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Praetura Ventures
Par Equity and Praetura Ventures have merged to become PXN Ventures, combining their businesses, networks and capabilities as an investor for the North.
Praetura Ventures
Par Equity and Praetura Ventures have merged to become PXN Ventures, combining their businesses, networks and capabilities as an investor for the North. PXN champions the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland's investment ecosystem and wider economy. The firm emphasises support beyond capital—more than money—including founder support from operational partners and venture capital from preseed to Series B+.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2011
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
Manchester
Corporate office
Manchester, United Kingdom
Principals
David Foreman
Managing Partner
Steve Caunce
Chairman
Andy Barrow
Partner (Tech)
Colin Greene
Partner (Portfolio)
Jon Prescott
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Praetura Ventures?
David Foreman is the Managing Partner and co-founder, overseeing all investment activity. The investment committee includes Partner Andy Barrow, who leads tech investments after serving as CTO at ANS Group until its sale to Inflexion, and Partner Colin Greene, who heads the portfolio growth platform. Operational Partners with significant P&L experience—figures like Steve Caunce (former CEO of AO World) and Mark Slade (co-founder of OSTC)—participate in sourcing and due diligence, giving the investment team direct access to seasoned operators.
How does Praetura Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
Praetura relies on its operational partner network and regional concentration to surface deals, particularly in the North of England. Its merger with Par Equity extends this funnel into Scotland and Northern Ireland. The firm also manages dedicated sleeve funds like the GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, which creates structured relationships with universities and research institutions in Greater Manchester. This regional, relationship-driven model gives it early visibility into university spinouts and founder-led companies that often fall outside London-centric venture networks.
What investment stages does Praetura Ventures typically target?
Praetura invests from preseed through Series B+, with a concentration on seed and early-stage rounds. The portfolio includes companies at the very earliest stages—university spinouts like BlueSkeye AI and CareLoop—alongside later-stage businesses that have reached multi-million-pound ARR, such as AccessPay (enterprise fintech) and Cyclr (iPaaS). The merger with Par Equity in 2024 expanded its capacity to write larger cheques, with PXN positioning itself to support companies through later growth stages.
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