The University of Warwick Science Park stimulates the growth of innovation-led businesses throughout the West Midlands Region. Our Access to Finance programme, which is centred upon our Minerva Business Angel Network, is one of an established portfolio of business support services that includes technology marketing, corporate venturing, market research, property services, student projects, new business creation, mentoring and business development.
 
The Access to Finance programme helps growth-orientated companies in any commercial sector to raise start-up and development capital from business angels, venture capital funds, banks and corporate investors. Our clients are at all stages of development from start-up through to long established.
 
Minerva is best known for its specialisation in technology-and-knowledge-based businesses, including spin-out opportunities from some of the UK's leading research universities. However, we also work with growth-orientated companies that are active in the region's more traditional business sectors.
 
In 2003-2005 Minerva was primarily focused on delivering a regional pre-seed investment readiness programme, through which 59 investees raised a total of £5.1m. That programme included the management of an investment fund that made 36 investments totalling £825k. From 2006 Minerva’s focus has returned to the facilitation of ‘business angel’ investment.