IAN Currie, the founder of Seneca Partners, is planning to raise a £10m fund to help financialy stressed companies unable to fund growth.

Having built a strong team in debt advisory and corporate finance in the North West and Yorkshire, Seneca will be launching into the West Midlands in the next month.

Mr Currie established Seneca following the Zeus Group demerger in 2010 which saw him buy a majority share in Bury-based LibertySipp, and end his involvement in the Manchester-based business he co-founded.