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Investing in early-stage businesses involves risks, including illiquidity, lack of dividends, loss of investment and dilution, and it should be done only as part of a diversified portfolio. Tax relief depends on an individual’s circumstances and may change in the future. In addition, the availability of tax relief depends on the company invested in maintaining its qualifying status. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. You should not rely on any past performance as a guarantee of future investment performance.

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Syndicate Room Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Number 07697935. Registered office: Wellington House, East Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 1BH, United Kingdom

General enquiries

Please note: our office hours are weekdays, 9.30am - 5.30pm.

Email:

contactus@syndicateroom.com

Phone:

01223 478 558

Existing investors

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Phone:

0800 368 9188

University of Nottingham EIS Fund I

Harness the commercial expertise of a true research powerhouse

Back capital-efficient, IP-rich spin-outs from one of the UK's leading research universities.

Next deadlineOctober 2026

Target return3x (net of fees)

Min investment£10,000

Portfolio companies6-8 companies

Income tax relief30%

Why invest in this fund

A research powerhouse

University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, and is in the top 10 UK universities for life science and deep tech spin-outs. Nottingham Technology Ventures has spent close to a decade turning that research strength into commercial outcomes through a portfolio of high quality spin-outs.

Comprehensive EIS tax reliefs

Claim up to 30% income tax relief on investments; no capital gains tax on growth; deferral relief on capital gains, inheritance tax relief after 2 years, plus loss relief protection. Tax treatment subject to status and change.

A record of
returns

Exits from University of Nottingham spin-outs have generated over £18m for the university since 2014, at an average multiple of more than 4x, achieved through a mix of trade sales and public listings. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

The University of Nottingham EIS Fund investment approach

Portfolio of six to eight companies.
Seeking an exclusive £1.2m.
Minimum investment of £10,000.
Seeking to deploy in 26/27 tax year.

At the University of Nottingham, we strongly believe in the power of research and technology to benefit our society, the economy and the environment.

As a UK Top 20 university (QS World University Rankings 2026) that is ranked 7th in the UK for its research power, the University of Nottingham is proud of its world class reputation as a leading research institute.

The University of Nottingham seeks to address some of the world’s most complex challenges with research that fuels high impact, market-shaping innovations. With the health of people and the planet central to its strategy, the university’s commitment to sustainability and social justice is embedded in its mission to translate research into commercially viable, transformative solutions.

Portfolio

A key route for the successful and rapid translation of research is via the creation of spin-out companies. Over the last 10 years, spin-outs have been a strategic focus. Nottingham Technology Ventures Ltd (NTV), a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Nottingham, became, in 2017, the dedicated arm of the university responsible for supporting new venture creation.

Nottingham Technology Ventures currently manages a portfolio of over 40 active spin-out companies on behalf of the university, each addressing major market needs with a unique solution born from academic research.

This level of activity places us in the top 10 universities nationally for life science and deep tech spin-outs (Dealroom - European Spinouts Report 2025). Our spin-out companies map onto key high value strategic growth sectors including life sciences, advanced manufacturing, clean tech and digital.

Nottingham is known for its innovation in MRI technology, and this legacy is reflected in the strength of the medtech portfolio. Established industrial partnerships in the engineering sector have fostered a solution-driven environment, giving rise to cross-cutting technologies with broad commercial relevance. From sight-saving treatments for eye disease to world-leading, industrial scale production of metal organic frameworks, and AI-driven modelling to predict the lifetime of engineering components, our portfolio is delivering impact via innovation in scalable, high-growth businesses.

By investing alongside us, you can back capital-efficient, IP-rich companies emerging from one of the UK's leading research universities - at the stage that matters most.

Dr Alice MacGowan

CEO, Nottingham Technology Ventures

Tax Relief Benefits

Income tax relief - 30%

A £100,000 investment can result in a £30,000 reduction in your income tax bill for that year. You can invest up to £1m a year, rising to £2m if the first £1m is in knowledge intensive companies.

Carry back relief

You can apply relief to the previous year if you still have allowance available. By using allowances for both years, you could invest up to £2m at once.

Capital gains deferral

Capital Gains Deferral Relief allows you to defer capital gains equal to the amount you invest in EIS-qualifying companies.

Tax-free capital growth

You normally don't pay capital gains tax (CGT) when selling EIS shares if you claimed income tax relief and the companies still meet requirements.

Inheritance tax relief

EIS investments qualify for relief from inheritance tax provided that the investment has been held for at least two years and remains unlisted.

Loss relief

In the event of negative performance, the net amount of the loss can be offset against taxable income in the year the loss is made or carried back to the previous tax year.

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change.

Calculate your potential EIS tax relief

Investors can claim a number of valuable tax reliefs when they invest in an EIS Fund. See what tax relief is potentially available to you based on your investment amount and tax bracket.

Fund type

Investment amount (multiples of £5,000)

Income tax bracket

IMPORTANT:EIS tax reliefs are subject to individual circumstances and may change. The 30% income tax relief and 45% loss relief rates shown are current as of May 2026 but are not guaranteed. Investors should seek independent tax advice. Tax benefits depend on personal circumstances and tax legislation may change.

Your estimated tax benefits

EIS tax relief is available on deployed funds (investment after fees). This example assumes a 2% setup fee and 3 years of 2% annual management fees are deducted from the deployment amount. Note that fees vary between funds, please check the Charges section for more information.

Income Tax Relief (30%)

Up to 30% of the amount deployed in investee companies in the year of investment, subject to the amount of income tax payable and an annual investment limit of £1m (irrespective of marginal tax rate, although your income tax bill must exceed the relief you claim).

£2,760

Tax-free Growth

When EIS qualifying investments are sold the capital gains are tax exempt, also subject to the shares having been held for at least three years and claiming income tax relief on the original investment

✓

Potential Loss Relief

If EIS shares are sold for less than the amount invested (net of income tax relief), loss relief is available. For this calculator we've assumed 38% of the underlying shares are sold at 100% loss because of our research into the startup market (https://www.syndicateroom.com/guides/power-law-whitepaper. )

£1,101

Inheritance Tax Relief

EIS investments qualify for 100% relief from inheritance tax under current legislation, provided that the investment has been held for at least two years, it is still held at time of death and remains unlisted. This calculation assumes no growth in the investment

£3,680

Capital Gains Deferral

A gain made on the sale of other assets can be reinvested in EIS-qualifying shares and deferred over the life of the investment. Download our guide for more information

Available

The Team

Dr Alice MacGowan

CEO

Alice is the CEO of Nottingham Technology Ventures, leading on new venture creation, and management of the University of Nottingham’s two internal investment funds. She has worked…

James Duncan

Life Sciences Executive

James has been part of the team at Nottingham Technology Ventures since summer 2019, working with colleagues across the University of Nottingham setting up new companies and suppor…

Dr George Rice

Director of Knowledge

George is a 20 year University commercialisation professional with a significant track record in IP licensing, spin-out company creation, and portfolio management. George has an En…

Investment Process

Registration

Complete our simple online registration form to create your investor account.

Complete your investment

Choose your investment amount and review the fund details.

Sign legal documents

Review and digitally sign the necessary legal documents.

Transfer funds and claim tax relief

Transfer your investment amount and receive your SEIS3 certificate.

University of Nottingham Case Studies

VetTech, Animal Health & Welfare, AI

Multiple on Invested Capital: 11x

Vet Vision AI

Vet Vision AI is a University of Nottingham spin-out on a mission to transform animal welfare through artificial intelligence. Founded in Autumn 2023 by two UoN veterinary surgeons with PhDs in AI, the company has developed a proprietary platform that acts as a continuous AI vet, monitoring animals around the clock and providing the welfare insights that traditional veterinary care cannot deliver. The University of Nottingham invested at formation and has followed on in subsequent rounds to support the growth of the business.

Precision genetics

Multiple on Invested Capital: 10x

Forge Genetics

Forge Genetics is a company at the cutting edge of synthetic biology. Founded in 2023 to commercialise its proprietary gene editing platform – Forge Editing – the company has gained rapid traction with customers and is demonstrating substantial progress as an alternative to the leading Cas9 based systems. The University of Nottingham provided pre-seed funding at formation to help kickstart the company’s growth.

Healthcare

Multiple on Invested Capital: 5.7x

Neurotherapeutics

Neurotherapeutics Ltd (trading as Neupulse) is a University of Nottingham spin-out that was formed in 2021 to commercialise the science developed by the three founders. Neupulse is developing a wrist-worn wearable that uses median nerve stimulation to increase the power of signals in the brain's sensory motor cortex circuit, reducing the symptoms of brain health conditions like Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety and Parkinson’s Disease.

Multiple on Invested Capital figures refer to gross performance and do not take into consideration fees, commissions or other costs. Actual returns may vary significantly. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

Fund Documents

PDF

Information Memorandum| 3.7 MB

PDF

Brochure| 3.5 MB

PDF

Key Information Document| 425.0 KB

Charges

Setup Fee	2% drawn upfront from subscription
Annual Management Fees	Years 1-3: 2% per year retained upfront Years 4-7: 2% per year, deducted from distributions Years 8-10: 0.75% deducted from distributions
Performance Fee	20% with no hurdle on a portfolio basis

This EIS fund is VAT exempt. If prevailing laws or HMRC guidance change, VAT may become applicable to the fees and you will be notified. Adviser fees for authorised financial advisers can be facilitated on application. These must be agreed with Investors and meet applicable FCA COBs rules.

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