DSW Ventures
Venture capitalManchester · Pre-Seed–Series A · 13 people tracked
Investment thesis
DSW Ventures targets early-stage UK regional startups, typically investing from £100,000 to over £1 million into SEIS/EIS-qualifying companies and participating in larger rounds. It focuses on software, university/corporate spin-outs and consumer businesses that have talented founders, a defensible competitive position and evidence of product-market fit. The firm invests on behalf of British Business Investments, family offices and angel investors seeking SEIS and EIS tax benefits. Its team, which has led over 100 UK investments, takes a hands-on approach, guiding and supporting portfolio companies through the investment process and toward exit.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 13 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 17 of 25 portfolio companiesBiotech ×7AI & Machine Learning ×6SaaS ×6Deep Tech ×5Consumer ×3Healthtech ×3E-commerce ×2Enterprise Software ×2
HQs:United Kingdom×4United States×1
Investments · 25 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBirmingham/Warwick spin-out developing 4Degra, a resorbable biomaterial for 3D-printed implants and surgical devices.
Women's outdoorwear business known for innovative outdoor skinny trousers combining function, comfort and feminine design.
Açaí Outdoorwear designs outdoor apparel for women, focusing on style, performance, and fit for everyday wear.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
Aston Particle Technologies develops formulation solutions for small molecule and biological APIs using its patented isothermal dry particle coating (iDPC) technology, which layers particles without heat, solvents, or mechanical mixing aids.
BiotechDeep TechNew Materials
Software that reduces the size of user web-data cache for sysadmins, cutting the web-data footprint and lowering cloud infrastructure data costs.
Dia Beta Labs is a UK-based biotech company developing a pipeline of engineered therapeutic peptides that target beta-cell receptors to treat metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
BiotechHealthtechLongevity
Co-investorsClarendon Fund Managers Ltd.Innovation Ulster
Glenclova Scientific develops therapeutic vaccines that enable patients to generate natural antibodies against disease targets, positioned as an alternative to conventional biologics like monoclonal antibodies.
BiotechHealthtech
Hike SEO provides done-for-you SEO services powered by "Kit," an AI SEO expert that analyzes a business's website and optimizes it for Google, ChatGPT, and other LLMs, paired with a human account manager.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Co-investorsJenson Ventures
InvenireX develops molecular diagnostics technology for DNA detection and absolute quantification of nucleic acids, combining DNA nanotechnology with AI-driven automation.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
Mesenbio develops extracellular vesicle (EV) therapeutics derived from mesenchymal stem cells, using its FT-01 platform to enable scalable, GMP-ready EV manufacturing for regenerative medicine.
BiotechHealthtechLongevity
Dr. David Kuntin(Chief Executive Officer)Prof. Paul Genever(Chief Scientific Officer)Anita Adams(Finance Director)
BoardDr. David Simpson(Chair)Jason Goldstein(Director)
Nexco provides an AI-powered intelligence layer for executive search firms, gathering structured candidate data during engagements and feeding it back into the firm's CRM.
AI & Machine LearningHR TechSaaS
Northern Light Microscopy develops advanced microscopy and imaging solutions based on light control, aimed at life-science labs and biotech companies.
BiotechDeep TechHardware
One Utility Bill combines energy, broadband, TV, TV licence and water into a single monthly payment for renters and homeowners, with the option to split bills between housemates.
ConsumerEnergyMarketplaces
Co-investorsMiddleton EnterprisesNorthstar Ventures
Events marketplace connecting consumers and corporates with a UK network of event and party suppliers.
Propello Cloud offers a white-label, API-based loyalty and rewards platform that lets businesses launch and manage customer reward programmes without building in-house solutions.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS
Roxfit is building Ultra, a race intelligence and competition product for athletes that extends engagement beyond race day.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerSports Tech
Symphony Commerce designs and implements B2B ecommerce systems, including its Tempus platform, that integrate with clients' existing infrastructure to handle catalogue management, pricing, approval workflows, order handling, and multi-region data sync.
B2B MarketplacesE-commerceSaaS
.UK.COM is a domain registry offering an unrestricted, globally accessible .UK.COM domain extension for businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors seeking a British online identity without local ccTLD restrictions.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaSLas Vegas, US
Co-investorsElderstreet InvestmentsFuture Planet CapitalRockpool InvestmentsZouk Capital
StimOxyGen develops a pH-sensitive polymer-coated nanoparticle formulation that dissolves in low-pH environments and transiently generates oxygen within hypoxic solid tumours to improve the efficacy of cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices
Co-investorsClarendon Fund Managers Ltd.
Manchester-based subscription market research and insights platform focused on the kids, parents and under-30s market.
No-code social commerce mobile app builder for e-commerce brands.
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has DSW Ventures made?
- DSW Ventures has 25 tracked investments.
- What stage does DSW Ventures invest at?
- DSW Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is DSW Ventures's typical check size?
- DSW Ventures typically writes checks of $130K – $1.3M.
- What sectors does DSW Ventures focus on?
- DSW Ventures focuses on Consumer, Deep Tech, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is DSW Ventures located?
- DSW Ventures is headquartered in Manchester, GB.
- Does DSW Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, DSW Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does DSW Ventures co-invest with?
- DSW Ventures most often shares deals with Clarendon Fund Managers Ltd., Elderstreet Investments, Future Planet Capital, among 8 tracked co-investors.
Images
Similar investors
.jpeg){kind=logo}
B Capital is a global investment firm backing early to late-stage technology innovators across technology, healthcare, and energy & resilience sectors.
Earlybird Venture Capital is a European venture firm that backs early-stage founders, providing hands-on portfolio support across talent, PR, communications, and strategy alongside its capital.
Hoxton Ventures is a European venture capital firm with a Silicon Valley mindset that invests early in founders building companies in new, non-obvious market categories, encouraging them to tackle the US market early.
Hyderabad Angels is an angel investor network founded in 2010, comprising entrepreneurs, industrialists, and family offices that back early-stage startups across India with capital, mentorship, and strategic networks.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies focused on technology, mobile, and clean energy sectors, including biotechnology applications. The firm provides capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs developing breakthrough technologies across multiple markets.