Founders

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Supporting Founders

An award-winning, Northern-centric VC that puts founders first

A lot of VCs say they put founders first. But how many can prove it? We continue to back exceptional founders from SaaS, fintech, healthcare, gaming, AI and other future-focused industries because we know the difference more than money can make. After all, what’s money without professional support, advice and complete transparency from our network of business, PR, HR and finance professionals – regardless of how things are going?

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Learn from someone else’s mistakes

Unconditional support doesn’t just come from us. Giving more than money also means connecting you with our operational partners.

Steve Caunce

Chairman

Steve spent 13 years as CEO of FTSE 250 group AO World, the owner of AO.com, and was previously CFO of Phones4U. Steve has significant expertise in scaling businesses, having overseen the rapid growth at both AO World and Phones4U.

As Praetura Ventures’ non-executive chairman, Steve continues to contribute to our success and wider vision to be the VC of choice for early-stage businesses.

Colin Greene

Partner (Portfolio)

Colin has worked for the world’s biggest tech companies, including Apple, Intel and NCR. At Apple’s Cupertino HQ, he led the company’s Consumer Retail business with direct responsibility for a >$10B P&L. He has also held COO and Country CEO for Apple in Tokyo and Seoul. 

Colin now heads up our portfolio growth platform, working closely with our Operational Partners and supporting the portfolio with more than money.

 

Mark Slade

Operational Partner

Mark is the vice chairman of OSTC, a global derivatives trading and education company he co-founded, which has 450 employees in five countries. As vice chairman for the company, Mark champions robust governance, long-term goals and collective excellence at OSTC.

These qualities and Mark’s wealth of experience remain invaluable to his work as an Operational Partner for our portfolio.

Andy Barrow

Partner (Tech)

Andy was the CTO of leading Manchester software business ANS Group Plc, where he led the technology team until the company’s sale to Inflexion Private Equity. As CTO, Andy was responsible for technical strategy across cloud computing, data analytics, application development and managed services. Today Andy oversees our tech investments and wider tech strategy, ensuring Praetura consistently uncovers early-stage opportunities at the forefront of innovation.

Helen Verwoert

Operational Partner

Helen was previously Chief Human Resources Officer for Dr. Martens. As part of the leadership team, she was instrumental in the development of Dr. Martens, taking the brand from family ownership to a sale to the private equity firm Permira, which later culminated in a £3.7bn IPO in 2021.

Helen was also instrumental in restructuring the executive team including recruiting the CEO, CFO and three Regional Presidents, in addition to being the company’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Paul Johnson

Operational Partner

Paul is the co-founder of MPP Global and was CEO for 20 years until its acquisition by AIM-listed Aptitude Software in October 2021. MPP Global is the award-winning international provider of the cloud-based subscription management and billing SaaS platform eSuite. MPP’s clients include Sky, NBC Universal and L’Equipe. 

At exit, MPP Global had grown to over 100 employees plus offshore development teams and £9m ARR. 

Why partner with us?

Choosing a VC partner is a massive step in your journey as a founder. We want to make that step as easy as possible. We also want to make sure Praetura Ventures is right for you...

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Praetura aren’t like any other VC. The more than money promise goes to the core of what they’re trying to create. Consistently, they’re trying to find ways to support us and help us build the best business we can.

Gemma McCall, FOUNDER, Culture Shift

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Our Track Record

AWARD-WINNING

We’re recognised by Insider Dealmakers, EISA Awards, Growth Investor Awards, Investment Week and more for the quality of our service and our team’s dedication.

BBB-ACCREDITED

We’re the first Manchester-headquartered VC to receive funding from British Business Investments, which is part of the British Business Bank.

TRUSTED BY INVESTORS AND IFAS

We work with hundreds of investors and advisers. We’ve raised £36m in the last 24 months, deployed into over 20 businesses.

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Our Specialisms

NORTHERN ENTERPRISE

We’re a Manchester-based VC with regional BBI funding that’s committed to the North, with most of our portfolio based here.

B2B-FOCUSED FOUNDERS

Our major strength is helping predominantly B2B businesses from a wide range of industries to grow, develop and scale.

RECURRING REVENUE BUSINESSES

We’ve helped businesses across our portfolio increase their annual recurring revenue through clear strategies and product development.

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Join Our Portfolio

Our portfolio spans creators who are building new digital worlds, medical professionals who are redefining personal health and innovators who are giving a voice to victims of harassment. Let us support the exceptional work you do with more than money.

Learn more about our Portfolio and Investment teams. Download our Playbooks below.
 

Interested in funding and want to pitch to us?

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