DSW Ventures- the early-stage venture capital arm of Dow Schofield Watts - has opened a new office in Birmingham, establishing a physical presence to significantly increase its investment activity across the UK’s Midlands region.
The new office is a direct response to the region’s vibrant and rapidly expanding technology ecosystem, particularly the world-class innovation emerging from its universities.
The Midlands has cemented its position as a key pillar of the UK’s innovation culture and an important element of the Government’s national industrial strategy. The region's universities are at the forefront of this movement, producing ground-breaking research and a steady pipeline of high-potential spinouts.
DSW Ventures has already demonstrated its commitment to the region, having spinouts from the University of Birmingham, Aston University, and the University of Warwick. The new office will allow the firm to deepen its engagement and provide a greater level of support to promising companies across both the West and East Midlands.
The West Midlands Growth Company – the region’s official investment promotion agency – supported the project by providing DSW Ventures with valuable introductions to regional stakeholders and bespoke PR consultancy to raise awareness of the investment in the local marketplace.
The Birmingham office, based in Cubo Work, is founded by Dr Mira Androniciuc, who will lead DSW Ventures' activities across the Midlands region.
Dr Androniciuc said: “The Midlands is a hotbed of innovation, and I am incredibly excited to be leading DSW Ventures' presence here. The quality of research coming out of our universities and the entrepreneurial spirit of the local tech community is impressive. We are seeing a new wave of innovation emerge, and DSW Ventures is committed to providing the capital and expertise they need to scale globally.”
Keith Benson, partner at DSW Ventures, said: “Despite being a North West-founded firm, our investment philosophy has always been to support the best founders and technologies across all the nations and regions of the UK.
"When we looked at locations for our first ‘boots on the ground’ presence outside of Manchester, the Midlands was an obvious choice. The strength of the West Midlands region, combined with the quality of the innovation coming from its universities and software ecosystems, made it the perfect location for us to double down on our commitment to technology in the UK's nations and regions.”
Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said:“As we prepare to host Government’s landmark Regional Investment Summit, DSW Ventures’ decision to open its new UK office in Birmingham is a further vote of confidence in our city, reinforcing its rise as a globally competitive, £15bn tech hub.
"It will also help us to maintain our strong track record in nurturing innovation by providing pioneering university spinouts with much needed access to finance. Scale-up success starts here.”
The new Birmingham office is now fully operational and DSW Ventures is actively seeking investment opportunities across the Midlands.
