Investment opportunities in South Wales were the focus of a London event this week which promoted the benefits of co-investment with the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR).
The ‘Investing in the Cardiff Capital Region’ event, part of the annual Wales Week London programme, aimed to develop the dialogue with the investment community in Wales, London, and beyond, exploring opportunities around co-investment with the CCR’s portfolio of funds such as the Innovation Investment Capital and Strategic Premises Fund, and also the soon-to-be launched Northern Valleys Initiative.
More than 85 attendees including investors and developers, heard about the competitive advantages in the Region, its cluster strategy, the creation of the new Investment Zone, and the major redevelopment of the former Aberthaw Power Station site.
The event was hosted by Baroness Wilcox of Newport, and CCR director Kellie Beirne facilitated discussions between an expert panel comprising Wales Office Minister Fay Jones MP; Lucy Cohen of Mazuma, which recently received capital funding from the CCR’s Innovation Investment Capital to help boost its operations; Michael Magee, a Partner at PwC; and George Richards, senior director at CBRE.
Councillor Mary Ann Brocklesby, Leader of Monmouthshire County Council and Portfolio Lead of Research and Innovation, also spoke about the importance of sustainable growth allied to innovation.
Cllr Brocklesby said:
“South Wales offers so many exciting investment opportunities, and the Cardiff Capital Region is an enabler and collaborator that can help make these happen.
“We encourage investors and developers from Wales, the UK, and beyond, to talk to us about how we can work together to bring out economic and social benefits in the region.”
Wales Office Minister Fay Jones said:
“The CCR has consistently been a catalyst for investment and innovation across South Wales. This event highlighted the breadth of investment opportunities that the Cardiff Capital Region provides, showing why the UK Government is proud to support its on-going work and invest in its future.”
Lucy Cohen is the co-founder and CEO of Bridgend-based online accountancy firm Mazuma, which recently received a multi-million pound investment from the Innovation Investment Capital (IIC), funded by CCR.
She spoke about what the investment meant for her firm, which is one of the leading providers of accountancy services for micro businesses in the UK, and differentiates its business through a subscription model that allows subscribers to choose from a range of accountancy packages, and benefit from its proprietary technology through MazApp®.
Lucy said:
“With the addition of this new investment from IIC Mazuma will accelerate the development of its new accountancy technology solutions, expand the marketing and sales teams in Bridgend, and invest in the firm’s infrastructure and operations to support growth.
“The CCR shares our goals and vision. We can now accelerate the development of our proprietary technology, and leverage our position to pursue long-term strategic goals.”
The Mazuma investment is IIC’s second investment, with the first in being AMPLYFI, the Cardiff-based disruptive generative artificial intelligence business. To date, the fund has received more than 160 applications for funding from potential investee companies across South Wales.
Launched in November 2022 and backed by UK Government funds with an initial £50 million from CCR, the fund is looking to invest long-term capital in sustainable growth opportunities across the ten unitary authorities that comprise the CCR. Its General Partner is Capricorn Fund Managers (CFM), which is responsible for managing the fund and the overall portfolio and risk management, with PwC supporting CFM in advisory matters, including investment research and sourcing.
The ‘Investing in the Cardiff Capital Region’ event was held as part of the Wales Week in London programme which aims to highlight and showcase opportunities in the country.
