What Sets Regional Businesses Apart — and Why It Matters

Founded by a team of industry veterans— Jim Odell, Justin Urquhart Stewart, Paul Newsham, Martin Taylor, Michael Mcdowell, and Tony Backhouse, Regionally Ventures is committed to bridging the funding gap for high-growth regional businesses across the UK. With 70p of every £1 traditionally invested in London, regional businesses represent a valuable, yet often overlooked, segment of the market.

In our industry, where the spotlight often falls on metropolitan tech hubs and accelerator-backed start-ups, it is easy to overlook the depth and strength of businesses being built elsewhere.

At Regionally Ventures, we work with founders from across the UK, many of whom are growing solid, scalable businesses outside the usual investment circuits or the London /South East bubble. These companies are often embedded in their sectors, closely connected to their customers, and focused on building something that lasts, not just something that trends.

What stands out to us about regional businesses is their focus. Many have grown steadily by solving real-world problems and delivering real value, often with fewer resources and less fanfare than their urban counterparts. That does not make them any less ambitious. If anything, it means they are more resilient, more grounded, and often clearer about what works.

We believe those qualities are worth backing.

Through The Regional Way, our advisory service led by Tony Backhouse, we work with founders to strengthen what is already working, refine their story for investment, and support their growth on their own terms.

If that sounds like the kind of business you are building, then we would love to hear from you.