JustInvesting launch GrowthShowcase for SMEs

This partnership sees JustInvesting become the official platform provider for BIS’s GrowthShowcase, an online platform matching high-growth, innovative SME business with suitable business angel and early-stage Venture Capital investors. To date JustInvesting has raised £2.1 million in venture and angel investment, with highly regarded business angel backers including Betfair co-founder, Andrew Black, Robin Klein of The Accelerator Group and Index Ventures, and Bob Wigley, the former Chairman EMEA Merrill Lynch.

JustInvesting will run the GrowthShowcase platform, a joint concept created by a partnership between GrowthAccelerator, which has supported over 18,000 growing businesses in England, and Innovate UK the UK’s Innovation agency, which with partner and business contributions has invested £3bn since 2007, working with more than 4,900 companies and 150 research organisations, including 110 universities.

The objective of this platform is to promote selected, high quality, investment-ready SMEs to qualified, suitable equity investors who are seeking market intelligence on emerging companies. This pilot is also being established in conjunction with the British Business Bank and UK Business Angels Association.

The JustInvesting platform simplifies venture investment and portfolio-management for professional investors, by bringing all investment lifecycle activities onto a single platform. The JustInvesting platform helps entrepreneurs and companies seeking growth capital by providing streamlined access to, and efficient ongoing relationships with, professional and institutional investors.

Paul McGuire, JustInvesting CEO, said:

“We are excited to announce the GrowthShowcase partnership which will bring the benefits of the JustInvesting platform to the many thousands of British companies backed by Growth Accelerator and the Technology Strategy Board.  This partnership will create greater visibility of the early-stage UK venture market, improving access to follow-on funding for companies and helping to leverage the initial investments made by our GrowthShowcase partners.”

Nigel Walker of the Innovate UK, commented:

“Small and innovative businesses play a crucial role in the UK economy, and we absolutely recognise the importance of angel investors in supporting these enterprises. GrowthShowcase is just one way in which we are working to support entrepreneurs and the early stage investment community, and we look forward to working with the JustInvesting team, benefiting from their expertise in this space.”