We work with private sector investors from around the world to help our companies grow.

Our private investors include business angels, angel syndicates, venture capital groups and corporate investors. Our links with the Business Angel network is strengthened by our links with LINC Scotland, which is Scotland’s world leading angel network.

We have funding options that can match private sector investors with small to medium businesses to help them reach their growth potential.

Becoming an accredited investment partner enables you to:

• Identify investment opportunities
• Undertake appropriate due diligence
• Negotiate the terms of the deal
• Invest your own funds into companies
• Bring the deal to Scottish Enterprise if there's a funding gap

We run two co-investment funds that address gaps in the early stage risk capital market:

• Scottish Co-Investment Fund 
• Scottish Venture Fund

Through these funds, we work alongside private sector investors to help small to medium businesses reach their growth potential.

We invest on fully commercial terms with the same investor rights and protections as our private sector investors.

You can search for accredited partners we work with on our Scottish Co-Investment Fund page.

We're currently looking for applications from a wide range of investors who'd like to be considered for accredited partnership status of the Scottish Co-investment Fund.

This fund was the first public sector equity co-investment fund, which was established in 2003. It combines private sector investor and public sector funding to make equity investments in high growth businesses in Scotland.

The fund is backed by the European Regional Development Fund, and to March 2017 it invested £129m into Scotland’s fastest growing companies alongside £250m from private sector investors.

Download all the information you need to apply, as well as the application form: 

Scottish Co-investment Fund III Accredited Partner Application Pack (PDF, 1.2MB)

With the Scottish Co-investment Fund we can co-invest into start-up, early stage and expanding businesses alongside accredited partners. The accredited partner would source, carry out diligence and negotiate the deal to invest into companies.

If there's a funding gap, the accredited partner can call upon us to co-invest alongside it on commercial and equal terms. As part of this fund, we can invest between £10,000 and £1.5 million in deal sizes between £20,000 and £10 million.

The Scottish Venture Fund operates by co-investing into start-up, early stage and expanding businesses alongside a range of private sector investors. It's private sector investor-led and we might be involved in negotiating the terms of the investment and undertaking any required appropriate diligence.

The investment decision is ultimately retained and made by Scottish Enterprise. We can invest between £10,000 and £2 million in deal sizes of £20,000 and typically up to £10 million.

We want to invest alongside experienced private sector investors with a strong track record in creating value through investment into early stage, high growth through to expanding companies.

With new investors, we will usually complete a number of Scottish Venture Fund deals together before thinking about giving you Scottish Co-investment Fund-accredited status.

This allows both parties to get to know each other before going through the Scottish Co-investment Fund partner accreditation process.

We'll invest alongside private sector investors into early-stage and expanding companies with high-growth potential that will deliver economic impact to Scotland.

We aim to work with our private sector investors to help our portfolio companies achieve their ambitions through realising their export potential and drive innovation.

Our aim is also to guide their access to appropriate finance and create highly-skilled employment from their growing Scottish base.

If you're not an accredited investment partner, you won't be able to invest in companies through the Scottish Co-investment Fund. However, we'll still be able to co-invest with you through the Scottish Venture Fund.