o2h Ventures makes it to the finals in the EISA Awards 2021… - o2h Ventures

Aug 31 2021

We are delighted to share that o2h Ventures has been shortlisted as a finalist in the upcoming EISA Awards 2021 in the Best Newcomer category.

The 2021 EISA Awards denote excellence in a number of EIS/SEIS fields and recognise the achievements of EIS/SEIS practitioners during the past year. The awards have a stellar judging panel again this year with a wide variety of experience from across the EIS and small business industry who independently assess entries and determine winners based on merit alone.

o2h Ventures is the fund manager of the o2h Human Health Knowledge-Intensive EIS Fund which is the first HMRC approved knowledge-intensive EIS fund as well as the o2h Human Health SEIS Fund both of which are the first funds in the UK solely focused on investing in biotech therapeutics and related AI. To date, o2h Ventures has invested into over 35 companies from the fund and pre-fund, several of which have now raised significant funds from overseas, listed and built game-changing drugs to benefit human health.

The awards ceremony is going to be held on 7th October 2021 at The Cholmondeley Room in The House of Lords, if all goes to plan given the current situation due to the pandemic. Otherwise, the event will be held virtually.

For more information on the awards and event, please see – EISA Awards 2021

related stories

o2h Ventures Backs Enedra Therapeutics, Targeting Complex Cancers 7 May, 2025
o2h Ventures Makes a Follow-on Investment in Qkine, the Cambridge-based Specialist in Growth Factor Manufacturing 21 March, 2025
o2h Ventures Investment Spotlight – Revolutionising Prostate Cancer Treatment 30 January, 2025

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk

What are the key risks?

• If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invest. Most start-up businesses fail.

2 – You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong

• Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here. (https://www.fscs.org.uk/check/investment-protection-checker)

• Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here. (https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers)

3 – You won’t get your money back quickly

• Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.

• The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.

• If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.

4 – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

• Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.

• A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments (https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart/5-questions-ask-you-invest)

5 – The value of your investment can be reduced

• The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.

• These new shares could have addition rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here (https://www.fca.org.uk/investsmart)