What DSW Ventures does

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based early-stage venture capital firm established in 2018 by co-founders Keith Benson and David Smith within the Dow Schofield Watts corporate finance group (DSW Capital plc). Operating as DSW Venture Capital LLP under FCA authorization, the firm is structured as a managed angel network that combines the professionalism of a VC fund with the flexibility of a regional angel group, managing capital on behalf of British Business Investments (a £10m commitment as the first partner of the £100m Regional Angels Programme), family offices, and a network of over 200 individual angel investors.

The firm targets the documented funding gap for UK regional businesses outside London, focusing on SEIS/EIS-qualifying companies in software, university spinouts, and consumer sectors with evidence of product-market fit. Typical investment tickets range from £100,000 to over £1 million, with participation in rounds up to £3 million; the DSW team contributes approximately 20% alongside the broader investor network. Since inception the team has led over 100 investments facilitating more than £24m in venture funding, with the portfolio spanning biotech (4D Biomaterials, InvenireX, Mesenbio, Glen Clova Scientific, StimOxyGen, Dia Beta Labs), software (Shopblocks, Hike SEO, Propello Cloud, Fireflai), consumer brands (ACAI Activewear, PopTop, One Utility Bill, ROXFIT), and data/AI (The Insights Family, Nexco.ai).

Distribution and sourcing leverage Dow Schofield Watts' regional office footprint across the North West, Yorkshire, the North East, Scotland, Wales, the Midlands, the South West, and London/South East, supplemented by direct applications and a co-investment ecosystem with Innovate UK/UKRI, Scottish Enterprise, XTX Ventures, Cambridge Technology Capital, GMCA, and others. Product surface includes the SEIS Fund and the newer P-FIS (Pension Fund Investment in S/EIS) vehicle; revenue accrues primarily through management fees and potential carried interest on invested capital. The firm remains a small, agile team (8–10 employees) and has continued to expand geographically (Birmingham office October 2025, London office) and operationally (2025 team additions, an annual internship programme).

Name

DSW Ventures

Legal name

DSW Venture Capital LLP

Website

https://dsw.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based UK regional early-stage venture capital firm that invests £100k–£3m in SEIS/EIS-qualifying software, spinout, and consumer businesses outside London, operating as a managed angel network alongside British Business Investments and 200+ angels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early-Stage Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Joint Venture CVC / Consortium Funds (Multi-corporate) (FSANAHAE), Corporate LP Programs (Corporate as LP in VC/PE funds) (FSANAHAH)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Early-stage funding
• SEIS EIS funds
• Angel network
• Regional startup investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: DSW Ventures generates returns through equity investments in early-stage UK companies. They invest on behalf of British Business Investments, family offices, and angel investors looking to benefit from SEIS and EIS tax reliefs. Returns come from capital gains on exits of portfolio companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests equity capital of £100k to £3m into UK regional SEIS/EIS-qualifying businesses, typically from start-up to Series A. The firm operates a managed angel network of 200+ investors and co-invests alongside British Business Investments, family offices and individual angels on software, spin-out and consumer companies.

Product overview

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based early-stage venture capital firm that operates as a single unified investment platform rather than a modular product suite. The firm provides venture capital funding to UK regional startups and scale-ups, offering investment rounds typically ranging from £100,000 to £3 million, with a focus on SEIS/EIS-qualifying businesses in software, spinouts, and consumer sectors. Their services include direct investment management, access to a network of over 200 angel investors, and fund administration through products like the SEIS Fund and P-FIS pension investment service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DSW Ventures SEIS Fund: SEIS-qualifying investment fund managed by DSW Ventures.
• P-FIS

Products and services

• DSW Ventures Investment Platform Early-stage venture capital investment platform providing equity rounds of £100,000 to £3 million to UK regional start-ups and spin-outs, with SEIS/EIS tax relief structures, hands-on portfolio support and access to a managed angel network of 200+ investors.
• DSW Ventures SEIS Fund Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) fund offering tax-efficient investment opportunities for individual investors in early-stage UK companies, providing diversified exposure to SEIS-qualifying businesses.
• P-FIS (Pension Fund Investment in S/EIS) Pension Fund Investment Service that allows pension holders to deploy pension capital into SEIS/EIS-qualifying early-stage UK companies through structured pension arrangements.
• DSW Ventures 1-Year Internship Programme Annual student placement programme providing hands-on venture capital experience working alongside the DSW Ventures investment team, with Investment Analyst placement years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 investments led into UK companies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Midlands Growth CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Supported opening of Birmingham office as inward investment agency; Birmingham City Council leader described it as vote of confidence reinforcing city's rise as £15bn tech hub
• UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA)minorOthersNational trade body membership bringing together 160+ members including investment syndicates, VCs, accelerators and early-stage investors
• AWS ActivateminorOthersCloud infrastructure partner providing benefits to portfolio companies through DSW Ventures network

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Maven Capital Partners: UK regional fund manager with offices across the regions providing early-stage and growth equity; comparable regional mandate, EIS activity and ticket sizes to DSW Ventures.
• Midven (Midlands Engine Investment Fund): Midlands-focused early-stage investor deploying regionally sourced capital into UK SMEs; directly comparable regional focus, EIS activity and ticket profile, particularly relevant given DSW's Birmingham expansion.
• Praetura Ventures: Manchester-headquartered early-stage VC investing in high-growth regional UK businesses; directly comparable geography, deal size range and SEIS/EIS-led investor proposition to DSW Ventures.
• Parkwalk Advisors: UK early-stage investor specialising in university spinouts and EIS-qualifying deep-tech; directly comparable EIS-led proposition and university spinout pipeline to DSW Ventures.
• Northstar Ventures: North East England-based early-stage investor with a regional UK focus on EIS-qualifying deals; repeatedly co-invests with DSW Ventures (PopTop, One Utility Bill) and operates a directly comparable regional early-stage model.
• Jenson Funding Partners: UK early-stage SEIS/EIS investor backing first-round UK start-ups; comparable ticket sizes, EIS focus and start-up stage exposure, and a documented co-investor of DSW Ventures in Hike SEO.
• Archangels: Scotland's leading angel network investing in Scottish start-ups and spinouts; comparable managed angel network model, EIS/SEIS focus and university spinout exposure to DSW Ventures' regional mandate.
• Mercia Asset Management: Regional UK fund manager providing equity capital to early-stage and growth businesses across the Midlands, North and Scotland; closely comparable regional focus, EIS/SEIS activity and ticket sizes to DSW Ventures.

Broad incumbents

• Octopus Ventures: Large UK early-stage VC backing software, consumer and deep-tech companies across the UK; a broader incumbent that competes for many of the same founders and co-investment opportunities as DSW Ventures.
• Cambridge Innovation Capital: Cambridge-anchored institutional VC backing deep-tech and life sciences spinouts in the Cambridge cluster; broader incumbent with a regional anchor and similar spinout focus to DSW Ventures.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsw-ventures
• Xx.com/dswcorporate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments36 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DSW Ventures