Jenson Funding Partners (“Jenson”) is an early-stage investor that manages both SEIS and EIS funds. Our experienced team looks to invest in tech-enabled businesses with a defensible offering, which is both scalable and problem-solving.
We build partnerships with our founders which allows us to work alongside and mentor them through the vital early stages of their business whilst providing well-needed capital to scale.
Our EIS fund invests in our existing portfolio of companies that have already received S/EIS funding, which allows us to bridge that gap between SEIS and later-stage funding. The beauty of providing follow-on funding is that it allows our firm to quickly deploy capital into those companies that we already have a long-standing relationship with, having been alongside them on their respective growth journeys.
Jenson’s first tranche of EIS investment for the 22/23 tax year is closing imminently. This tranche is principally a follow-on round from our 21/22 investments with terms agreed based on the last round. We believe that the benefits of investing and deploying this early in the tax year are as follows:
- Carry-back relief to 2021/22– If you missed out on tax reliefs in 2021/22 there is still an opportunity to utilise your EIS allowance by carrying back your investment to the 21/22 tax year.
- Timely receipt of share certificates– Average turnaround time for HMRC to issue share certificates is three months from application by the portfolio company. You could therefore start to receive your certificates as early as October.
- Tax Reliefs– 30% income tax relief, loss relief and CGT deferral may be claimed for investments.
- No upfront fees– 100% of investment invested.
We are often asked how our portfolio companies reacted to the pandemic and if they suffered as a result. Typically early-stage businesses are very adaptable and flexible in times of crisis due to their early-stage nature. There are of course some who will have been negatively impacted by Covid 19, and we’ve stood by those companies that needed the assistance and helped them navigate the investment landscape. However, some were positively impacted by the pandemic or were early enough in their journey that they could pivot their product offering.
A good example of this is FrontM, a platform for apps that can be used by workers on cargo ships and other situations when internet connectivity is limited or impossible. FrontM is built to make it ultra-efficient for the platform and supported apps to connect to the internet, limiting connectivity requirements. API apps that can be bolted onto the platform cover collaboration, workflow management, mapping, healthcare and Edge AI and analytics.
FrontM was originally a solution for inflight WiFi servicing the aviation industry and had successfully integrated with several airlines before the pandemic made the entire business model unsustainable. Shortly after, the FrontM team pivoted their offering, realising their proprietary technology could be more impactful in the maritime industry. They are now rapidly acquiring market share in the sector, and look primed for a bright future.
Adapt to survive
Our goal is to invest in innovative companies, led by impressive founders, and positioned defensively in their respective markets. Companies that excel in all these aspects are well placed for future success and it’s this makeup that we seek out when determining which businesses to invest in.
We pride ourselves on this, and it’s what’s led to our truly diverse portfolio, not only when it comes to a variety of sectors and regions, but one that features a higher-than-average number of female-founded portfolio companies. Ultimately this is what makes Jenson such an approachable early-stage investment firm that champions startups and generates returns for investors.
If you would like to join the journey with FrontM please contact Jenson Funding Partners here or, call 020 7788 7539 or click here to visit the website.
