LINC Scotland, the national investor syndicate, has launched a new operating brand – Angel Capital Scotland.

Although LINC Scotland will remain as the head company, it will now operate under its brands Angel Capital Scotland and Young Company Finance.

Membership includes around 20 of the best-known structured angel groups or syndicates which collectively account for around 2,000 private investors.

It will continue LINC Scotland’s role of supporting collaboration across the angel investment sector, including member syndicates, individual investors and industry partners.

Syndicates have helped leverage more than £75m into early stage scale up companies each year, including Zonefox, Current Health, Blackford Analysis, Sunamp, Snappy Shopper, Cytomos, Dxcover, Administrate, and Trojan Energy.

Angel Capital Scotland has also secured Scottish Government funding to pilot a deal sharing platform for its angel syndicate members and selected partners, which is due to launch later in 2023.

The platform will allow individual investors to view a range of curated investment opportunities already supported and part funded by experienced angels.

Angel Capital Scotland chief executive David Grahame comments: “I’m delighted to be launching the new Angel Capital Scotland brand, created to increase visibility and recognition of the financial and advisory support given by business angels to Scotland’s high potential SMEs.

“The deal sharing platform will provide a great opportunity to enhance collaboration and broaden investor participation in an area of key importance to the future of Scotland’s economy.

LINC is a private non-profit organisation, and represents its members at government level in Edinburgh, London, and Brussels, and was a founding member of Business Angels Europe (BAE).

Under its ACS brand LINC also gives investors access to advice on tax incentives, legal and technical issues, as well as peer group connections and support.

Over a number of years LINC has played a significant and active part in changing the business culture in Scotland, and the Scottish business angel marketplace is now recognised as amongst the most developed and sophisticated in Europe.

ACS member syndicates make up almost half of the private sector partners of Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-Investment Fund, and have led a significant proportion of the investments made by the Fund.

In the international arena LINC has been an invited contributor to market development initiatives in several European countries, Australasia, the Americas and the MENA region.

LINC was also the first non-American angel network to be invited to contribute to the proceedings of the Angel Capital Association of America.