Katie Fulford-Smith

Alma Angels is a diverse and active community with a bold mission: Generate $1 trillion in women-led wealth by 2050. Since 2020, we have brought together and trained over 500 angel investors who have invested into 200+ women (co)founders building tech or IP-rich ventures with global ambitions. These companies have gone on to raise more than £300m to date. Alma Angels is committed to training 10,000 angels and backing 10,000 women founders by 2035.

ScaleX Investments is the investing arm of the Simple Scaling. We will work in partnership with our colleagues at Simple Scaling to invest in and support ambitious leaders on a high growth scaling pathway. A condition of our investment is that a company commits to taking part in the ScaleX Accelerator programme. We are a generalist investor, focussed on backing values aligned leaders who put purpose at the heart of their scaling journey. ScaleX Investments specifically works with companies at the start of their scaling journey, typically having already achieved >£1m ARR. We dont lead rounds but aim to punch above our weight with our portfolio support.

Alma Angels is a diverse and active community with a bold mission: Generate $1 trillion in women-led wealth by 2050. Since 2020, we have brought together and trained over 500 angel investors who have invested into 200+ women (co)founders building tech or IP-rich ventures with global ambitions. These companies have gone on to raise more than £300m to date. Alma Angels is committed to training 10,000 angels and backing 10,000 women founders by 2035.

ScaleX Investments is the investing arm of the Simple Scaling. We will work in partnership with our colleagues at Simple Scaling to invest in and support ambitious leaders on a high growth scaling pathway. A condition of our investment is that a company commits to taking part in the ScaleX Accelerator programme. We are a generalist investor, focussed on backing values aligned leaders who put purpose at the heart of their scaling journey. ScaleX Investments specifically works with companies at the start of their scaling journey, typically having already achieved >£1m ARR. We dont lead rounds but aim to punch above our weight with our portfolio support.

Newton Venture Program provides venture capital training and development for aspiring investors, practising investors, and others in the venture space. Our mission is to level the playing field for people from typically overlooked and underestimated backgrounds, ensuring that the next generation of investors represent the world we live in. Newton Alumni span the globe with more than 500 people from all backgrounds going on to secure positions in VC firms, accelerate their careers in VC, and become disruptors of the status quo. As of the start of 2024, 46% identify as female or non-binary, and 49% identify as the global majority. Newton is a joint venture between Phoenix Court and London Business School with founding partner, HSBC Innovation Banking. With our unique blend of faculty and practitioner teaching, we are training the investors of tomorrow to back the ventures of the future.

UK Private Capital (formerly the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association - BVCA) is the association of the UK private capital industry. We represent 600 firms including the wider ecosystem of professional advisers and investors.   Private capital consists of private equity and venture capital which make long-term investments to grow British businesses and build a better economy. Private credit and venture debt provide active and engaged debt finance to businesses.  The private capital industry backs 13,000 UK businesses, nine in 10 of which are small or medium-sized enterprises. Businesses backed by the industry employ 2.5 million people across the UK and contribute 7% to GDP.  In 2024, £29.4bn was invested by private capital into UK businesses in sectors across the UK economy, ranging from consumer products to emerging technology. This increased investment has fuelled the growth of businesses across the UK, with six in ten (58%) of the businesses backed in 2024, located outside of the capital.  These investments are long term, with an average investment period of six years, in contrast to less than a year in public markets.  UK-based private capital specialists have raised £190bn of funds, known as dry powder, which is expected to be invested over the next three to five years.   The industry invests for a better future by backing some of the UK’s best loved businesses, developing the companies of the future and delivering solutions to global problems. 

Formerly Big Society Capital, we are the UKs leading social impact investor. Our mission is to grow the amount of money invested in tackling social issues and inequalities in the UK. We do this by investing ourselves and enabling others to invest for impact too. Set up in 2012 as Big Society Capital, we have helped the social impact investment market grow tenfold to nearly £8bn. This capital has financed social purpose organisations tackling everything from homelessness to mental heatlh and fuel poverty.