Sheffield investment firm launches £30m fast-track angel investor fund

A South Yorkshire-based investment specialist has launched a new fund backed by angel investors to support UK businesses.

ACF Investors - formerly the Angel CoFund - has launched the Delta Fund, which aims to enable investors to provide larger sums of capital to companies faster.

Initially £30m, the new fund will provide equity or convertible loans to UK businesses that have been backed by a syndicate of angel investors with deep sector knowledge.

Investments from the Delta Fund will be made exclusively alongside at least three angel investors who are new to the business, including at least one lead angel investor with sector knowledge who has committed more than £70k to the round. In investment rounds greater than £500k, the Delta Fund will provide up to 49 percent of capital.

The launch of the new fund coincides with the firm’s rebrand to ACF Investors. Tim Mills, managing partner at ACF Investors, explained: “Investment alongside angel syndicates has been the core of our investment model since we were established nearly a decade ago.

“Over the past 10 years we have seen the UK angel investment ecosystem evolve. Angel investment has become more professional, funding round sizes have increased, and so have the size of businesses angels invest in.

“We have developed the Delta Fund to match the maturity of the UK angel investment ecosystem. The Delta Fund will provide access to more capital with reduced process from us, with the knowledge that the backing of sector smart angel investors is the best validation that an early stage business can have and gives businesses the best chance of success.”

George Whitehead, partner at ACF Investors, added: “We firmly believe that the active involvement of stand-out angel investors are the one of the largest contributing factors to the success of an early stage company and we are proud to have a number among our existing portfolio companies.

“The Delta Fund goes even further, placing the sector smart angel investor at the heart of the investment.

“By championing a company they believe has high potential, they are able to expedite the usual investment process and unlock additional capital that will accelerate growth for the business.”