Funding Manchester AI companies in 2026: 13 active investors

Manchester AI companies raised $583M in VC from 2021-2023. These 13 investors are actively writing checks for Manchester AI founders in 2026.

Greater Manchester AI companies are now valued over five times higher than in 2020, at $4.2bn.

PXN Ventures led two AI rounds in May 2026 alone. River Capital runs the North's first dedicated AI fund.

This is no longer a market where founders need to pitch London first. The capital is here.

Set up an Ellty data room with your model performance data before outreach. Manchester AI investors check technical proof before any call.

What is a Manchester AI investor?

A Manchester AI investor backs companies building applied AI products in the North. That covers ML platforms, AI-driven SaaS, data science tools, and AI infrastructure.

Some are dedicated AI funds. Others are generalist Northern funds with AI as a core thesis.

Manchester's edge is its university research pipeline. The University of Manchester produces spinouts that raise real capital from pre-seed to Series A without moving to London.

Most want working AI models, real customers or pilots, and a clear data advantage. Compare London AI investors if you're raising a larger growth round.

13 Manchester AI investors

1. PXN Ventures

PXN Ventures is Manchester's leading early-stage fund with £670M under management. They led Imperagen's £5M seed in May 2026 and Rightbrain AI's £3M seed in April 2026. They back AI across deep tech, SaaS, and applied ML from seed to Series A.

• Recent Deals: Imperagen £5M seed lead (May 2026); Rightbrain AI £3M seed lead (Apr 2026); Mojo-CX £2.25M co-lead (Jan 2025); 115 portfolio companies; Northern mandate
• LinkedIn: PXN Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, SaaS, healthtech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: pxnventures.co.uk

2. River Capital fund:AI

River Capital runs the North's first dedicated artificial intelligence fund. They invested in Mojo-CX, HyperFinity, and Manchester University spinout Fotenix. Investments are £250K to £2M into AI, ML, and data science companies across the North.

Use Ellty to share your model performance and training data with River Capital. AI funds check technical depth before the pitch meeting.

• Recent Deals: Mojo-CX £500K (Jan 2025); HyperFinity investment; Fotenix Manchester spinout; £250K-£2M checks; North-focused AI mandate
• LinkedIn: River Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, ML, data science
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester and Liverpool, UK
• Website: rivercapitaluk.com

3. DSW Ventures

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based early-stage VC backing AI and deep tech with SEIS/EIS funding. They backed Nexco.ai (AI executive search) at pre-seed in May 2026 and Fireflai (AI product data) at £415K in March 2025. They write £300K to £3M into Northern founders.

• Recent Deals: Nexco.ai pre-seed (May 2026); Fireflai £415K (Mar 2025); 30+ portfolio companies; SEIS/EIS mandate; £300K-£3M checks
• LinkedIn: DSW Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, software
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: dsw.vc

4. Pembroke VCT

Pembroke VCT led a £5M round in PEAK:AIO, a Manchester AI storage platform, in October 2025. They invested £3.7M alongside NPIF II and a Silicon Valley co-investor. They back AI infrastructure and SaaS with real revenue from seed to growth.

• Recent Deals: PEAK:AIO £3.7M lead (Oct 2025); AI infrastructure mandate; £1M-£5M checks; seed to growth focus; UK deal flow
• LinkedIn: Pembroke VCT LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI infrastructure, SaaS, software
• Stage Focus: Seed to growth
• Location: London with Northern deal flow
• Website: pembrokevct.com

5. NPIF II Praetura Equity Finance

NPIF II Praetura Equity Finance is the British Business Bank fund managed by PXN. They co-invested in PEAK:AIO and led the Mojo-CX £2.25M round. They deploy £100K to £5M into Northern AI and tech with a regional growth mandate.

Set up an Ellty data room before approaching NPIF II. Public fund investors review use-of-funds detail before committing.

• Recent Deals: PEAK:AIO co-investment (Oct 2025); Mojo-CX £1M co-lead (Jan 2025); £100K-£5M checks; Northern mandate; BBB fund
• LinkedIn: Praetura Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, Northern tech, SaaS
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: pxnventures.co.uk

6. IQ Capital

IQ Capital is a Cambridge-based deep tech fund that co-invested in Imperagen's £5M Manchester AI round in May 2026. They back AI, ML, and deep tech companies from seed through Series B. Manchester founders building defensible AI models fit their thesis.

• Recent Deals: Imperagen £5M round participant (May 2026); AI and deep tech mandate; £500K-£10M checks; seed to Series B focus; UK-wide deal flow
• LinkedIn: IQ Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, biotech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series B
• Location: Cambridge with Northern deal flow
• Website: iqcapital.vc

7. Northern Gritstone

Northern Gritstone backs spinouts from the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield. They invested in Imperagen's AI round in May 2026. They write £1M to £10M into deep tech and AI companies with university IP roots.

Read investor relations basics to understand how university spinout funds report to their LPs. That shapes the IP and equity structure they will ask for.

• Recent Deals: Imperagen £5M round participant (May 2026); university spinout mandate; £1M-£10M checks; deep tech and AI focus; Northern university deal flow
• LinkedIn: Northern Gritstone LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI spinouts, deep tech, biotech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: northerngritstone.com

8. GC Angels

GC Angels is the venture arm of The Growth Company in Greater Manchester. They back AI, SaaS, and tech founders at pre-seed and seed across the North. They focus on underrepresented founders and run the Venture Forward accelerator.

• Recent Deals: Venture Forward accelerator cohorts; pre-seed AI and tech investments; £100K-£2M checks; underrepresented founder focus; Greater Manchester mandate
• LinkedIn: GC Angels LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, regional tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to seed
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: gcangels.uk

9. Mercia Ventures

Mercia Ventures deploys venture, debt, and growth equity with its Connected Capital model. They back Northern AI and software founders from seed to Series A. They suit Manchester founders who want flexible capital structures alongside operational support.

Use Ellty to share your pipeline and revenue metrics with Mercia. They review go-to-market traction before a term sheet on AI companies.

• Recent Deals: Connected Capital model; £500K-£5M checks; Northern AI and software mandate; seed to Series A focus; UK regional deal flow
• LinkedIn: Mercia Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, software, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester and UK regions
• Website: mercia.co.uk

10. Foresight Group

Foresight Group co-invested in Mojo-CX's £2.25M AI round in January 2025. They run regional funds that back Northern AI and SaaS with £1M to £5M checks. They suit AI founders with recurring revenue looking for patient regional capital.

• Recent Deals: Mojo-CX co-investor (Jan 2025); regional fund mandate; £1M-£5M checks; Northern AI and SaaS focus; UK regional deal flow
• LinkedIn: Foresight Group LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Seed to growth
• Location: Manchester and UK regions
• Website: foresight.group

11. GMCA Innovation Fund

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority backs AI companies through its innovation fund. They co-invested in Mojo-CX's AI round and fund the Greater Manchester AI Foundry. They write £100K to £2M into AI founders with a civic and regional impact angle.

• Recent Deals: Mojo-CX co-investor (Jan 2025); GM AI Foundry £6M programme; £100K-£2M checks; civic and regional AI mandate; Greater Manchester deal flow
• LinkedIn: Greater Manchester CA LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, civic tech, regional innovation
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to seed
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

12. Deepbridge Capital

Deepbridge Capital backs Northern EIS AI and deep tech founders. They write £250K to £3M into capital-efficient AI teams using tax-efficient structures. They suit early-stage Manchester AI founders raising their first institutional round.

• Recent Deals: Northern EIS mandate; £250K-£3M checks; AI and deep tech focus; SEIS/EIS structures; seed to Series A stage
• LinkedIn: Deepbridge Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, EIS, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: North West, UK
• Website: deepbridgecapital.com

13. Maven Capital Partners

Maven Capital Partners runs Northern Powerhouse funds and backs AI, SaaS, and software in the North. They write £1M to £5M into capital-efficient companies. They suit Manchester AI founders raising a seed or Series A with clear revenue traction.

Read granular permissions to control who accesses your AI model IP. Use Ellty to share only the data each fund needs to see.

• Recent Deals: Northern Powerhouse fund mandate; £1M-£5M checks; AI, SaaS, and software focus; seed to growth stage; Northern deal flow
• LinkedIn: Maven Capital Partners LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, Northern tech
• Stage Focus: Seed to growth
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: mavencp.com

How Manchester AI investors evaluate models

Manchester AI investors ask one question before anything else: what data do you own? A model trained on proprietary data has a defensible moat. A wrapper on an existing model does not.

They look for real pilots or paying customers next. Proof of usage with a named company beats any benchmark on a public dataset.

Use Ellty to share your technical documentation securely. Set page-level permissions so investors see model architecture without downloading your training data.

How to find active AI funds in the North

Start with PXN and River Capital - both made AI investments in 2026 already. Funds that backed AI companies in the last six months are actively deploying.

The British Business Bank's NPIF II funds co-invest on most Northern AI rounds. Check which managers they work with and approach the lead fund first.

Read North West England investors for a wider view of the regional funding landscape beyond pure AI.

When to approach Manchester versus London AI investors

Manchester funds lead rounds up to £5M without London involvement. PXN, River Capital, and Northern Gritstone can take you from pre-seed through Series A.

For Series B and beyond, London and US co-investors come in. IQ Capital and Pembroke VCT already cross borders for Northern AI deals.

Read England investors to understand the full stack of UK AI capital from seed to growth. Build both lists from day one.