Northern Gritstone Unveils EIS Fund with Parkwalk Advisors
Funding | Jun 19, 2025 | Business Cloud
Northern Gritstone, a venture building and investment firm, has launched a new Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) fund in partnership with Parkwalk Advisors. The fund, named Northern Universities Venture Fund, aims to provide investors access to early-stage, IP-rich scientific and deeptech projects originating from the Universities of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. The fund will be managed by Parkwalk Advisors, a notable figure in the university spinout investment scene with over £500 million in assets under management. This collaboration is aimed at creating a new investment channel designed for high-net-worth individuals and is expected to explore sectors like quantum computing, AI, and clean technology. Northern Gritstone's CEO, Duncan Johnson, believes the initiative could potentially spawn the UK's first trillion-dollar business, while Moray Wright, CEO of Parkwalk Advisors, emphasized the combination of their deeptech expertise and extensive university partnerships could unlock a pipeline of underused Northern innovation.
Sectors
- Venture Capital
- Deep Tech
- Higher Education
Geography
- United Kingdom – Both Northern Gritstone and Parkwalk Advisors are UK-based entities, and the fund focuses on innovations emerging from UK universities.
- North of England – The fund specifically targets early-stage investment opportunities from universities located in the North of England.
Industry
- Venture Capital – The article discusses the creation of a new fund by Northern Gritstone in collaboration with Parkwalk Advisors, a prominent player in the venture capital sector.
- Deep Tech – The initiative focuses on investment opportunities in deep technology sectors such as AI, quantum computing, healthtech, and more, representing a fundamental aspect of the article.
- Higher Education – The fund aims to leverage scientific and deeptech projects emerging from top Northern universities, incorporating the higher education sector into the investment strategy.
Financials
- 362 million – Total capital commitment by Northern Gritstone after recent fundraising.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Gritstone | Venture building and investment company | Company | A Manchester-based firm involved in venture building and investment, with partnerships focusing on innovations from Northern UK universities. |
| Parkwalk Advisors | Fund Manager | Company | A leading university spinout investor in the UK, managing the Northern Universities Venture Fund. |
| Duncan Johnson | CEO | Person | The CEO of Northern Gritstone, overseeing the launch of the fund. |
| Moray Wright | CEO | Person | CEO of Parkwalk Advisors, involved in managing the joint venture fund. |