John Hall

PXN Ventures is the venture capital arm of PXN Group, formed as a result of two of the North’s best fund managers (Praetura Ventures and Par Equity) coming together to create an investor that the region deserves. With offices in Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds and London, we deliver world-class investment programmes at scale to help build the Northern economy, supporting founders across a diverse range of sectors, including deep tech, life sciences and software. PXN Ventures is committed to backing early-stage founders across the North of the UK, with a long and growing list of northern success stories in our portfolio that have received early backing from PXN, including Modern Milkman, Phlo, AccessPay, Street Group and Advanced Electric Machines. As well as its EIS, VCT and institutional funds, including the GMC Life Sciences Fund II, PXN Ventures is the North West fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, which is managed on behalf of the British Business Bank. Founder in the North of England? Follow https://www.linkedin.com/company/pxnventuresnorthofengland

The Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) is a trade body for companies that help over-indebted consumers resolve their debts, especially through the use of Individual Voluntary Arrangements and Debt Management Plans. The organisation has 40-plus members (see website for list). promotes high standards of practice and is the approved centre for the sector's first academically accredited qualification the Certificate in Debt Resolution (CertDR)

At Blue Earth Biochar, we empower farmers and land managers with sustainable solutions that enhance food production while safeguarding the environment. Our products improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce diffuse pollution, recapture existing environmental nutrients and align with the principles of a circular economy.

New Black Gold offers hope for the planet! We are delighted to announce that we have secured grant support of £319,000 from DEFRA, through Innovate UK’s Farming Innovation Programme, supported by SEED funding of £116,000 from Edinburgh investment syndicate, Apollo Informal Investments. This funding will support our ongoing R & D project in conjunction with the UK Biochar Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences. We are developing a suite of unique Carbon negative solutions based on Biochar (in layman’s terms best described as supercharged Charcoal) that have the potential to transform the agricultural sectors’ CO2 emissions and help farmers achieve their 2040 net zero target. Our solution will sequester (capture) the Carbon content of agricultural residues by creating Biochar. This captures and locks away the Carbon for generations and is consequently Carbon negative, not just Carbon neutral, hence our “positively negative” strapline! Our products will have a long lasting benefit to soil health and sustainability as well as creating a truly circular economy by returning the nutrients in farmers’ residues back to them bringing long term benefits. In giving feedback on our grant application, Innovate UK’s assessors said the Company’s product “Is likely to disrupt the market and may become the new gold standard.“ That comment is particularly apposite as Biochar has been described as “the new Black Gold”! In tandem with our R & D project we are accelerating plans for our first production facility which, when it comes on stream, will make us the UKs largest producer of Biochar. A unique part of our proposition is to offer consumers and companies the opportunity to buy ISO approved certificates demonstrating the production of sufficient Biochar to completelky offset their Carbon footprints. If you are a VC or other investor interested in partnering us on our journey, please get in touch!

London & Scottish Investment Partners are a Scottish-based angel group supported by investors from London and Scotland. Our aim is to add expertise, experience, and money, alongside hands-on management support and a fresh strategic business plan. This creates a compelling growth and value accelerator for SMEs – taking them to the next level. LSIP are members of LINC, the Scottish Angel Network