Albion Capital, the specialist venture capital investor managing over £720 million across its VCTs, has today opened applications for a £50 million top-up offer across its three VCTs, as the investment vehicle marks 30 years since launch.
The fundraise reflects Albion’s confidence in the UK’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and provides fresh capital to support high-growth businesses in transformative sectors such as B2B software, healthcare, and deeptech.
This follows a year of record-breaking activity for Albion Capital, highlighted by strong investment performance and the landmark exit of cloud security platform Egress to US-based KnowBe4, generating over £60 million in proceeds for the Albion VCTs.
With a track record spanning nearly 30 years, the Albion’s VCTs have consistently delivered value to shareholders, investing patient capital into companies with transformational growth potential. Over the past three years, Albion has invested £167 million across 47 new and existing businesses while delivering 16 profitable exits that returned £132 million in proceeds to the Albion VCTs. The three VCTs participating in this offer have delivered average annual returns of 5.8% and 7.4% p.a. over five and 10 years to 30 June 2024, excluding tax relief.
Will Fraser-Allen, Managing Partner at Albion Capital, commented:
“Against the backdrop of recent tax changes and strong government support for the VCT scheme, we are seeing robust interest in the VCT market. Fundraising is up compared to this time last year, driven in part by the autumn budget and a heightened focus on tax-efficient investments.
“We remain confident in our ability to deliver value for our investors. Our portfolio strategy emphasises diversification, a disciplined approach to risk, and a focus on backing innovative companies in resilient sectors such as software, health tech, and adjacent areas benefiting from the AI revolution. As we look to 2025, a milestone 30th year for the VCT scheme, we are optimistic about the strength of the UK’s startup ecosystem and the critical role VCTs will play in supporting its growth.”
The offer opens for applications on 6 January 2024. Investors interested in participating in this fundraise will find the online application portal and further information on Albion Capital’s website.
