The UK Business Angels Association has launched an angel investment hub in Bristol, closing another gap in the city’s funding infrastructure for start-ups and scale-ups.
The hub has been opened by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) in partnership with Bristol’s Engine Shed, the innovation centre at Temple Meads that brings together investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics and corporates. 
The lack of a range of sources of funding for fast-growth firms has often been seen as one of the few gaps in Bristol’s business support ecosystem, particularly for businesses that need early-stage or seed funding to move to the next level.
Efforts have been made over recent years by Engine Shed bosses and business groups in the city to open up new sources of finance, from venture capital (VC) and private equity to crowdfunding and to long-term equity capital.
The UKBAA said it recognised that the vast majority of equity investment was concentrated towards London and the South East, leading to an acute dearth of funding in other regions that posed a significant threat to the progression of their start-ups and scale-ups. It also opened a hub in Birmingham this week.
UKBAA CEO Jenny Tooth said: “There is a lack of infrastructure which means that neither angels or entrepreneurs are visible to each other. The presence of funds is not enough as you have to create an environment where entrepreneurs are investment ready.
“Our new Angel Hub in the heart of Bristol [will] provide a focal point for angel investors of all levels to connect with each other. We will continue to help entrepreneurs to be investment-ready, how to pitch and present effectively.”
The UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA) is the national trade association for angel and early-stage investment, representing more than 160 member organisations and around 18,000 investors.
Business angels in the UK collectively invest an estimated £1.5bn a year, making them the UK’s largest source of investment for start-ups and early-stage businesses seeking to grow.
UKBAA members include angel networks, syndicates, individual investors, early-stage VCs, equity crowdfunding platforms, accelerators, professional advisers and intermediaries.
UKBAA acts as the voice of the angel investment community and strives to build and connect the angel investment ecosystem so as to ensure a coherent landscape for financing high-potential entrepreneurs.
