Don't invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more.
Estimated reading time: 2 min
Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.
What are the key risks?
- You could lose all the money you invest
- If the business you invest in fails, you are likely to lose 100% of the money you invested. Most start-up businesses fail.
- You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong
- Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.
- Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated firm, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.
- You won’t get your money back quickly
- Even if the business you invest in is successful, it may take several years to get your money back. You are unlikely to be able to sell your investment early.
- The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
- If you are investing in a start-up business, you should not expect to get your money back through dividends. Start-up businesses rarely pay these.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
- Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
- A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments.
- The value of your investment can be reduced
- The percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
- These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don’t have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.
If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA’s website here.
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| View ALL Venture Capital Trusts OFFERS | ||||||||
Help young and ambitious companies grow and receive up to 30% income tax relief, defer capital gains from elsewhere and qualify for IHT relief. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on circumstances.
= Featured Offer
| Fund name | Sector | Target return | Minimum investment | Targeted allotment | Next deadline | Invest now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amadeus Early Stage EIS FundCo-investment with specialist deep tech investor that has backed some of the UK’s fastest-growing startups Find out more |
Technology
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Unspecified
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£25,000
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12 to 24 months
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2 Apr 2026
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|
Fuel Ventures Follow-on EIS FundMaking follow-on investments in companies Fuel previously backed and considers promising Find out more |
Technology
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5x
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£20,000
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2025/26
|
27 Mar 2026
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|
Fuel Ventures Scale-up EIS FundManaged by entrepreneur-turned-investor Mark Pearson, the fund targets early-stage digital businesses Find out more |
Technology
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10x
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£20,000
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12 to 15 months
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Guinness Knowledge Intensive EISScale-up focused fund from an experienced manager, targeting businesses with £1m+ revenue Find out more |
Various
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2x
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Haatch EIS FundEntrepreneur-led team targeting primarily software-as-a-service businesses Find out more |
Technology
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3x
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£20,000
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27 Mar 2026
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MMC Ventures EIS FundFocuses on businesses improving existing technology, rebuilding tech infrastructure, or using data in innovative ways Find out more |
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2-3x
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Parkwalk Knowledge Intensive EIS FundKnowledge-intensive fund targeting university spinouts with patented technology and commercial potential Find out more |
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Unspecified
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£25,000
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2025/26
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2 Apr 2026 (1pm)
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|
| View ALL EIS OFFERS | ||||||
Help ambitious startups grow and receive up to 50% relief on income and capital gains tax on gains from elsewhere, plus qualify for tax-free growth and IHT relief. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on circumstances.
= Featured Offer
| Fund name | Sector | Target return | Minimum investment | Targeted allotment | Next deadline | Invest now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fuel Ventures SEIS FundFuel Ventures SEIS Fund aims to provide seed funding to very early-stage startups and mentor their growth Find out more |
Technology
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5x
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£20,000
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£10,000
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