News

Portfolio company Stitch & Story is an online crafts company that has seen huge growth in the last few weeks. Click here to read the article.

LightTower Partners recently presented at the Unique Manager Showcase where they did a presentation on tax education.

To see the highlights please click the video below. For morning information please call us on 020 7071 3920.

The tax-efficient sector has a convincing message that deserves a wider hearing so, argues Jack Rose, every opportunity should be taken to talk up the benefits for both investors and the wider economy.

In addition to the traditional considerations associated with tax-advantaged investing, writes John Davies, investment director at Seneca Partners, advisers and their clients now need to factor in such issues as the Patient Capital Review and, yes, Brexit.

Click here for the full article.

For further information on Seneca range of product, please send us as email or callus on 020 7071 3920.

“Tax year end is … an important tax planning opportunity for investors and financial planners. Investors with tax liabilities and a sufficient appetite for risk, should consider an EIS investment.” Writes Mark Brownridge, Velocity Capital Advisory Non-Executive Director.

Particularly the self employed and company directors who can control how their remuneration is paid who can benefit from the flexibility offered carry back which allows for greater investment with more certainty over timing.

Click here for the full article.

For further information on the Velocity EIS Technology Fund, please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

James Faulkner from Vala Capital explains what makes their EIS fund different, and the emphasis placed on providing a great service to investors and their financial advisers.

Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/319035051

We recently hosted a conference call with Pembroke VCT Managing Director Andrew Wolfson.

Click here for the full recording.

Click here for more information on the VCT including fund literature.

For further information or to reserve capacity in the VCT please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

LightTower’s head of tax-efficient products, Jack Rose, explains the top five thing to consider when investing in AIM for IHT.

Click here for the full article.

For a full range of products distributed by LightTower, click here.

For further information please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

Red Rickshaw, a company in the Velocity EIS portfolio, has recently been rated the best meal kit by the Telegraph rising above big names such as Hello Fresh, Guosto and Mindful chef.

You can see the full article here.

Click here for more information on the Velocity EIS portfolio, or contact us on 020 7071 3920. 

We recently recorded a conference call with Unicorn AIM VCT manager Chris Hutchinson, in which he gives an overview of the recent performance of the VCT portfolio and the wider AIM markets, as well as where he see opportunities going forward.

See below or click here to listen to the recording.

For further information on the Unicorn AIM VCT Offer, or to reserve capacity, please send us an email or give us a call on 020 7071 3920.

Past performance is not an indicator of future performance, the value of your performance may go down as well as up. 

The Maven VCT has been recognised for its dependability in a recent article for Money Week, where Wealth Club’s Alex Davies identifies his top VCTs.

Manager Bill Nixon was given special mention as “one of the managers I would be most happy to put my money with”.

Click here for the full article.

For further information on the Maven VCT Joint Offer please click here, or get in touch by email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

The Unicorn AIM VCT has announced the intention to launch an offer for subscription to raise £15 million, through the issue of new ordinary shares (‘the Offer’), with an over-allotment facility to raise up to a further £10 million. The prospectus for the Offer is expected to be available later this month.

Click here for the full release.

For further information or to reserve capacity please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

Read the latest article from LightTower Partners’ Jack Rose.

In the article for FT Adviser, Jack talks about the growing market for tax-advantages investments and why the government gives tax breaks on certain investments.

Click here for the full article.

For further information on the range of tax efficient products we distribute please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

Seneca Partners’ EIS growth capital investment team has realised a net tax free return of c.3.3x from its investment in Foodpack Ltd.

Three years on from saving the business from Administration in a £7.5m deal, Seneca backed Foodpack Limited, the St Helen’s based specialist food manufacturing and packaging business, has been sold to Integrated Packaging Services Ltd (“IPS”).

Tim Murphy of Seneca, who was a Director of Foodpack throughout the investment, commented:

“Making a success of a business bought out of Administration is notoriously difficult and involves many highs and lows along the way. Bringing Foodpack back from the brink and turning it into a high quality operation has been a great result for our Investors and all stakeholders, not least the 150 colleagues who work in the business but also the wider community of St Helens that benefits from those jobs being secured.”

Click here for the full press release.

For further information on the Portfolio Service or other Seneca product please send us an email or give us a call on 020 7071 3920.

Andrew Wolfson, managing director of Pembroke VCT, writes in Professional Adviser:

“Every VCT investor would rather see their savings used to fund the UK entrepreneurial spirit than simply sit on a fund’s balance sheet but, that happens far more often than it should ….”

Click here to read the full article

For further information on the Pembroke VCT please send us an email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

We recently recorded a conference call with Bill Nixon, Manager of the Maven Income and Growth VCT and Maven Income and Growth VCT 5 – both of which are open for investment with a £30m Joint Offer.

Click here to listen to the full recording.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please send us an email or call us on 020 771 3920.

Alex Game and Max Ormiston of the Unicorn AIM IHT/ISA Portfolio Service shares their update on the service over the last quarter and the opportunities they are seeing in AIM.

To find out more about the Service, please click here or call our team on 020 7071 3940.

Please click here to listen to a conference call with Richard Manley, manager of the Seneca Growth Capital VCT.

Click here for the presentation discussed.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact us by email or call us on 020 7071 3920.

Jack Rose Head of Tax at LightTower Partners comments on the current tax efficient landscape.

Click here to watch the full video.

For more information about LightTower Partners contact us on 020 7071 3920.

SENECA LAUNCHES ITS NEW VCT OFFERING

Seneca Partners, the SME specialist with a focus on helping companies to grow, has now officially launched its new VCT offering; Seneca has partnered with existing Hygea vct plc and is launching a New B Share class.  The New B Share class will be managed by Seneca and will complement its existing tax efficient range which includes EIS and IHT offerings with total AUM of more than £75 million. The launch of its VCT offering means that Seneca Partners now offers a full spectrum tax efficient product range.

Seneca Partners is well positioned to enter the VCT sector – the independent, investment management and corporate advisory business focused on the Northern Powerhouse, is building on the strength of its existing EIS business, which invests in the UK’s growing businesses and since 2012 has completed more than 70 growth capital investment rounds across over 30 companies.

Hygea vct plc (which will be renamed as the Seneca Growth Capital VCT plc upon the first allotment of New B shares, expected in June) is aiming to raise £10m in its first year which is intended to be invested in a portfolio of seven to ten initial investments.

The Seneca Growth Capital VCT will have a generalist investment strategy, which will benefit from Seneca Partners’ expertise in the growth capital sector. The investment team is focused on both private and AIM quoted businesses which benefit from strong management teams, robust business models, attractive growth prospects and an expectation of delivering a profitable and timely investment exit.

One significant structural advantage of partnering with an existing VCT is that whilst the New B Share class will be completely separate from the existing VCT’s residual investments, it will benefit from the VCT’s existing distributable reserves, which makes it possible to pay dividends on the New B Shares from the first year. Partnering with Hygea has also allowed Seneca Partners to bring its VCT to market more quickly.

Richard Manley, CEO of Seneca Partners comments; “In the current landscape of pension reform and record levels of investment in the VCT sector, it is timely for Seneca Partners to launch our VCT offering which  allows us to provide another tax efficient access point for investors seeking exposure to our growth capital investment expertise. The recent legislative changes, including those brought about by the Patient Capital Review, make Seneca Partners’ proven experience in growth capital investing even more relevant than ever before.”

Importantly, Seneca Partners directors and senior management team will be investing in the New B Share class and costs to be borne by the New B share class are capped, with Seneca Partners also taking on the launch costs.

Please call Zoe Powell on 020 7071 3920 if you would like to speak to Richard Manley, CEO Seneca Partners

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

Seneca Partners

https://investing.senecapartners.co.uk/products-and-funds/vct-offer/

Seneca Partners is an award-winning specialist SME investment and advisory business.  Formed in 2010, and headquartered in the North West of England, the management team have extensive experience across a range of sectors, including private equity, corporate finance, wealth management, accountancy and stockbroking. Seneca won “Alternative Finance Provider” in both 2016 and 2017 at the North West Business Insider Awards

Seneca Partners is also the founding member of the Seneca branded network of companies which includes Seneca Investment Managers, a Liverpool based fund manager with more than £500 million under management (as at 31 March 2018), Seneca Finance Limited, a property bridging finance provider with a loan book of more than £20 million (as at 31 March 2018) and Seneca Property Limited who originated more than £25 million of property acquisitions in the 12 months to 31 March 2018.

This wider Seneca branded network of companies operates from 5 offices across the North of England and employs more than 60 people.

Hygea

Please see www.hygeavct.com and www.senecapartners.co.uk for further details.

Seneca Partners has sold its interest in North West based Smart Storage to a trade buyer, Kangaroo Self Storage, in a deal worth £13m.

Click here to read the article in full.

For more information about Seneca Partners and their current open offers , please click here or call on 020 7071 3926.

Seneca Partners has partnered with Hygea VCT to launch a new B share class, which will be renamed the Seneca Growth Capital VCT Plc upon the first allotment of the share class.

Click here to read the article in full.

For more information about Seneca Partners and their current open offers , please click here or call on 020 7071 3926.

As the tax year draws to an end, Jack Rose (Head of Tax Efficient Products at LightTower Partners) reminds investors and their advisers they need to adapt to the new VCT rules and to the fact the best VCT offers will continue closing earlier and being available for shorter periods of time.

Click here to read the full article.

For more information, please email info@lighttowerpartners.co.uk or call 020 7071 3920.

A new brand for rapidly growing tax-efficient adviser education and product distribution business

LGBR Tax has worked in partnership with investment managers at the forefront of the tax-efficient investment sector since 2012, to develop and distribute innovative products to investment intermediaries and educate advisers on how these products can benefit their clients. LGBR Tax has now renamed as LightTower Partners, reflecting the fact that the business has grown rapidly and now warrants its own brand, to differentiate it from its affiliate, LGBR Capital.

LightTower Partners will continue, independently and with industry partners, to provide its education, training and support service for advisers specifically focused on maximising opportunities for their clients, whilst providing distribution for investment-led managers in the sector. The comprehensive tax-efficient education programme includes a nationwide series of CPD accredited adviser events, Meet the Manager sessions, regular e-marketing product updates and educational media content aimed at the advisor market.

LightTower Partners undertakes distribution for investment managers across a full range of tax-efficient structures including VCT (Venture Capital Trust), EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme), SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme), BR (Business Relief) and IHT (Inheritance Tax) products with investment managers at the forefront of the sector.  Each of these government-sponsored structures operates under different rules and offers different tax planning benefits for advisers and their clients. This growth capital for UK SMEs is the fundamental reason for their existence in an effort to close the funding gap for smaller businesses.

Jack Rose, added; “The business has grown rapidly over the years, driven by increased adviser demand for tax-efficient investments to meet client needs. Recent changes to pension rules and a rising IHT burden have propelled new assets into the sector. We have responded to the real need for an effective and widespread ongoing adviser education programme, as deployed effectively these products can form an important part of an investor’s portfolio. Our new brand name demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the sector and its future, in partnership with our investment managers and adviser clients.

“In a bid to raise awareness of the sector and increase understanding of tax-efficient products, their features and where they can help clients, in the last twelve months alone, we have hosted over 70 nationwide events attended by more than 200 adviser firms and 2,000 advisers on the full spectrum of tax efficient investment products from VCTs to BR. We have also commissioned two independent industry reports and participated in webinars, video tutorials, podcasts and contributed a regular educational blog.

“We have seen greater acceptance of the credibility of the sector and its benefit for investors, a better understanding of its role in the investment landscape and pensions environment, an improvement in its reputation and greater acceptance of the industry’s contribution to the UK economy.”

For more information about LightTower Partners contact us on 020 7071 3920.

Tax-efficient investment specialists Unicorn Asset Management, Maven Capital Partners, Triple Point and Seneca Partners are all speaking at LGBR’s EIS, VCT and IHT Forums, which will visit Harrogate, Manchester, Solihull and London (twice) between 25 January and 21 February 2018.

To register or find out more, please click here.

For more information LGBR’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call on 020 7071 3920.

The build-up to and subsequent outcome of the Patient Capital Review were major talking points for the tax-efficient space and, writes Jack Rose, its implementation and impact look set to be similar in the year ahead.

Click here to read the full article.

For more information LGBR’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call on 020 7071 3920.

Click here for the recording of yesterdays Maven VCT call with manager Bill Nixon.

For more information about the conference call or LGBR Capital’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call on 020 7071 3920.

Congratulations to Unicorn who’s excellence in the field was recognised last week at the second iteration of the Investment Week Tax Efficiency Awards where they collected the award for the Best Aim-Based VCT.

Click here to read the full article.

For more information about LGBR Capital’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call 020 7071 3920. 

We are delighted to announce that last week LGBR Tax won two awards at the 2017/18 Investment Week Tax Efficiency Awards.

LGBR collected the Education Initiative of the Year award, and jointly shared the Tax -Efficient Group of the Year award.

Click here to read the full article.

For more information about LGBR Capital’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call 020 7071 3920. 

Budget implications for EIS & VCT: Jack Rose, Head of Tax Efficient Investment at LGBR Capital, writes in investment week looking at the implications that the changes in the Budget would have on tax efficient products.

Click here to read the article in full

 For more information about the conference call or LGBR Capital’s range of tax efficient products, please click here or call on 020 7071 3920.

Following the outcome of the Patient Capital Review in this weeks budget, Head of Tax Efficient Investment at LGBR Capital, Jack Rose, hosted a conference call this morning to look at the implications and effects that they changes would have on tax efficient products.

Listen to the conference call here:

For more information about the conference call or LGBR Capital’s range of tax efficient products, please reply to this email or call me on 020 7071 3920.

Ahead of the release of the Patient Capital Review today, head of the tax-efficient division at LGBR Capital, Jack Rose gives his view on what could be in store for VCT or EIS tax reliefs.

Click here to read the full Investment Week Article.

For more information on any of the tax efficient products we distribute click here or call us on 020 3195 7100.

Chris Hutchinson, manager of the Unicorn AIM IHT/ISA Portfolio Service shares his update on the service since launch, where he continues to find value in AIM and the potential risks of following the pack when it comes to investing in the successful junior index.

To find out more about the Service, please click here or call our team on 020 7071 3940.

With the Budget approaching, Money Observer suggests three things investors should consider doing before the budget.

Click here to read the full article.

To find out more about our tax efficient products please click here or call us on +44 (0)20 3195 7100

GrowthInvest features in Professional Adviser, outlining their independent platform and tax efficient investments.

Click here to read the article in full.

For more information on the GrowthInvest platform click here or call us on 020 7071 3945.

The Telegraph comments on five of the best funds that come with a 30pc tax boost.

The generous tax perks enjoyed by venture capital trusts could be a casualty of the Government’s current review of long-term funding for early-stage businesses – and changes may come as soon as next month’s Budget.

Click here to read the article in full.

Venture capital trusts (VCTs) have been added to the GrowthInvest platform and will have a dedicated area on their adviser website.

The platform currently offers the chance to invest in EIS and SEIS funds, portfolios and individual companies.

Click here to read the article in full.

For more information on the GrowthInvest platform click here or call us on 020 7071 3945.

Having previously only offered the traditional growth option, SME specialist Seneca Partners are now offering investors a Business Relief (BR) qualifying investment with the option to invest for income, paid quarterly.

Click here to read the article in full.

Tax-efficient adviser platform GrowthInvest has launched a dedicated venture capital trust (VCT) space, offering the latest fundraises alongside its existing Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), Seed EIS, single companies offerings and portfolios.

Click here to read the article in full.