Opening offices in both Sheffield and Leeds, the Yorkshire hub will serve as a second base for investment activity, providing greater funding and scaling opportunities for emerging tech startups and scaleups in the North of England.

The strategic base follows the VC firm’s recent investment in businesses across the North of England, such as Re:course AI, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) learning and assessment platform for healthcare professionals, and Fuuse, a flexible back office system for EV chargers, among other companies.

Giles Moore, a serial entrepreneur from Sheffield, will lead the expansion as Par Equity’s regional development manager. Giles himself has launched and scaled numerous companies in Yorkshire.

Par Equity, which was founded in 2008 by a group of serial entrepreneurs and technologists — Paul Munn, Robert Higginson, Paul Atkinson, and Andrew Castell — focuses its investments on high-growth potential tech businesses in the North of the UK, and particularly companies in the HealthTech, ClimateTech, and IndustrialTech sectors.

As it stands, the VC firm has invested almost £160 million into around 77 early-stage companies since its inception.

Speaking on the expansion into Yorkshire, Giles commented: “Having been involved in Yorkshire startups and scaleups for over a decade, I have seen, first hand, all the challenges this region faces, in addition to the opportunities and developments that have arisen over that time.

“In this region, we don’t shout about our successes and therefore can go unnoticed to the outside world. This, however, is a very exciting period for the region. It is still underserved from a funding perspective, which is where I believe Par Equity can make a big impact.”

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In Scotland, Par Equity is a major player in the nation’s tech venture capital landscape, investing in innovative companies that are making waves both in Scotland and beyond. These include the likes of DirectID, Skylark Lasers, Speech Graphics, and more.

Last month, DIGIT sat down with Par Equity partner Andrew Noble, as well as Lucy Kelly, the firm’s operations manager, to discuss how both its investment strategy and business philosophy has evolved over the last 15 years.

Further, just a month prior, DIGIT exclusively revealed that Par Equity had gained B Corp status — the globally-recognised, well-regarded standard for companies relating to aspects like sustainability and social responsibility.