Fund Development
Establishing a fund is a complex and time-consuming process, with the legal aspects only one piece of the puzzle.
Governments also need expert guidance in how to set up and establish a grant, loan, venture or co-investment fund and to maximise their effectiveness by leveraging private sector engagement.
Nelson has worked with several regional and national government bodies to recommend appropriate fund structures, management methodologies, sources for funding for the fund and appropriate monitoring and management structures, drawing on comparative evidence from public and private funds worldwide.
Recent engagements have involved the development of co-investment fund structures in the UK, New Zealand, the Caribbean and North Africa.
Fund Management
As a qualified UK Financial Services Authority fund manager, Nelson developed and managed two early stage investment funds – the East of Scotland Investment Fund & the Strathclyde Investment Fund. These funds provided support to over 50 Scottish SMEs. In addition, Nelson was a non-executive director for the Genomia Seedcorn Investment Fund which targets the research outputs of the animal and life sciences sector and the former locum Fund Manager for a £250 million venture fund. He has provided assistance for the establishment of Venture funds in the commercial property and oil and gas sectors, and for SEIS and EIS funds in the UK. He is presently a member of the Investment Advisory Board to the UK governments £100m Angel Co-Investment Fund.