ACF Investors

Paul Fauset has more than 20 years of experience across investment banking, corporate finance and venture capital, and joined ACF Investors when it launched in 2011. He previously worked at Barclays Capital in London and New York, KPMG Corporate Finance in Leeds, and Hawsons Corporate Finance and Capital for Enterprise (now the British Business Bank) in Sheffield. He holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Nottingham and the Securities & Investment Institute Diploma.

Sam Fennell joined ACF Investors in March 2012. She began her career in 1990 as an analyst on the Small Cap Equity Research Team at Kleinwort Benson, staying until 1999, then moved to Deutsche Bank's oil team and became a Managing Director there in 2004. She has also worked as a freelance analyst producing research across a range of sectors.

Tim Mills is Managing Partner at ACF Investors, having established and launched the fund in 2011. Before this, he spent about ten years as an Investment Director at the British Business Bank until 2018, launching venture capital funds and backing UK fund managers. He began his career at Merrill Lynch, later worked at Barclays Capital, a credit analytics consultancy and a large UK hedge fund, and holds an MBA from Manchester Business School with an undergraduate background in engineering and information systems.

Marion Bernard, a founding leader of a major UK growth-investment platform, embeds with the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, commercializing academic research and advising a science seed fund.

Venture Partner at Mobeus Equity Partners and former CIO at Mercia Fund Management. An ACA-qualified accountant who was previously CIO at Nesta and a partner at 3i.

Founder Partner of healthcare private equity firm GHO Capital, previously at 3i Group and Hermes GPE. Former chairman of the BVCA and an angel investor since 2010.

Serial entrepreneur in hospitality and board member of Seraphim Capital and Hotspur Capital. Chair of Steelite PLC and awarded a CBE in 2006.

Board member of ACF Investors and CEO of Octopus Ventures, which he joined in 2008 and led from 2017. Previously a lawyer at Ashurst with earlier roles at NM Rothschild and IBM.

Board member of ACF Investors and former CEO of Oxford Instruments who led the creation of the Royal Society Enterprise Fund. Chairs the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund and authored the 2021 Mackintosh Report; a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering awarded a CBE in 2024.

Fellow and former Adjunct Professor at London Business School and founder of Sussex Place Ventures. Chairs several ventures and advises early-stage companies.

Liam Bradley joined ACF Investors as an Investment Analyst in January 2021. He was previously an Investment Executive at Midven, an early-stage venture capital firm in Birmingham. He holds a BA in History from the University of Birmingham.

Board member of ACF Investors and Chief Investment Officer of Northern Gritstone since 2022, building a university spin-out investment business. Co-founded Northstar Ventures, serving as CEO 2005-2011, with earlier experience at 3i Ventures.

Matt Boreman joined ACF Investors as an Investment Associate in March 2025. He previously spent four and a half years at NatWest Group, starting as a Corporate Banking graduate before moving into the North of England Structured Finance team and later the bank's Venture Debt team in London. He holds an MA in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.

Chartered Accountant and Chair of Firth Ventures, Special Projects Director for LINC Scotland, advising organisations including the World Bank on angel activity. Named European Business Angel of the Year 2008.

Director of The North East Fund and active private investor. Former corporate lawyer at Clifford Chance and UK Senior Partner of 3i's buyout business, later founding a Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cass Business School.

Founding partner of Apiary Capital, a UK private equity firm focused on business, financial, technology, education and healthcare services. Previously COO at Bowmark Capital and Duke Street and a founding partner at Park Square Capital.

Co-founder of Wren Capital, an angel investor focused on science and engineering, who has backed over 80 businesses. Named UK Business Angels Association Angel Investor of the Year 2013 and serves on the board of Cambridge Angels.

Co-founder of Avonmore Developments and non-exec at Playfair Capital, a full-time angel investor for 20 years having backed over 35 businesses.

Sina Ataherian is an Investor Director at ACF Investors, which he first joined in March 2022 and rejoined in November 2025. Earlier he spent six years on the private equity investment team at CDC Group plc, co-founded an Edtech start-up, and worked as an Analyst at Lazard; between his ACF roles he launched a US Agri-tech company and served as COO of UptimeLabs. He holds an MSc in Energy Engineering from Durham University and a BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Imperial.

Northern Ireland-based technology investor with the Halo business angel network, Executive Chairman of QuizFortune and Lead Angel Investor for the Volcano Syndicate.

NED of Baronsmead VCT and CEO of Stratagem Corporate Finance & Strategy, with degrees from Cambridge and an MBA from London Business School.

Board member of ACF Investors and former Partner with KPMG's private equity group who began his career as an accountant and auditor.

Donald Smith is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, holding a BS in Accounting and an MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. He is the founder of two technology companies, serving as CEO of the HR tech startup WorkTalo and Executive Creative Director of the clothing company Founder Moda, and is currently an AI in Population Health Research Fellow at the AIM-AHEAD Consortium. He is active in the Birmingham technology and business community through organizations including Innovation Depot and Birmingham AI, and mentors portfolio companies at the Atlanta-based non-profit Goodie Nation.

Co-founder of Avonmore and one of the UK's most experienced angel investors, running the firm since 2013. He is a board member of Cambridge Angels, a Venture Partner and Senior Advisor at Playfair Capital (having previously chaired its Investment Committee), and has served on the Investment Committee of the UK Government-backed Angel Cofund since 2014.

Cornell-educated partner focused on venture and emerging-technology research, leading coverage and deal scoring from San Francisco.