Midven
Future Planet Capital Regional (formerly Midven) is a Birmingham-based specialist venture capital firm providing equity tickets up to £2m and hands-on mentoring to early-stage SMEs across the West Midlands, managing over £110m in regional and deep-tech funds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Midven does
Future Planet Capital Regional (formerly Midven) is a specialist regional venture capital firm headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, focused on providing growth capital to early-stage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the West Midlands. Founded in 1990 by six Midlands-based entrepreneurs and acquired by Future Planet Capital in April 2021, the firm now operates under the Future Planet Capital Regional brand with a registered office in Manchester. It manages a diversified suite of regional funds collectively representing over £110m in assets under management, including the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF, up to £2m tickets), the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO, up to £1m tickets), Legacy Funds, the GB EIS Fund, the Early Advantage Fund, the Exceed Partnership Fund, and the Rainbow Seed Fund (a deep-tech/science spin-out vehicle backed by nine UK publicly-funded research organisations).
The firm's investment proposition is hands-on rather than purely financial: alongside equity tickets it offers portfolio companies mentoring, introductions to a regional business network, and co-investment support. It is sector agnostic but has disclosed proven expertise in technology and SaaS. The underlying 'technology' is venture capital and fund management infrastructure rather than a software platform. Revenue is generated through two streams: management fees on the funds it administers (MEIF, WMCO, Rainbow Seed Fund and others) and carried interest from successful portfolio company exits — a track record that includes the £40m sale of Cobalt Light Systems to Agilent (2016) and the $109m acquisition of Quethera by Astellas Pharma (2018).
Go-to-market is direct and regional: the firm engages West Midlands founders through its 'Pitch for Investment' process, investment readiness workshops, and regional events such as Venturefest and Pitchfest. The target customer segment is West Midlands-based, revenue-generating, fast-growing SMEs requiring up to £1m in an initial funding round. The firm is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 148549) and is wholly owned by Future Planet Capital, a global venture capital and impact investor.
Midven firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Midven
- Legal name
- Future Planet Capital (Ventures) Limited
- Website
- https://midven.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Future Planet Capital Regional (formerly Midven) is a Birmingham-based specialist venture capital firm providing equity tickets up to £2m and hands-on mentoring to early-stage SMEs across the West Midlands, managing over £110m in regional and deep-tech funds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Midven industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Private Equity
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Regional / Country-Focused Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAI)
Keywords
Where Midven is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Midven business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: Future Planet Capital Regional manages venture capital funds and earns management fees from administering these funds including the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO).
- Carried Interest: Venture capital returns generated through successful portfolio company exits, providing carried interest income to the fund manager.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Midven product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Midven, operating as Future Planet Capital Regional, is a specialist venture capital firm providing growth equity capital to fast-growing, revenue-generating small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the West Midlands. It manages over £110m across multiple funds, including the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) offering up to £2m and the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO) offering up to £1m, alongside legacy funds, the Rainbow Seed Fund, the GB EIS Fund, the Early Advantage Fund, and the Exceed Partnership Fund.
Product overview
Future Planet Capital Regional (formerly Midven) operates as a venture capital firm managing multiple regional investment funds. The core offering includes the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) providing up to £2m capital, the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO) offering up to £1m equity, and various legacy funds. The firm also manages the Rainbow Seed Fund for science-based spin-outs and the GB EIS Fund for tax-efficient investments. All funds are focused on early-stage businesses and SMEs in the West Midlands, with proven expertise in technology and SaaS companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF): Fund providing capital of up to £2m for businesses with high growth potential across the West Midlands.
- West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO)
- Legacy Funds
- Rainbow Seed Fund
Products and services
- Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) Managed venture capital fund offering equity growth capital of up to £2 million for West Midlands-based businesses with high growth potential, run by Midven on behalf of regional investors including the British Business Bank.
- West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO) Managed venture capital fund offering equity of up to £1 million to support innovative businesses in the West Midlands, designed to help expand and grow the region's companies of the future.
- Legacy Funds Earlier Midven-managed venture capital funds that supported growth in the Midlands region since the firm's early beginnings, providing historical equity investment to local SMEs.
- Rainbow Seed Fund Early-stage venture capital fund managed by Midven and dedicated to kick-starting technology companies from great science, focusing on companies based on research from publicly-funded UK laboratories. The fund has leveraged more than £190 million of private investment.
- GB EIS Fund EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) fund co-invested alongside the regional Midlands Engine Investment Fund for high-growth opportunities in Greater Birmingham, offering tax-efficient investment structures to investors.
- Early Advantage Fund Early-stage venture capital fund managed by Midven supporting technology and innovation companies, part of the firm's legacy fund portfolio.
- Exceed Partnership Fund Midven-managed partnership fund supporting early-stage businesses, structured as a partnership investment vehicle.
Quantifiable outcome
- Funds under management have more than doubled since management buy-out in 2007
Companies that use Midven
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Midven technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Midven partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The 51% ClubnotablePartnership with The 51% Club to support female entrepreneurship in the West Midlands, including a £2 million initiative to fuel female entrepreneurs
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Midven competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Midlands Engine Investment Fund (British Business Bank): British Business Bank operates the MEIF programme that Midven manages. Directly comparable as a UK regional SME/early-stage capital provider with government backing; broader portfolio across the Midlands.
- Octopus Investments (Octopus Ventures): One of the largest UK venture capital platforms managing billions in AUM with EIS and VCT funds. Comparable as a UK early-stage VC operator, though broader scale and geography than Midven's regional focus.
Direct peers
- Mercia Asset Management: UK-listed regional venture capital and asset manager focused on early-stage SMEs with multiple regional funds. Closely comparable model to Midven—regional fund-of-funds style with government-backed mandates and EIS vehicles.
- LocalGlobe: UK early-stage VC investing in seed and Series A UK tech startups. Comparable as an early-stage VC investor in UK SMEs, though London-centric and focused on software/internet rather than regional industrial diversification.
- Longwall Ventures: Specialist early-stage investor in UK science and engineering companies with ~£70m AUM. Direct peer—Midven co-invests with Longwall (e.g., MIRICO) and both operate science-focused seed/early-stage funds.
- Fuel Ventures: UK early-stage VC investing seed and Series A rounds in UK technology startups. Comparable ticket sizes (£250k–£1m+) and stage focus, though Fuel is London-based and software-focused vs Midven's regional/SME scope.
- Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund: UK regional EIS fund manager focused on early-stage technology investments with Welsh/Western UK tilt. Comparable as a UK EIS-licensed early-stage fund operator with regional government ties.
Others
- Rainbow Seed Fund (historical): Fund managed by Midven itself, backed by UK publicly-funded research organisations (STFC, BBSRC, Dstl, NERC, BEIS). Comparable as a deep-tech/science-focused early-stage fund but operates as part of Midven's own portfolio.
- Seedrs / Republic: Crowdfunding and retail investment platform for early-stage UK businesses. Tangentially comparable as a UK early-stage capital provider, though a platform rather than a fund manager.
Regional players
- West Midlands Combined Authority: Public-sector body deploying capital into West Midlands economic development. Comparable as a regional capital allocator in the same geography, though not a private VC manager—acts as a counterparty/funder rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Midven social profiles
Digital presenceMidven financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Midven leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Midven funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Midven M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments130 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Midven
What does Midven do?
Midven, operating as Future Planet Capital Regional, is a specialist venture capital firm providing growth equity capital to fast-growing, revenue-generating small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the West Midlands. It manages over £110m across multiple funds, including the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) offering up to £2m and the West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO) offering up to £1m, alongside legacy funds, the Rainbow Seed Fund, the GB EIS Fund, the Early Advantage Fund, and the Exceed Partnership Fund.
Is Midven a public or private company?
Midven is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Midven founded?
Midven was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Midven based?
Midven is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Midven make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Midven's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Midlands Engine Investment Fund (British Business Bank) and Octopus Investments (Octopus Ventures). Direct peers are Mercia Asset Management, LocalGlobe, Longwall Ventures, Fuel Ventures and Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund. Others are Rainbow Seed Fund (historical) and Seedrs / Republic. West Midlands Combined Authority is listed as a regional player.
Does Midven have an API?
No public API is recorded for Midven.
What industry is Midven in?
Midven's product category is Venture Capital and Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSANAGAI, Regional / Country-Focused Multi-Manager Platforms. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.