GC Angels Invests £1.87m Across Four Firms, Supporting Underrepresented Founders
Manchester's GC Angels, the venture capital investment arm of the Growth Company, has led four significant investments in March, totalling £1.87 million. This includes two key investments through the Innovate UK-backed Venture Forward accelerator, which is dedicated to supporting exceptional underrepresented founders across the North of England.
Venture Forward Accelerator Investments
The Venture Forward programme aims to assist founders as they prepare for their first institutional investment round. GC Angels has backed two companies from the first cohort, which ran from October to December last year in Manchester. This cohort saw nine companies successfully raise over £2.5 million in investment.
Marc Shirman, head of equity investment at GC Angels, stated: "Through the Venture Forward programme, GC Angels is demonstrating its value as a route to identifying and supporting exceptional underrepresented founders across the North. These investments highlight the strength of the pipeline we are building and the quality of businesses emerging from the programme."
GC Angels made a six-figure investment into Liverpool-based Breezemove as part of its £750,000 seed round. Breezemove is developing a technology platform designed to streamline the home-buying process, offering innovative solutions in the property sector.
Additionally, GC Angels led a £345,000 investment into Manchester wellness brand MissionC. This company's products are already stocked by major retailers such as Selfridges and Holland & Barrett, indicating strong market traction and growth potential in the health and wellness industry.
Further Portfolio Investments
Beyond the Venture Forward cohort, GC Angels made two additional investments in its existing portfolio in March. A £270,000 investment was made into Manchester's OurPetsLife, a premium pet product retailer founded by Elliot Roxby. This investment includes support from angel investor Amman Ahmed, the exited founder of Music for Pets.
GC Angels also provided further funding to Gaia Learning, an educational technology platform based in Manchester that focuses on children with special educational needs and disabilities. The company raised a total of £400,000, with contributions from NESTA and a syndicate of angel investors, highlighting collaborative support in the ed-tech space.
Commitment to Diversity and Growth
The second Venture Forward cohort, which recently concluded in Leeds, showcased a strong commitment to diversity. Among this group, 55% of founders were from ethnic minority backgrounds, and 55% were female founders, reflecting GC Angels' focus on inclusivity and representation in the business community.
Shirman added: "It's been great to see founders move from early-stage participation in the programme through to investment readiness in a short space of time, and we look forward to driving further investments through the second cohort over the coming months."
These investments are set to provide the necessary capital for these firms to overcome early-stage challenges and accelerate their next phase of growth, contributing to economic development and innovation in the North.
