Welcome to the Oxford Capital Partners Blog

Sharing ideas, engaging with entrepreneurs, discussing the dynamics of investment management and how we can help to build great businesses. The ideas and conclusions in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oxford Capital Partners. They are for general interest only and should not be taken as investment advice or as an invitation to purchase or sell any investment.

Recent Posts:

Big Data's big moment?

Posted in by Will Laws on Mon, 22 Apr 2013

We ask if 'Big Data' is just the latest technology buzz-phrase, or if it creates real opportunities for growth and for investors. Read more

10 reasons why EIS should form part of your tax year end activity

Posted in Investing, EIS investments, tax efficient investing by Simon Ruthers on Fri, 8 Feb 2013

With tax efficient investing high on many client agendas, if you are not speaking with your clients about EIS, there are a number of compelling reasons why you may wish to do so. Read more

Sirigen - view from The Bridge

Posted in by Andrew Sherlock on Fri, 1 Feb 2013

Nick Kerton, CEO of Sirigen, explains how Oxford Capital’s support helped the company achieve a successful trade sale. Read more

The name's Bond...

Posted in by Colin Watts on Wed, 3 Oct 2012

As part of our market monitoring activities we have become aware that the dual desires for income and risk protection have pushed many of the classic income markets to very extreme levels.  All investors should operate a portfolio allocation strategy that suits their circumstances, but occasionally certain markets become over extended and every one should review their individual allocations in this context. Read more

Social network IPOs - Are they trending?

Posted in by Will Orde on Fri, 7 Sep 2012

The IPO of Facebook in May 2012 and the subsequent share performance has grabbed news headlines, but is this a one-off or the result of more general trends in the social networks and technology sectors? Read more

Apple still appealing

Posted in by Colin Watts on Tue, 4 Sep 2012

Apple has achieved something remarkable in becoming the largest company the world has ever seen in terms of market capitalisation. Can their momentum be maintained? Read more

Defeating the vicarage syndrome

Posted in Investors, Investing by David Mott on Tue, 24 Jul 2012

The badge of 'serial entrepreneur' is one that more of the UK's top business talent aspire to and this is to be celebrated. Thankfully there is an upturn in second or third time entrepreneurs starting new ventures as David discovers in his article for The FT. Read more

The attraction of the small

Posted in by James Faulkner on Fri, 18 May 2012

The risks of backing small companies haven’t stopped investors clamouring for the attractive potential returns of small-cap in the first quarter of 2012. And there are ways of accessing the growth potential of the UK’s emerging success stories without risking it all. Read more

Shopping for growth

Posted in by Will Laws on Fri, 18 May 2012

GDP growth may be faltering, but as the business world changes it creates opportunities to invest in dynamic companies. BagThat.com, the latest addition to the Oxford Capital portfolio, is bringing a brand new retail model to the booming internet market. Double-dip or no Read more

Budget means last chance for solar, but bright future for EIS investment

Posted in Investors, Investing by Will Laws on Fri, 23 Mar 2012

George Osborne’s Budget puts a stop to future EIS opportunities relating to electricity feed-in tariffs. But his other revisions to the EIS, and the introduction of the SEIS, provide a welcome boost to innovative businesses in need of growth capital, and to investors in search of tax efficient opportunities. Read more

Booming in Brazil?

Posted in by John Gale on Tue, 6 Mar 2012

Figures released today suggest that Brazil may have overtaken the UK as the world’s sixth largest economy. The data shows that growth slowed from 7.5% in 2010 to 2.7% in 2011, partly due to the impact of the Eurozone crisis. But in an economic climate in which many countries are struggling to achieve any growth at all, how do they do it? Read more

Biopesticides: the new Biotechs?

Posted in Investors, Sustainability by David Mott on Fri, 3 Feb 2012

A dwindling pipeline of new technology; major companies threatened by blockbuster products coming off-patent, an increasingly stringent and constraining regulatory environment. Sound familiar? Not the pharma sector, but the high growth sector of biocontrol. Read more

Avoiding the funding trap

Posted in Investing, Funding by Alastair Stewart on Mon, 9 Jan 2012

One of many things we look out for when looking at new investment opportunities: a funding trap. If we can see a high risk of being stuck in one of these, more often than not we will pass on the opportunity. How do you avoid getting "rejected" for this reason? Read more

Global Equities: A different animal?

Posted in Private equity, portfolio management by Edward Mott on Tue, 1 Nov 2011

Edward Mott explores the role of private equity and venture capital in post-recession equity portfolio optimisation. Read more

Making hay while the sun shines

Posted in Investors by Sebastian Miller on Mon, 31 Oct 2011

Sunlight takes just 8 minutes to reach the earth and, in just 1 hour, more sunlight energy falls on the earth than is used by the entire population in one year? You may have noticed a growing number of column inches in the investment press about the UK’s solar energy sector which is experiencing rapid growth. Odd for a country best known for its fog and rain! Read more

The Vicarage Syndrome

Posted in Investors, Entrepreneurs by David Mott on Mon, 22 Aug 2011

'Autonomy to be acquired by HP'. This was the news hitting Twitter on 19th August 2011. A less reported point is that Mike was called in to meet with David Cameron at Number 10, before the deal was announced. For David Cameron, as for many of us involved in the UK tech sector, the question is whether this deal is a triumph or a tragedy? Read more

Google reaches out to UK VCs

Posted in Investors, Entrepreneurs by David Mott on Thu, 30 Jun 2011

Today Google announced Google+. But its Executive Chairman was not in the Valley or on Wall Street. Instead he was talking to a group of UK tech entrepreneurs and VCs. Some notes from the discussion. Read more