Raising an EIS round is often where the stakes start to rise. You’ve validated your product, built early traction, and now need investors who can help you scale — not just fund another experiment. But finding aligned investors in the UK’s fragmented market is harder than ever. That’s why angel networks remain one of the most effective routes for EIS-eligible startups — combining capital, expertise, and credibility in one place.
The UK’s early-stage investment environment has become more selective. Equity deal volumes fell by over 15% in 2024, with venture and seed deals dropping 17.2% and 14.5% respectively. Investors are deploying less often but with more focus, backing companies that arrive investor-ready and show strong early metrics.
Against this backdrop, angel networks have become a critical bridge between the seed and Series A stages. They’re structured enough to handle larger EIS investments but flexible enough to support founders who still need hands-on guidance. For many UK startups, closing an EIS round through an angel network is the moment fundraising shifts from chasing capital to attracting it.
An angel network is a collective of private investors who co-invest in startups — sharing deal flow, due diligence, and sector expertise. Unlike solo angels, networks provide structure: a defined screening process, investment committee, and post-deal support.
Most UK angel networks operate under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) or Seed EIS, allowing investors to claim up to 30–50% income tax relief on qualifying investments. For founders, that makes your round inherently more attractive to high-net-worth investors.
EIS-stage networks tend to write individual cheques between £25k and £250k, pooling capital into total rounds of £250k–£2m. Networks such as Cambridge Angels, Minerva Business Angels, and Angels Den often invest at this level — focusing on strong founding teams, measurable traction, and scalable markets.
EIS investors are generally more data-driven than SEIS angels. They look for evidence of growth potential: paying customers, revenue pipelines, or validated technology. Most networks hold monthly pitch events or quarterly deal rounds, where founders present to curated groups of investors.
Some networks are highly sector-specific — for example, Green Angel Syndicate (clean energy) or Bristol Private Equity Club (regional growth) — while others are broad, offering access across technology, health, and manufacturing. Choosing the right fit depends on your sector, traction, and how hands-on you want your investors to be.
When assessing which angel network to approach, focus on:
Sector alignment – Does the network regularly invest in your vertical?
Stage focus – Are their members active at your scale, or do they prefer later rounds?
Engagement model – Some networks are highly collaborative; others are passive capital providers.
Follow-on potential – Many EIS investors will continue backing companies through future rounds.
EIS fundraising isn’t just about capital — it’s about building long-term investor relationships that evolve as you scale. The right angel network brings more than money: it brings guidance, credibility, and access to follow-on capital. In a selective UK funding climate, that combination can turn your next raise into the foundation for sustainable growth.
Anglia Capital Group is a leading group of business angel investors in the East of England.
Anglia Capital Group was established in the Spring of 2014, to support spinouts, new ventures and growth businesses in both Norfolk and Suffolk: counties boasting expertise in food and agri/biotech, specialist engineering and energy.
Our members are both leading entrepreneurs and experienced business people united in their desire to invest in the next generation of businesses in East Anglia.
£30 million raised in 200 transactions since 2003…. Advantage Business Angels has been sourcing equity finance for early stage & growing businesses since 2003, since when over £30m has been raised in more than 200 transactions with a historical success rate ahead of the market norm.
We have reacted to changes in the marketplace, and with an ever greater number of new stage businesses seeking funding we have to concentrate on higher quality opportunities. Over the last 8 years our Members have made investments in 47 businesses with 70 transactions, raising £5.3m, with 60% of the clients who engaged with us receiving some or all of their funding.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or investor, get in touch now and see how we bring together businesses seeking investment with investors seeking to offer funding and experience to produce a win for all.
Please note however that our current investor preferences exclude B2C and FMCG propositions, and if your opportunity is in this category you may wish to widen your search elsewhere, as we will be unlikely to help you.
Apollo is an angel syndicate based in Edinburgh. Founded in 2013, our mission is to provide seed investment to new startups based in Scotland and to provide exciting investment opportunities for our members. We operate on a volunteer basis, with local business leaders giving their time to prepare companies for investment. We invest in companies on a one-off basis, and seek to provide early stage financing which is critical to getting off the ground whilst building a diverse portfolio for our members. We are passionate about growing young businesses, and we continue to develop our partnerships with larger scale investment firms across the UK to enable onward funding where required. We believe our model provides a great ‘light touch’ model for investors wanting to try something new and a great opportunity for local entrepreneurs.
Cambridge Capital Group, founded in 2000 has grown to a group of up to 60 investors who have invested over £50M in more than 100 hi-tech businesses in Europe's leading tech cluster. We are a private syndicate of business angels, private family offices, international investors, investment funds and co-investment vehicles : our goal is to support innovative early-stage technology ventures emanating from Cambridge, London, Oxford and other top innovation centres.
We work closely with universities, incubators and other angel networks to source sophisticated opportunities for our members. Members have access to our exclusive deal flow platform, monthly on-line pitching events and quarterly face-to-face pitching events. We enable members to syndicate investments with other leading business angels and co-investment funds. Our members bring strong commercial experience in technology entrepreneurship, and include of owners of substantial private companies in healthcare, engineering and private equity. As we are not regulated, members self-certify as High Net Worth Individuals or Sophisticated Investors.
Central Arc Angels (CAA) is a not-for-profit organisation supporting early-stage, high-growth businesses seeking equity investment in Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire.
We connect local founders with angel investors while offering support, education, and training to help them become investment-ready. We are not a fund, an advisor or a syndicate, but a group of professionals dedicated to supporting early-stage businesses, job creation, and economic growth in the region.
