At Hambro Perks we like to see ourselves as active, founder-friendly investors. We want to help all our portfolio companies reach their maximum potential.
In this article I will be running through several key areas in which Hambro Perks can add value (outside of capital).
As a result of our permanent capital model, we always look to invest for the long-term. Our founders can be confident that our focus will not be on inflating short-term valuations but on helping build the foundations of long, lasting and successful businesses. As such, we feel that we bring more than just capital to our portfolio companies.
As an active investor we will always aim to take a Board seat where we can. The main reason for this is so we can help support our portfolio companies where possible. By doing so we effectively have an open door policy for all our founders where they can freely speak with us on any matters they might have. It also means we are well placed to help our investment companies on the items listed below.
Shareholder & Partner Network
Hambro Perks is unique in the fact that it invests off its balance sheet. The capital we invest has been raised through a shareholder base that includes over 60 business leaders, institutions and corporates. We also have a group of managing partners that have over 100 years’ worth of experience in a wide variety of sectors. This has given Hambro Perks an influential and wide network in which we can help our portfolio companies leverage.
Venture Partners: Operational & Strategic Support
As generalist investors we understand that we are not experts in all sectors, to help our portfolio companies achieve their potential we have a group of Venture Partners who are all leading individuals in their specialist fields. These Venture Partners can be hugely influential in guiding and mentoring our founders and management teams. This support could be in the case of light-touch, corridor conversations or as more hands-on, active Directorship roles. We will utilise these Venture Partners as and when our portfolio companies need it on a case-by-case basis.
Experienced in Internationalisation
We have an international team working at Hambro Perks and we all have global ambitions. It is very rare that Hambro Perks will invest in a company that does not have a desire to expand overseas. This means that we are always looking to help our companies internationalise and (we feel) we have the best experience and expertise to help. We have successfully helped several companies expand operations globally including pi-top, Kortext, Mettrr and Takumi.
Fundraising Experts
We can confidently say we are experts in fundraising. We have a dedicated team at Hambro Perks that help us and our portfolio companies raise funds. This is made possible through our extensive network, strong brand name and portfolio of fantastic businesses. We have also created a Co-Investment EIS Fund that will invest alongside Hambro Perks on a lot of our deals. It has become one of the fastest growing EIS funds in the UK, which is very exciting!
Leading Technical Support
As early-stage investors we are acutely aware of the challenges faced by businesses in their infancy. Most companies we invest in only have a handful of employees. At Hambro Perks we can provide support services to help a business in a number of functions. Our in-house accounting and legal teams can provide expert help in financial reporting, accounting, governance and corporate structuring – areas that are usually always needed in fast growing, early-stage businesses. We can also provide tech and digital media support.
Office Space
If you have ever visited our offices you will have noticed two things. First is Julian, our legendary front of house! The second is the exciting energy and atmosphere that is flowing throughout our two-story office in Victoria. The reason behind this is we have 120 entrepreneurs working for a few our portfolio companies that are based in our office. Many companies we invest in do not have an established office space, as such we can invite them to use our space whilst they begin their journey.
We believe providing capital is only part of the value Hambro Perks can bring as an investor. Our goal is to help all the companies that join the Hambro Perks ecosystem reach their full potential. We will always maintain close relationships and support them in any capacity that we can. If you are looking for investment or know a company that is, please get in contact through info@hambroperks.com and we’ll be in touch!