22 Northern Firms Join GC Angels Venture Capital Scheme to Boost Diversity

22 Ambitious Northern Firms Selected for GC Angels Venture Capital Accelerator

Ambitious companies from across the North of England have secured a place in a venture capital initiative designed to support underrepresented founders in preparing for their first institutional investment round. GC Angels, the venture capital investment arm of The Growth Company, has unveiled the second cohort of its Venture Forward accelerator programme.

This scheme is delivered by GC Angels' investment managers and aims to equip founders with the essential skills required to secure their first venture capital investment within the next 12 months. The inaugural programme, which ran from October to December last year, resulted in five out of 30 participating founders successfully obtaining investment just two months after the project concluded.

Programme Details and Diversity Focus

The second cohort will involve 22 high-potential businesses from various Northern regions participating in an intensive eight-week programme based in Leeds. This includes one-to-one mentoring sessions, practical fundraising guidance, and direct access to investors. Upon completion, GC Angels will offer up to £500,000 in funding to standout founders to assist them in scaling their operations.

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GC Angels has emphasised a strong commitment to founder diversity in its recruitment for this latest cohort. Notably, approximately 55% of the founders in Cohort 2 are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and 55% are female founders. These figures are significantly higher than industry averages and reflect the programme's core mission to widen access to venture capital opportunities.

Geographic and Sector Representation

In terms of geographic distribution, about 23% of the founders are based in Manchester, 23% in Stockport, and 14% in Leeds. The participating businesses operate across a diverse range of sectors, including construction, e-commerce, sports technology, and agriculture technology.

Marc Shirman, Head of Equity Investment at GC, commented on the initiative's impact. He stated, "The success of our first cohort demonstrated both the scale of underrepresented talent across the North and the clear need for targeted early-stage support. It was great to work with these founders and to invest in five of them, playing a critical role in their growth journey."

He added, "The quality of applications for Cohort 2 was exceptionally strong, allowing us to continue building a cohort that reflects the diversity and ambition of the region. Venture Forward goes beyond just preparing founders to pitch, giving them insight into investor thinking, boosting confidence, and creating connections that result in real investment."