invested over £50m of EIS funding in 41 early-stage companies – and now, we're launching our SEIS fund to support startups from the beginning of their journey.
Why now?
The SEIS Fund follows the proven track record of Fuel Venture’s Scale Up and Follow-On funds. Last year alone, we deployed £20m into 14 exceptional companies. Our portfolio companies continued to excel, including Moteefe, which recently closed a round at a 26x valuation uplift, and OnBuy, which is currently one of the fastest growing e-commerce platforms in the UK having grown 600% YoY. We are now giving investors the opportunity to invest in our new SEIS Fund.
What is SEIS?
The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) is a government initiative that encourages innovation by granting investors generous tax breaks when investing in very early-stage companies. This includes up to 50% income tax relief, capital gains tax exemption on all profits from shares sold after three years, loss relief, and inheritance tax relief. At Fuel Ventures, we believe that our SEIS Fund will allow us to identify and invest in the future sector pioneers.
Fuelling growth
The SEIS scheme is a great incentive for investors to support early-stage companies at a time in their business journey where finance options are limited. The £150,000 of SEIS allowance provides companies with vital growth capital, enabling them to hire talent, acquire customers, and establish themselves as key players in their industries. Our SEIS Fund provides promising startups with fuel to get off the ground.
Access to our follow-on funds
Beyond capital, Fuel Ventures provides each of its portfolio companies with expert advice, access to strategic partnerships, and guidance for future fundraising rounds. We are a market leading early-stage investor, with well-established EIS funds. This means we have the capacity to provide our SEIS portfolio companies with much needed follow-on capital, saving founders months spent on fundraising and supporting growth from the early seed stage to series A.
What makes Fuel Ventures winners?
Fuel Ventures is dedicated to supporting the most exciting, up-and-coming tech startups. The team is led by Mark Pearson, a former entrepreneur who successfully exited his own tech company (MyVoucherCodes). We take a personal approach to investing, and our winning portfolio is testament to our success. If you wish to find out more about our SEIS Fund, we welcome you to connect with us and to be a part of our journey going forwards
Are you an early-stage company looking for funding? Apply now