UK Business Angels Association

🌟We are please to announce the finalists for Seed VC of the Year at the 2026 UKBAA Angel Investor Awards! The Seed VC award is kindly sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking and recognises the UK seed-stage VC firms backing ambitious founders with both investment and hands-on support to help innovative businesses grow and scale. 🏆 A huge congratulations to this years finalists: AI Seed, Arāya Ventures, Osney Capital, Haatch, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Jenson Ventures, Ascension Ventures, ACF Investors, Fuel Ventures 🚀 🎫Early-bird tickets close this Sunday! Join us on 9 July in London to celebrate the people and organisations driving the UK’s early-stage investment ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/eM3T84ec #UKBAAAwards

Continuing with the announcement of our first wave of finalists for the 2026 UKBAA Angel Investor Awards, congratulations to the finalists of the following categories 🎉 ♻️Scale Up Team of the Year: Your Shortlist Original Limited, Valos, Auddy, Checkboard, Fifth Dimension, Ctrl Alt 👩💼Women in Innovation: Women Angels of Wales, Twin Path Ventures, InnovationRCA, Foresight Group, Sie Ventures, Dealum, Probe Industries Ltd, Ascension, South East Angels 🎫Don’t miss out on getting your tickets at the early-bird price, closing soon! Join us on July 9 in London and secure your spot now: https://lnkd.in/eFhrS6nA #UKBAAAwards

We are delighted to announce our first wave of finalists for the 2026 UKBAA Angel Investor Awards 🎉 🚀Early-Stage Advisor of the Year: Philip Hare & Associates LLP, RW Blears, Kin Group, SeedLegals, MBM Commercial LLP, Mills & Reeve, Price Forbes, Browne Jacobson, Kingsley Napley 🌎Impact Investment of the Year: Mater-AI, Ascension Ventures, wac, Cocoon, Foresight Group, EverybodyCounts Ltd, Korra Ventures, Atelerix Ltd., EnsiliTech 🥇Regional Champion of the Year: Investor Ladder, Twin Path Ventures, PXN Group, Haatch, Foresight Group, AwakenAngels, Deepbridge Capital, StartUp to ScaleUP Club, Fhunded 🎫Don’t miss out on getting your tickets at the early-bird price, closing soon! Join us on July 9 in London and secure your spot now: https://lnkd.in/eB5Pu7eH #UKBAAAwards

🌟 New Member Announcement! 🌟 We’re delighted to announce that Angel Investors Bristol has recently joined as a new member! 🎉 Angel Investors Bristol is a growing angel investment network connecting experienced and aspiring investors with high-potential early-stage businesses across Bristol, the South West, and South Wales. We support founders raising SEIS/EIS investment through curated pitch events, investor introductions, due diligence support and regional syndication. Our members invest across a broad range of sectors, including technology, health, climate, consumer, AI and advanced engineering. Since launch, AIB has built an active community of investors, founders and ecosystem partners, helping to increase the flow of private capital into ambitious regional businesses and strengthen the early-stage investment landscape across the South West. Explore their full profile here: https://lnkd.in/e2ey9frU See their LinkedIn profile: https://lnkd.in/eJfMYxQj Ben Cooper

A fantastic Venture into Investing session this week with Fred Soneya at Haatch, who gave our cohort a behind-the-scenes look at what early-stage investing really looks like in practice. From sourcing and assessing deal flow, to investment committees, founder diligence and post-investment processes, the session offered a rare insight into how venture investors evaluate opportunities at scale. One of the most interesting discussions centred around the importance of refining investment thesis, understanding founder “pain points” before solutions, and how AI and CRM systems are increasingly being used to support investment decision-making and manage high volumes of deal flow. Fred also shared how Haatch approaches investment committees, reference calls, due diligence and founder relationships - highlighting the balance between structured processes, fast decision-making and human judgement in venture investing. A huge thank you to Haatch for such an open and engaging session! #VentureIntoInvesting #EarlyStageInvestment #Haatch

Join us on Tuesday 9th June at the Exeter Innovation Hub for an introductory session exploring how to get started in angel investing. Hosted for UKBAA members, this session is designed for new and prospective investors looking to gain practical insight into the fundamentals of early-stage investing - from assessing investment opportunities and building a personal investment framework, to understanding the wider angel investment landscape. The event will feature a fireside-style discussion with experienced investors, followed by audience Q&A and networking opportunities with members of the regional investment community. Alongside supporting those considering their first investment, the session will also provide an opportunity for more experienced investors to exchange perspectives, share knowledge and strengthen connections across the South West angel investment ecosystem. Book now: https://lnkd.in/eA3SGrDw Whether you are exploring angel investing for the first time or are already active within the space, we look forward to welcoming you for an open, collaborative and insightful discussion. #AngelInvesting #EarlyStageInvestment #StartupInvestment #Innovation

📢 We are delighted to share that Kin Group are the sponsor for the Accelerator of the Year at the 2026 UKBAA Angel Investment Awards! Kin Group supports fund managers, angel syndicates, and investors across the VC ecosystem, helping clients raise, manage, and scale investment vehicles more efficiently through a technology-enabled, end-to-end platform. This award recognises the accelerator with the most dynamic and innovative programme of support for early stage founders. 📅 Save the Date: Thursday 9 July 2026 📍 Location: The Brewery, London 🎟️ Tickets are in high demand - don't miss your chance to get you early-bird tickets now: https://lnkd.in/er6aEPqs #AcceleratoroftheYear #UKBAAAwards

Yesterday's webinar, hosted by Connected Places Catapult and UKBAA, as part of our Future Forward Series, brought together an excellent mix of investors, corporates, innovators and SMEs to discuss the future of mobility, infrastructure and sustainable cities. The conversations throughout the session highlighted both the scale of opportunity across the sector and the realities of delivering innovation within highly regulated industries such as rail and transport infrastructure. A key theme across the discussions was the growing importance of connecting strong technical innovation with commercial viability and adoption readiness. While emerging technologies continue to develop at pace, successful deployment still depends heavily on factors such as procurement understanding, regulatory navigation, industry partnerships and long-term strategic alignment. Insights shared during the fireside discussion with Jacob Martin from DB ESG reinforced how complex innovation pathways can be within infrastructure environments, where timelines are longer, operational standards are rigorous and scaling often requires significant patience and industry expertise. The panel sessions also explored how major trends including electrification, climate resilience, urbanisation, smart infrastructure and data-led optimisation are shaping investment priorities over the next decade. There was strong consensus around the need for greater collaboration between investors, government, corporates and SMEs to help bridge the gap between innovation pilots and genuine commercial adoption. Thank you to all speakers, panellists and attendees for contributing to such an insightful and forward-looking discussion. Giulia Boselli, Connected Places Catapult Jacob Martin, DB ESG Adib Bamieh, bamboo orchard Dama Sathianathan, Bethnal Green Ventures David Dekel, Actia Capital Partners Naomi Arblaster, National Grid #FutureOfMobility #SustainableCities #InfrastructureInnovation #ClimateTech #MobilityInnovation

Join us tomorrow for Future Forward – Investing in the Future of Mobility and Cities, delivered in partnership with Connected Places Catapult, as we bring together investors, innovators, and ecosystem leaders to explore the next wave of opportunities shaping transport, infrastructure, and urban living. As cities adapt to the demands of net zero, digital connectivity, and population growth, sectors such as clean transport, smart infrastructure, and data-driven urban solutions are becoming some of the most exciting areas for early-stage investment. Meet our expert speakers from across the industry: 🔹Giulia Boselli, SME innovation support manager, Connected Places Catapult 🔹Jacob Martin, Future Technologies Manager, National Grid 🔹Adib Bamieh, Managing Director, bamboo orchard 🔹Dama Sathianathan, Bethnal Green Ventures 🔹David Dekel, Actia Capital Partners 🔹Naomi Arblaster, National Grid 🔹Roderick Beer, UKBAA 📅 14 May 2026 | 12:00 – 13:30 | Online Book now: https://lnkd.in/ehJWV2mR DB ESG, established in 1995, is a leading specialist provider of rolling stock engineering solutions for the UK rail industry. Their world-class experts and solutions add value to both customers and the UK rail sector. Whether you're looking to invest, collaborate, or stay ahead of the curve, this webinar offers a valuable opportunity to connect with the businesses shaping the future of our cities. #FutureForward

Next week, Roderick Beer will be speaking at Accelerate, UK Private Capital's dedicated event for the venture capital community. Innovation, creativity, and expertise will be brought together under one umbrella event for venture capital, looking at everything from start-ups to scale-ups and from pre seed to growth equity, providing a chance to network and connect with a like-minded crowd in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. 📆 20 May | London We hope to see you there.