Guinness Ventures launches SEIS to support ambitious growth companies

Guinness Ventures is rolling out a new service investing in early-stage UK companies under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.

The Guinness Founders SEIS is targeting a raise of £3m with the aim of building a diversified portfolio of 10 to 20 investee companies. Each company will receive between £100,000 and £250,000 of funding to support it through the earliest stages of commercialisation.

Investments will focus on the business services, consumer, and healthcare sectors, targeting ambitious founding teams that are typically pre-revenue or early-revenue and where capital and strategic support can drive meaningful value creation.

SEIS offers 50% income tax relief, capital gains tax reinvestment relief, and tax-free growth on qualifying shares held for at least three years. Minimum subscription is £20,000 and the closing date is 5 April 2026.

Shane Gallwey, CEO of Guinness Ventures said: “We’ve spent over a decade building the relationships, expertise, and infrastructure needed to identify and support Britain’s most promising growth companies.

“The Guinness Founders SEIS is a natural extension of that work – giving investors access to the very earliest stage of the journey, where the right combination of capital and hands-on support can make the biggest difference.”