Enterprise Ventures was once again the most active funding provider in the North West in 2015, according to new statistics.
Figures from Experian show the Preston-based company was number one in terms of the number of deals completed with eight investments of £500,000 or more in North West businesses during the year.
In total Enterprise Ventures completed 132 deals during 2015, with an average deal value of £132,000.
The company, which provides loans and venture capital for SMEs, has offices in Manchester, Liverpool and Preston and manages funds including The North West Fund for Venture Capital, Lancashire’s Rosebud Finance and the EV SME Loans Fund.
Jonathan Diggines, Chief Executive of Enterprise Ventures, said: “Providing funding for small and high-growth businesses is vital if the region is to build the industries of the future. As we continue to see job losses in more mature sectors, these must be constantly replenished by new and upcoming firms.
“In total over the past five years, there has been a net reduction of more than £25bn in SME lending by the clearing banks and although new funders have come into the market, it has nowhere near filled the gap.
“During this time Enterprise Ventures has been more active than ever. We have backed some of the most exciting businesses in the region and some of those we have nurtured from an early stage have gone on to become publicly-listed companies.
“In fact, start-up and pre-revenue businesses originally backed by Enterprise Ventures companies went on to raise £86m on AIM in 2015, which demonstrates how patience pays in the long term, when supporting small firms.”
Enterprise Ventures, which has a current portfolio of 375 companies, mainly in the North of England, has invested more than £110m in the last five years.
