Baronsmead Venture Trusts

Name

Baronsmead Venture Trusts

Legal name

Baronsmead Venture Trust plc

Website

https://baronsmeadvcts.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Trusts

NAICS

Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Investments for Private Wealth (Hedge Funds, PE/VC Access, Private Credit) (FSAAABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Secondary Venture Funds (VC Secondaries) (FSANAAAK)

Keywords

• Venture capital trusts
• Tax-efficient investments
• UK growth investing
• Private equity trusts
• AIM-listed investments

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. VCT Investment Management: Baronsmead Venture Trusts generate returns through managing a diversified portfolio of UK growth businesses, including unquoted, AIM-traded and other listed companies. Returns to investors come from tax reliefs (up to 30% income tax relief on subscription), tax-free dividends, and tax-free capital gains. The investment manager (Gresham House) earns management fees from managing the VCT portfolios.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Baronsmead Venture Trusts operates two publicly listed venture capital trusts (Baronsmead Venture Trust plc and Baronsmead Second Venture Trust plc), managed by Gresham House Asset Management. The trusts pool investor capital to invest in a diversified portfolio of UK early-stage growth businesses, including unquoted companies and those listed on AIM and other exchanges. Investors access tax-efficient exposure through subscription to new shares, secondary market purchases on the London Stock Exchange, dividend reinvestment plans, and share buyback facilities. Returns are generated through tax reliefs (up to 30% income tax relief), tax-free dividends, and tax-free capital gains after a minimum 5-year holding period.

Product overview

Baronsmead Venture Trusts operates as a dual-trust structure comprising Baronsmead Venture Trust plc (BVT) and Baronsmead Second Venture Trust plc (BSVT), both managed by Gresham House. These are tax-efficient Venture Capital Trusts offering private investors exposure to UK early-stage growth businesses. Both VCTs follow a 'generalist' investment approach, focusing primarily on unquoted, AIM-traded and other listed companies, often co-investing with each other. The trusts provide up to 30% income tax relief on new shares, tax-free dividends, and tax-free capital gains, targeting a diversified portfolio of approximately 155 quoted and unquoted companies with combined assets under management of approximately £470 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Baronsmead Venture Trust plc (BVT): One of two Baronsmead VCTs, investing in UK early-stage growth businesses including unquoted and AIM-traded companies.
• Baronsmead Second Venture Trust plc (BSVT)

Products and services

• Baronsmead Venture Trust plc (BVT) A tax-efficient Venture Capital Trust that invests primarily in a diverse portfolio of UK growth businesses, whether unquoted or traded on AIM, substantially based in the UK. Offers income tax relief up to 30%, tax-free dividends, and tax-free capital gains to UK tax resident individual investors.
• Baronsmead Second Venture Trust plc (BSVT) A tax-efficient Venture Capital Trust that invests primarily in a diverse portfolio of UK growth businesses, whether unquoted or traded on AIM, substantially based in the UK. Typically co-invests alongside Baronsmead Venture Trust in companies sourced by the Investment Manager.

Quantifiable outcome

• Realised c.£51mn of capital proceeds over last two years at 1.5x investment cost
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Redmayne Bentley LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFCA-authorised stockbroker that facilitates the share buyback process for Baronsmead VCT shareholders through a dedicated online form. Investors can initiate a sale of their shares back to the VCT through this service, with minimum two-week processing time before shares are lodged for the next buyback.
• The City Partnership (UK) LimitedcoreOthersOfficial registrar for Baronsmead VCTs managing shareholder accounts, dividend distributions, and share registration. Operates the Gresham House VCTs Investor Hub for online shareholding management including portfolio tracking, price information, and dividend reinvestment plan administration.
• Gresham HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment manager for Baronsmead VCTs providing extensive experience, resources, and network. The investment manager enables the VCTs to resource investees financially and practically, offering mentorship and advice through their development cycle. Gresham House staff invest alongside the VCTs in unquoted investments.
• UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaronsmead VCTs operate under Gresham House which is a signatory to UN-supported PRI. The VCTs integrate sustainable investment practices into investment selection and monitoring, considering ESG factors when investing in new businesses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Octopus Apollo VCT: Octopus Apollo VCT is one of the largest UK VCTs with comparable size and a generalist approach to UK growth-stage investing, directly competing for retail tax-advantaged capital and portfolio company deal flow.
• Foresight VCT: Foresight VCT plc is one of the largest UK VCTs managed by Foresight Group, offering tax-efficient UK growth equity exposure with overlapping investor base and competing directly for primary capital and secondary market listings.
• British Smaller Companies VCT: British Smaller Companies VCT is a UK-listed VCT focused on smaller UK growth companies, with similar mandate structure, tax wrapper, and target investor base as Baronsmead.
• Northern Venture Trust: Northern Venture Trust is a longstanding UK VCT (managed by Mercia) investing in unquoted UK growth businesses, directly comparable to Baronsmead on structure, target returns, and investor base.
• ProVen VCT: ProVen Growth & Income VCT is a UK VCT managed by Beringea, focused on UK growth businesses and offering similar tax reliefs to UK retail investors, directly competing for the same capital pool.
• Maven Income and Growth VCT: Maven Income and Growth VCT is a UK-listed VCT with similar generalist regional growth strategy, offering retail investors tax-efficient exposure to UK SMEs and competing directly for primary subscriptions and secondary market share.
• Calculus VCT: Calculus VCT is a UK VCT focused on EIS-qualifying and growth-stage UK companies, providing comparable tax-efficient structures and competing directly for retail investors and deal flow.
• Hargreave Hale AIM VCT: Hargreave Hale AIM VCT is a UK VCT with a focus on AIM-quoted companies, offering similar tax-advantaged exposure to UK smaller companies and competing directly for the same investor segment.
• Albion Development VCT: Albion Development VCT is a UK VCT managed by Albion Capital, providing generalist UK growth-stage equity exposure with the same tax advantages as Baronsmead and competing in the same retail investor market.
• Gresham House Income & Growth VCT: Sister VCTs under the same Gresham House investment manager with overlapping UK generalist strategy, sharing deal flow, due diligence, and portfolio management resources—essentially the closest functional peer within the same parent platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gresham-house

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Baronsmead Venture Trusts