10 Top Angel Investors, Angel Groups, and Syndicates for Pre-Seed and Seed Stage Funding in the UK

Introduction

Looking for an angel investor can feel overwhelming. With so many private investors to approach, knowing where to start can be a challenge. One effective way to streamline the fundraising process is through an angel group or syndicate. Instead of pitching to individual investors one by one, these groups allow founders to save time and increase the likelihood of securing significant funding in a single round. Here are ten of the top angel groups and syndicates in the UK that can help fuel your startup’s growth.

24 Haymarket

Experienced private investors with an active investment philosophy and focus on commercial traction

Based in London, 24 Haymarket is a network of over 100 private investors with 3,000+ years of collective investment and operational experience. They take an active approach to investing, often securing board seats in the startups they back. The group focuses on businesses that demonstrate commercial traction rather prioritising deep tech or R&D. Their typical investment ranges from £1 million to £5 million, and they have led 56 investments to date. The group is led by CEO and board member Paul Teselentis, and they are known for the quality and expertise of their investor network.

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‍View 24 Haymarket's profile on our investor database.

"The investment by 24Haymarket has been a catalyst for Wattbike, both strategically and operationally. 24Haymarket’s track record and know-how in working with businesses at our stage of development has been invaluable. The support, rigour and strategic direction are applied with the right balance and timing. Richard Baker, CEO Wattbike (from 24Haymarket's website)

Angel Academe

Backing female founders and supporting female angel investors

Angel Academe is dedicated to supporting female-founded tech startups while also introducing more women to angel investing. With 70% of their investors being women, they have built a strong community that fosters both funding and mentorship for female entrepreneurs. Founded in 2014, Angel Academe invests in startups that have at least one woman on the founding team with a minimum of 20% founder equity. Their investment focus includes fintech, medtech, edtech, cybersecurity, clean tech, and enterprise solutions, with a preference for B2B over B2C models. Their ticket sizes range from £250,000 to £5 million, and they expect startups to demonstrate market traction and relevant team experience.

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‍View Angel Academe's profile on our investor database.

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Angel CoFund

ACFInvestors' fund for co-investing with angel syndicates

While ACFInvestors is a venture capital fund, they operate the Angel CoFund to invest alongside sector-focused angel syndicates. This gives startups and their investors an opportunity to access additional capital - so if you are already raising funds from an angel group or syndicate as a first-time investor, it’s worth checking if your company would be eligible. A partner syndicate that decides to back a startup can propose the business to the Angel CoFund, which can contribute between £100,000 and £1 million, up to 49% of the funding round. This co-investment model helps startups secure larger rounds and benefit from the expertise of both the syndicate and the CoFund.

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‍View Angel CoFund's profile on our investor database.

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Angels in MedCity

Connecting London’s life sciences cluster with 400+ angels and VCs

Angels in MedCity is an investment network focused on life sciences startups in London. Their investment hub connects over 400 angels and venture capitalists, helping to de-risk investments through curated pitch events and personal introductions. They specialize in advanced therapies, diagnostics, AI and data-enabled technologies, digital health, and medtech. Over the past five years, they have helped founders raise more than £35 million. In addition to funding, they provide matchmaking with university R&D partners, guidance on clinical trials, and access to international networks.

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‍View Angels in MedCity's profile on our investor database.

“This is a fantastic service which truly helped us perfect our presentation skills, expand our network and, ultimately, successfully close our investment round. We would highly recommend getting involved!" Stephanie Monty, CEO & Toni Schneider, COO, Ostique (from MedCity's website)

Ascension Syndicate

Angel investors and family offices co-investing with Ascension VC

Ascension Syndicate is part of Ascension, a seed-stage VC firm that also allows angel investors and family offices to co-invest in their selected startups. While they are sector-agnostic, their key interests include fintech, B2B SaaS, climate tech, and life sciences. Their portfolio includes over 180 tech companies, and in 2023 alone, they invested in 12 businesses. Ticket sizes from syndicate members typically range from £5,000 to £300,000, with an average investment of £25,000. Their recent investments include companies focused on synthetic DNA production and fraud detection.

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‍View Ascension Syndicate's profile on our investor database.

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Cambridge Angels

Exited entrepreneurs backing tech startups and the “Cambridge Phenomenon”

Cambridge Angels is an exclusive group of around 60 angel investors, with 75% being exited entrepreneurs. They invest in startups and scale-ups, particularly those within science and engineering, healthcare tools, and deep tech. Since their founding in 2001, they have supported more than 150 companies and invested over £150 million. Their ticket sizes range from £150,000 to £1.5 million, and their portfolio companies often receive follow-on funding from VCs. Their investments are deeply embedded within the Cambridge innovation ecosystem, also known as the “Cambridge Phenomenon” - though not all of their portfolio companies are Cambridge-based.

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‍View Cambridge Angels' profile on our investor database.

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Cambridge Capital Group

IP-focused angels investing in the UK’s golden triangle

Cambridge Capital Group is a network of private investors, family offices, and venture funds that focus on startups in the UK’s “golden triangle” of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. They have invested over £50 million in more than 100 startups, with a strong emphasis on companies with defensible intellectual property. They primarily back businesses in medtech, biotech, agritech, software, AI, and life sciences, avoiding consumer-focused companies. With 22 successful exits, notable deals include SwiftKey’s sale to Microsoft for $250 million and Featurespace’s acquisition by Visa in a $1 billion transaction.

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‍View Cambridge Capital Group's profile on our investor database.

"Cambridge Capital Group were an absolute pleasure to work with for our seed funding round… In my opinion, the calibre of the pitching companies, portfolio companies and investors that comprise the CCG network, is first class! " - Portfolio company founder, 2018 (from CCG's website)

FSE Group Angel Investors

Regional funding for startups in underrepresented geographies

The FSE Group provides market gap funding for high-growth UK businesses, with a focus on regions that are overlooked by mainstream investors. Their angel network allows private investors to co-invest alongside FSE-managed funds, with individual angel investments typically ranging from £10,000 to £50,000 per deal. Their mission is to support economic growth and job creation by financing promising startups in underserved regions.

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‍View FSE Group Angel Investors' profile on our investor database.

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Galvanise Capital

Angels for MarTech, AdTech, Data & Analytics

Galvanise Capital specializes in early-stage investments in marketing technology, advertising technology, data, and analytics. Their investment criteria focus on the strength of the founding team, market opportunity, competitive landscape, and potential for at least a 10x return. They prioritize startups that already have paying customers and a clear go-to-market strategy. Their ticket sizes range from £150,000 to £1 million, and they have offices in both Edinburgh and London. A notable exit from their portfolio includes Aquila Insight.

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‍View Galvanise Capital's profile on our investor database.

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SFC Angel Fund SEIS

The UK’s leading SEIS fund

SFC Capital operates one of the UK’s most active SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) funds, working with universities, spinouts, accelerators, and angel investors. Their network of over 500 angel investors typically contributes between £100,000 and £300,000 per deal, securing 10-20% equity in the process. They invest across all sectors but require startups to have a clear USP and demonstrated traction beyond just a concept. Founders must be ambitious and capable, but also willing to accept feedback and be flexible on their terms.

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‍View SFC Angel Fund SEIS's profile on our investor database.

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“Working with SFC has been brilliant from start to finish. They took a chance on hearing our pitch, were amazing communicators through our seed raise, worked with us on follow-up funding rounds and provided really knowledgeable board support. Not sure what else we could have wanted to be honest!" - Laura McInerney, Teacher Tapp (from SFC's website)

Final Thoughts

If you’re an early-stage founder seeking funding, these angel groups and syndicates should be on your radar. Whether you’re in tech, life sciences, fintech, or other innovative industries, these investors provide not just capital but also strategic support to help you scale. To maximize your chances of securing funding, research these groups, tailor your pitch, and engage with the right investors who align with your startup’s vision and sector.

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