New venture capital investor founded to back SMEs
Corporate financier Ruth Percival has joined with Fishawack founder Oliver Dennis to start a new venture capital and investment business.
The former BDO partner and latterly a senior executive at Fishawack, the Cheshire-headquartered health communications group, Percival told her LinkedIn contacts: “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Co-Founder at Lasker Trap Development Capital!”
From 2020 to 2022 she worked with Dennis as chief integration officer at Fishawack, which Bridgepoint acquired from LDC in 2020 after a £38million buyout in 2017, where £18.5million of follow-on funding supported a series of five acquisitions, transforming it into an international venture with 14 offices in Europe and the US and more than 850 employees.
Lasker Trap – named after a chess move – looks to be a bold strategic move by Percival and Oliver to use their respective skills and connections to seek new growth opportunities and tap into their networks of entrepreneurs and investors.
It’s description states: “Lasker Trap Development Capital (based in Knutsford, Cheshire) invests in small to medium sized businesses. We will also consider investing in early stage or pre-revenue businesses.
“We work with a group of high net worth individuals who want to invest in businesses, and have strong relationships with Private Equity and Debt funders. We are also well networked with the UK Corporate Finance community.”
Ruth Percival has been contacted for comment.
