Contents
Current fund availability
Take advantage of our currently open funds
EIS Fund overview
Deployment timeframe
Each EIS fund aims to be fully invested within 12 months of closing, ensuring efficient capital deployment.
Sector Focus
We concentrate on key sectors, such as Life Sciences & Digital Health, AI & Software, Clean Tech, and Deep Tech, which offer high-growth potential and align with our investment philosophy of modest capital requirements.
Diversified portfolio
Our funds consist of a well-diversified portfolio encompassing about 12 technology companies, ensuring broad exposure to different growth opportunities.
Minimum investment
The minimum investment amount is £25,000 for Mercia EIS and £10,000 for our Knowledge-intensive EIS.
Always open
Rolling Mercia EIS funds enable investors to engage at their convenience with regular closes in April, June, September, and December. Mercia's Knowledge-intensive EIS is closed in April each year annually.
A basic guide to EIS
Investing in small companies is high-risk, but can potentially deliver high-returns, but investing via EIS offers more than just investment potential. If you invest via an EIS fund you also receive tax benefits, including income tax relief, capital gains tax deferral, and inheritance tax relief. These tax reliefs are subject to your personal tax circumstances, these improve the overall investment proposition.
Executive outlook
Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in the future.
In the face of economic headwinds, investment into the UK’s SMEs, particularly those supported by Enterprise Investment Schemes (“EIS”), has become crucial for fostering innovation and employment in key sectors like Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences. Mercia EIS Funds enable investors to support these pivotal areas while benefiting from attractive tax advantages, including income tax relief, and capital gains deferrals.
Beyond tax benefits, investors are increasingly motivated by the impact their portfolios can have. Mercia’s focus on nurturing scalable, tech-enabled businesses aligns with investor interest in companies that not only offer growth potential but also address societal, technological and environmental challenges.
Dr Paul Mattick, Head of Investor Relations and Sales
Mercia’s EIS investment strategy positions investors to capitalise on exciting opportunities by supporting cutting-edge SMEs with a clear roadmap to value creation.
Julian Dennard, EIS Fund Principal
Key sectors at a glance
- Life Science and Digital Health technologies that improve health care delivery, outcomes, and personal wellness
- Deep Tech technologies based on scientific research and engineering innovation, including artificial intelligence and biotechnology
- Clean Tech that reduce environment impact, enable renewable energy or decrease waste
- Enterprise software technologies that can standardise and automate business processes
- Cybersecurity technology used to protect digital system and data
Independent summary of exits
“The Fund has facilitated 15 profitable exits to date, including full and partial exits with returns from The Native Antigen Company, C7 Health, and Oxford Genetics Limited which have fully exited with 8.70x, 14.18x, and 16.28x return multiples respectively. This is very promising, and one of the more developed records in the EIS market”
– MICAP, 2024
How to apply to invest in our EIS
Investing in small companies is associated with a high risk of failure. We are investing in small high growth companies, which is an activity which the government supports with tax reliefs, which may be relevant to your personal circumstance, and may be subject to change.
To invest you will need to answer questions to assess your suitability. After you have completed this process, you can either fill in an online application or complete a PDF application (online or wet ink). Once your application is approved and an account is opened, you can proceed with the subscription via bank transfer.
For any queries, please contact paul.mattick@mercia.co.uk
Investor portal & support
Upon approval of your application, you will receive a welcome pack and gain access to your investor portal, an all-in-one platform designed to provide you with insights into your investments.
Stay informed with comprehensive performance reports, access valuations, statements and tax certificates, all in one user-friendly interface.
With 24/7 accessibility, our portal empowers you with the information you need to make informed investment decisions and track your portfolio.
Portal Log-in – Access tax certificates, valuations and performance documentation
Investor support – If you need assistance obtaining valuations and other documentation from the portal, or resetting your password, please contact enquiries@mercia.co.uk