Paul Neeson, Scottish Equity Partners
Andrew Noble, Par Equity

Access to finance is significantly more difficult for businesses lased outside of London. This session will explore some of the reason this is the case and how we can ensure the best start/scale ups can access growth capital regardless of location.

Paul Neeson, Director, Scottish Equity Partners
Paul focuses on portfolio monitoring and deal support, in particular, financial due diligence, portfolio value enhancement, and investment realisation. He is also the main SEP contact for new deal generation in Scotland and is well connected across the local technology and investment ecosystem with advisers, angels, investors and high growth companies.

Paul has a background in mid-market private equity and understands the challenges and opportunities faced by companies as they mature. He is currently non-executive director of email marketing software business Pure360 and works closely with many of SEP’s portfolio companies including insurance technology solutions provider SSP and digital solutions provider Tryzens. Paul was also heavily involved with the recent business transformation and sale of cloud enabled document collaboration software company Workshare.

Andrew Noble, Partner, Par Equity
Andrew is a former management consultant with McKinsey & Co, specialising in sales optimisation for FTSE 100 clients, before rejoining Par Equity in May 2019. Andrew has broad experience across the early stage venture capital and private equity markets having personally invested in more than 30 innovative, high growth companies over the last 10 years as well as founding Transition Capital – a management buy-in vehicle focused on Scotland – in 2017, where he was managing director, leading the deal sourcing, due diligence, and fundraising efforts. Andrew is a former athlete, having competed for TeamGB in Alpine Skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School.