Worth Capital were behind the Start-Up Series – an innovative competition and SEIS & EIS investment fund. The fund invested in strong founders that had uncovered unique market insight and created innovative propositions with the potential to build a loved brand.
The Start-Up Series Fund continues to be managed by Amersham Investment Management.
Paul & Matthew from Worth Capital help the businesses that are still thriving to grow and, when the time comes, to exit.
The Start-Up Series Fund has now closed for investment, and Worth Capital are NOT now receiving or reviewing any pitches or investment requests.
During my career I’ve made myself lucky to work with, learn from and help the leadership teams of some of the largest businesses across the world. I grew up in retail – including senior roles in Kingfisher and John Lewis Department Stores. More recently I’ve been a Director of ?What If!, the global innovation consultancy (now part of Accenture), helping the leadership teams of some of the most recognisable companies across the globe including AB Inbev, Barclays Group and Tesco.
I still advise very large global businesses including IKEA, a major division of the Coca-Cola Company, Specsavers and Axel Springer (a major European media group).
My empathy with entrepreneurs comes from establishing, and then selling, a retail business and from making angel investments. I’ve had one very profitable large exit, some more frustrating minor ones and the failures, from which I’ve learnt the most.
Experience building my own businesses, has taught me that a successful entrepreneur doesn’t always need a great idea, but they will always need a thoughtful (and detailed) plan. Success will mostly come from two things. Firstly, the relentless discipline of reviewing and measuring progress against the plan. Secondly, employing a team who can deliver the many small actions to fulfil the bigger plan. Stirring in the other magic ingredients of natural flair, creativity and passion, and the entrepreneur will likely taste success.
I’ve always enjoyed taking pretty big calculated risks, so co-founding iD (a leading experiential marketing agency) straight out of university felt like a natural thing to do. Over the last thirty years, the success of iD has enabled me to have many other adventures in business. These have included creating a disruptive media business called Brandspace, which we built from scratch and sold to private equity in just 5 years. I am also an active start-up investor and have backed over 30 businesses across the media, medical and FMCG sectors.