Mercia Fund Managers has expanded its investment teams in the Midlands with three key appointments.
Dr Jo Slota-Newson and Stephen Windsor will be providing businesses in the region with investment from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.
Jo, who joins as Investment Manager, previously managed UK operations for the Spanish investment platform Capital Cell. A chemistry graduate from the University of Cambridge, she spent seven years in academia, latterly at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, before moving into the world of venture capital and start-ups in 2014.
Stephen, who joins as Investment Manager, has ten years’ experience in finance, having spent most of that time with Lloyds Bank where he provided acquisition finance for a wide range of deals. Most recently he worked for the government-backed Housing Growth Partnership, providing investment to small housebuilders to help expand the UK housing supply.
Meanwhile Dr Isabel Dodd has joined as Investment Associate, focusing on Mercia’s Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) funds. Isabel is a life sciences professional with wide-ranging experience in drug development from early-stage research through to manufacture and clinical trials. She has spent over a decade working in academia, start-ups and large corporations including most recently, the Oxford University spin-out OMass Technologies.
Julian Dennard, Fund Principal for Mercia in the Midlands region, said: “Mercia is one of the most active investors in Midlands SMEs, having invested £13m in 22 companies in 2018. Isabel, Jo and Stephen bring a diverse range of skills and experience to help support our existing portfolio companies and identify other promising businesses seeking funding for growth.”
For more information about Mercia’s EIS Funds visit our EIS Funds pages.
The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.