YFM Equity Partners (YFM) is continuing its focus on growth stage investment, particularly in the technology sector, with the appointment of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Victor Christou who takes up the new position of partner, head of growth, at the specialist small business investor that operates across the UK.
Victor began his career as an academic at the University of Oxford before launching a spin-off business, Opsys, in 1997 that pioneered OLED display technology. After selling the business in 2002, he founded Aborescent and then moved to Oxford Capital Partners in 2005 where he was a senior investment manager before joining Wellington Partners as a venture partner. In 2013 he joined Cambridge Innovation Capital, where he was CEO for almost four years.
As well as being a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Victor was also a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
At YFM, Victor takes on the newly-created role of head of growth, with overall responsibility for growth stage assets within the PE house’s existing investment portfolio. In this role, he will be seeking new opportunities for investment, especially into high-growth technology ventures in YFM’s growth capital focused VCTs. Based in the firm’s London office, Victor will work across the UK, supporting YFM’s investments into rapidly growing, regional businesses.
David Hall, managing director of YFM said: “Victor’s breadth, depth and wealth of experience through investing in and managing businesses across all stages of their growth journeys, coupled with a deep insight of investors’ needs, is a rare combination of skills. His ethos and approach are also a great fit with the YFM culture.
“Victor’s appointment reflects our continuing support for growth stage investment and further strengthens our technology venture experience. It’s great news for our team, our invested businesses and our investors that such an experienced venture capitalist and entrepreneur is joining YFM for the next phase of our development.”
Victor comments: “I was attracted to the role by YFM’s great reputation and its commitment to regional support. I believe there are exciting opportunities to take YFM’s offering to rapidly growing tech businesses across all regions of the UK. In this new role as head of growth and with my background in deep technology investing, this is a fantastic opportunity to use my experience to broaden the capabilities of the YFM team and really make a difference.
“I am particularly looking forward to working as part of such an inclusive and collaborative team with a strong and ethical culture and working alongside some passionate CEOs across the portfolio.”
YFM’s investment portfolio already includes a number of prominent software IT and telecoms businesses such as Manchester-based cloud integration technologies provider Matillion; data visualisation, reporting and analytics software provider Panintelligence in Leeds; e-learning software authoring platform Elucidat in Brighton; Traveltek in East Kilbride, a pioneer of travel technology solutions for travel agents and tour operators; and Arcus Global in Cambridge which provides cloud based software for the public sector.
YFM typically invests between £2m and £10m per transaction into businesses with strong growth potential located across the UK regions through YFM’s network of offices in London, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.
