Northern Gritstone adds investment director Gareth Llewellyn to growing investment team
Northern Gritstone, the new investment business focused on university spin-outs and science and technology enabled businesses in the north of England, today announces that Gareth Llewellyn has joined the company as an Investment Director.
Gareth is the fourth addition to the Northern Gritstone investment team this year. He will work alongside Chief Investment Officer, Marion Bernard, as the company prepares to build on its initial investments in life sciences company, Imperagen, immersion cooling technology producer, Iceotope, and biological engineering firm, Opteran.
With a background in Mechanical Engineering and Marine Sciences, Gareth has more than a decade of experience. After a period advising on deals at PwC, he spent five years managing investments for the Wheatsheaf Group, which specialises in funding high-growth innovative food and agriculture businesses.
Gareth joins Northern Gritstone from his current role as Chief Operating Officer at Synomics, a biological and agritech insights business launched by the Wheatsheaf Group, where he was responsible for shaping the strategic direction of the business.
Launched in July 2021 by the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield and chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill, Northern Gritstone is dedicated to investing in university spinouts and start-ups in the north of England, delivering its philosophy of ‘profit with purpose.’ The company announced its first close of £215m in May after its initial fundraising attracted a broad and diverse base of investors including Columbia Threadneedle, Greater Manchester Pension Fund and M&G.
Gareth will work across Northern Gritstone’s offices in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. He will be part of the investment team identifying investment opportunities and forming the company’s future funding strategy. His appointment follows the announcement in August that Alison Maughan would be joining the Northern Gritstone team as Investment Manager and Mark Wyatt as Investment Director.
Northern Gritstone CEO, Duncan Johnson, said: “I am delighted that Gareth is joining our investment team. His sectoral knowledge of scientific businesses and agricultural technology will bring valuable expertise to Northern Gritstone as we seek to expand our portfolio of IP-rich and university spin-outs in the north of England.”
