Gresham House Ventures has named Grant Paul-Florence, the former head of development capital at Octopus Investments, as its director of investments.
Paul-Florence (pictured) led the London investment team at BGF, a £2.5bn private equity firm, from March 2019 until December 2021, and was a freelance investor until joining Gresham House, according to his Linkedin page.
He joined BGF from Octopus Capital, and has also held private equity roles at AAC Capital and Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.
Paul-Florence has sat on the board of several early-stage businesses during his career, including healthcare technology company CM2000, automotive software as a services business Clifford Thames, and telecommunications service provider CSL.
Gresham House Ventures CIO Trevor Hope said: “[We play] a valuable role in seeking out and backing Britain’s most talented entrepreneurs, and we are confident Grant’s wealth of experience and passion for innovation will prove invaluable in this mission over the coming years.
“This appointment comes at an important time amid another strong period of fundraising, and the team looks forward to working alongside Grant as we continue to strengthen our offering for investors and in supporting the entrepreneurs we partner with.”
Paul-Florence added: “I am excited to be working with two of the most well-established VCTs in the industry at a time when British start-ups are poised for a period of tremendous growth, and I look forward to getting to know our portfolio and seeking out more pioneering young businesses.”
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