16 Manchester SaaS investors backing B2B software founders in 2026

Manchester's B2B SaaS market grew 47% year-on-year in 2025 to reach $1.5bn. These 16 investors are actively writing checks for Manchester SaaS founders in 2026.

Happl raised £8.1M Series A from Portage Ventures in May 2026 without moving to London.

Haatch deployed capital into over 24 pre-seed B2B SaaS companies in 2025 and invests 70%+ outside London.

Manchester SaaS founders have lower burn, stronger talent pools, and growing local capital. The excuses to pitch London first are running out.

Set up an Ellty data room with your ARR and churn data before outreach. SaaS investors check unit economics before any call.

What is a Manchester SaaS investor?

A Manchester SaaS investor backs B2B software companies in the North. That covers enterprise software, HR tech, vertical SaaS, automation platforms, and data products.

Some are B2B SaaS specialists like Haatch. Others are generalist Northern funds with SaaS as a core thesis.

Manchester's edge is its talent. The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan produce strong engineering and commercial teams, and labour costs run 50-60% below London.

Most want MRR, low churn, and a clear ICP. Compare London SaaS investors for growth rounds heading south.

16 Manchester SaaS investors

1. PXN Ventures

PXN Ventures is Manchester's leading early-stage fund with £670M under management. They back SaaS, fintech, and software from seed to Series A across the North. Their portfolio includes Mojo-CX (AI SaaS), Ocula (retail AI SaaS), and AccessPay (payments SaaS).

• Recent Deals: Earth Blox £6M (Mar 2026); Mojo-CX £2.25M (Jan 2025); Ocula £3.25M SaaS lead; £200K-£8M checks; Northern SaaS mandate
• LinkedIn: PXN Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: pxnventures.co.uk

2. Portage Ventures

Portage Ventures led Happl's oversubscribed £8.1M Series A in May 2026. Happl is a Manchester-based global HR benefits SaaS platform for multinational employers. Portage backs B2B SaaS, fintech, and HR tech with checks from $5M to $30M.

Use Ellty to share your ARR, NRR, and logo list with Portage before a call. SaaS Series A investors check retention and ICP fit first.

• Recent Deals: Happl £8.1M Series A lead (May 2026); $5M-$30M checks; B2B SaaS and fintech mandate; Series A to growth focus; global deal flow
• LinkedIn: Portage Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, HR tech
• Stage Focus: Series A to growth
• Location: Canada with UK deal flow
• Website: portageinvest.com

3. Haatch

Haatch is a UK B2B SaaS specialist that invested in Happl at pre-seed and backs Manchester founders with its SEIS and EIS funds. They made 24 investments in 2025 with 70%+ outside London. They write £150K to £620K into founders solving real enterprise pain.

• Recent Deals: Happl portfolio company (Series A follow 2026); 24 investments in 2025; £150K-£620K checks; 70%+ outside London; B2B SaaS mandate
• LinkedIn: Haatch LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, deep pain sectors
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to seed
• Location: UK-wide with Northern focus
• Website: haatch.com

4. 6 Degrees Capital

6 Degrees Capital co-led Happl's seed round alongside Ascension Ventures, investing before Portage led the Series A. They back B2B SaaS and HR tech companies at seed to Series A. They suit Manchester founders who have initial enterprise traction and are ready to scale.

• Recent Deals: Happl seed co-lead; B2B SaaS and HR tech mandate; $500K-$5M checks; seed to Series A focus; UK deal flow
• LinkedIn: 6 Degrees Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, HR tech, fintech
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: US with UK deal flow
• Website: 6degrees.capital

5. Ascension Ventures

Ascension Ventures co-led Happl's seed round and is one of the UK's most active seed investors. They back B2B SaaS and impact tech founders at pre-seed and seed. They invest across the UK with 6 investments in the last 12 months.

Set up an Ellty data room with your first enterprise contracts. Ascension checks that the ICP is real before the term sheet.

• Recent Deals: Happl seed co-lead; 6 investments in the last 12 months; £250K-£3M checks; B2B SaaS and impact tech mandate; UK-wide deal flow
• LinkedIn: Ascension Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, impact tech, software
• Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
• Location: UK-wide with Northern deal flow
• Website: ascension.vc

6. DSW Ventures

DSW Ventures is a Manchester-based VC backing B2B SaaS and software with SEIS/EIS funding. They backed Nexco.ai (AI SaaS) at pre-seed in May 2026 and Fireflai (data SaaS) at £415K in March 2025. They write £300K to £3M into Northern SaaS 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: B2B SaaS, software, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Website: dsw.vc

7. NPIF II Praetura Equity Finance

NPIF II Praetura Equity Finance is the British Business Bank fund managed by PXN. They co-invest on Northern SaaS rounds and have backed Mojo-CX and other Manchester software companies. They deploy £100K to £5M into Northern SaaS with a regional mandate.

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

8. Growth Capital Partners

Growth Capital Partners backed Manchester-based Robiquity, an intelligent automation and SaaS services company that won the North West BVCA Scale-Up award in 2025. They write £2M to £20M into profitable and high-growth B2B software companies across the UK.

Read investor relations basics to understand how Growth Capital Partners reports to LPs. They use a buy-and-build model and expect quarterly board engagement.

• Recent Deals: Robiquity Manchester automation SaaS investment; £2M-£20M checks; B2B SaaS and services mandate; Series A to growth focus; UK-wide deal flow
• LinkedIn: Growth Capital Partners LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, software, services
• Stage Focus: Series A to growth
• Location: Manchester and UK-wide
• Website: growthcapital.co.uk

9. River Capital

River Capital is a Manchester and Liverpool fund that backed Mojo-CX (AI SaaS) and runs fund:AI for software and AI-driven SaaS. They write £250K to £2M into early-stage Northern SaaS companies with real revenue traction.

• Recent Deals: Mojo-CX £500K (Jan 2025); Northern SaaS mandate; £250K-£2M checks; pre-seed to Series A; North West deal flow
• LinkedIn: River Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: SaaS, AI, Northern tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
• Location: Manchester and Liverpool, UK
• Website: rivercapitaluk.com

10. Mercia Ventures

Mercia Ventures backs Northern SaaS and software founders with their Connected Capital model. They deploy venture, debt, and growth equity and write £500K to £5M into companies from seed to Series A. They suit Manchester SaaS founders who want flexible structures.

Use Ellty to share your pipeline and revenue data with Mercia. They review go-to-market traction before committing capital.

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

11. Maven Capital Partners

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

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

12. Y Combinator

Y Combinator backed Happl at pre-seed (YC W22) before the company raised its £8.1M Series A in May 2026. They accept founders globally and offer $500K for 7% equity. Manchester SaaS founders who get in gain immediate access to the YC alumni network.

• Recent Deals: Happl YC W22; SaaS and B2B mandate; $500K standard check; pre-seed focus; global deal flow
• LinkedIn: Y Combinator LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer, deep tech
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed
• Location: San Francisco with global deal flow
• Website: ycombinator.com

13. GC Angels

GC Angels is The Growth Company's venture arm for Greater Manchester. They back pre-seed and seed SaaS founders in the North. They prioritise underrepresented founders and companies with clear B2B traction.

Read granular permissions to control access to your ARR and customer contracts in your data room. Share only what's relevant to each investor.

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

14. Deepbridge Capital

Deepbridge Capital backs Northern EIS SaaS and software founders. They write £250K to £3M using tax-efficient SEIS/EIS structures. They suit Manchester SaaS founders raising their first institutional round with capital-efficient teams.

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

15. Foresight Group

Foresight Group runs regional funds that back Northern SaaS and software with £1M to £5M checks. They co-invest on rounds alongside PXN and NPIF. They suit Manchester SaaS founders with recurring revenue who want patient regional capital.

• Recent Deals: Regional fund mandate; co-investments with PXN and NPIF; £1M-£5M checks; Northern SaaS focus; seed to growth stage
• LinkedIn: Foresight Group LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: SaaS, regional tech, software
• Stage Focus: Seed to growth
• Location: Manchester and UK regions
• Website: foresight.group

16. BGF

BGF is the UK's most active growth investor and backs B2B software companies across the North. They write £2M to £15M into companies with real revenue and a growth path. They suit Manchester SaaS founders raising a first growth round with £2M+ ARR.

Use Ellty to share your management accounts and pipeline data with BGF. They check these in detail before any investment committee meeting.

• Recent Deals: Northern software and SaaS mandate; £2M-£15M checks; Series A to growth focus; UK regional deal flow; BGF Ventures SaaS track
• LinkedIn: BGF LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: SaaS, software, regional growth
• Stage Focus: Series A to growth
• Location: Manchester and UK-wide
• Website: bgf.co.uk

How to verify a SaaS fund is still deploying

Manchester SaaS funds that haven't done a deal since 2023 have likely moved on. Check their last five investments on Crunchbase before writing the email.

A fund with a fresh capital raise is a better target. Haatch raised an additional £10M from British Business Investments specifically for UK pre-seed B2B SaaS in 2025.

Read Manchester AI investors if your SaaS product includes an AI workflow component. Some AI-SaaS companies fit both mandates.

How to approach a Manchester SaaS investor cold

Warm intros convert far better than cold email for most funds. A portfolio founder or angel shared by the fund is the fastest path.

If you're going cold, keep it to three sentences: what you do, what your MRR is, and why you're reaching out to this specific fund. Nothing else.

Read North West England investors for a broader view of Northern capital beyond pure SaaS.

What SaaS investors check in 2026

MRR and net retention are the gates. Sub-90% net retention at Series A is a problem no matter how fast you're growing.

Your ICP must be named. A list of five logos and a one-liner on why each churned or stayed tells investors more than a 30-page deck.

Read pitch deck tracking software to understand how Ellty shows you which investors actually open your SaaS metrics slide. Follow up on real engagement, not guesswork.