Northern-based venture capital company Aquarius Equity Partners is raising its third fund targeted specifically at private investors.

Northern-based venture capital company Aquarius Equity Partners is raising its third fund targeted specifically at private investors.

The £7.5 million Aquarius Origin Fund will make equity investments of up to £750,000 in early-stage, high-growth companies, located predominately in the north of England.

The fund is designed to attract Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) investors – which allows individuals to make their own investment decisions from the full range of HM Revenue & Customs-approved investments.

Steve Sealey, chairman and co-founder of Aquarius Equity Partners, says: ‘Venture capital has long been invested by institutional pension funds, never before have private individuals been able to invest equity in unquoted early-stage companies through their SIPP.’

Sealey adds that the investment team at Aquarius Equity will also be putting their own money into the Aquarius Origin Fund.

Aquarius says the fund has already attracted significant commitments from some of the region’s most successful entrepreneurs.