Investors
Invest in companies built to succeed.
GCV Labs creates, launches and scales technology-enabled ventures through a structured, seven-stage venture building process. Investors access that pipeline through GCV Invest — part of the wider Growth Capital Ventures ecosystem.
The investor case
Built, not just backed.
Most early-stage investment asks capital to carry the risk of everything that hasn't been done yet — the strategy, the product, the team, the commercial engine. GCV Labs does that work first. Every venture moves through a disciplined process from idea to scale, so capital is deployed into businesses with foundations already in place.
Systematically de-risked
Each venture passes defined stage gates — validation, MVP, product/market fit, repeatable growth — before the next round of capital is deployed.
Operationally involved
GCV Labs stays inside the business: strategy, people, product, technology, brand and growth capability around every venture.
Capital with a job to do
Funding is raised at defined stages — each round tied to specific value-creating milestones, not open-ended burn.
Read more: why capital alone doesn't build great companies.
The pipeline
A structured journey from idea to scale.
Every GCV Labs venture moves through the same seven-stage process. Investors can engage at defined funding stages — each tied to what the business has already proven and what the round is designed to achieve.
Pre-seed
Typically £50k
Incubate stage — prepare the MVP for launch, define the initial business and revenue model and strengthen the team.
Seed
Typically £200k
Launch stage — launch the product, prove the value proposition and revenue model and prepare the business for the next phase of growth.
Super seed
Typically £500k
Accelerate stage — develop scalable sales and marketing, build the team and establish the metrics required to support Series A.
Series A
Typically £1m
Scale stage — demonstrate scalable growth and achieve the value-creating milestones required for the next stage of the company's development.
Funding stages and amounts are typical values from the GCV Labs venture builder process; individual ventures vary. Nothing on this page is an offer or promotion of any specific investment.
Who invests
Three routes into the pipeline.
Whether you invest as an individual, an institution or a corporate, access to GCV Labs ventures is managed through GCV Invest and the wider Growth Capital Ventures ecosystem.
Private investor
Private investors
Access carefully selected opportunities in venture-built companies through GCV Invest — the FCA-regulated investment platform within the Growth Capital Ventures ecosystem.
- Opportunities in companies built through a structured seven-stage process
- A pipeline of ventures at defined stages of development
- Access managed through GCV Invest, not the venture builder
Institutional / co-investor
Institutional & co-investors
VC funds, family offices and institutional investors looking at seed through Series A and beyond — alongside a venture builder that stays operationally involved.
- Ventures with strategy, product, technology and team already in place
- Defined stage gates from pre-seed through Series A
- An experienced operator co-investing and building alongside you
Corporate investor
Corporate investors
Established businesses taking strategic stakes in ventures built with them — or accessing innovation the venture builder is creating in their sector.
- Strategic stakes in ventures built around your market insight
- Corporate venture building from opportunity through to scale
- A delivery team that builds with you, not just for you
The evidence
Companies built through the process.
Real ventures, built and co-founded by GCV Labs — including one exit and four companies now in their growth phase.
Intelligence Fusion
SaaS · Threat intelligence & geopolitical risk
Co-founded with Michael McCabe and built through the full GCV Labs venture build process — from idea and proof of concept to launch and scale. Funded first by the GCV Invest network, then institutional investors as the business proved product-market fit and its revenue model. Acquired by Sigma7 and now operating as S7 One.
n-gage.io
SaaS · Attractions management
An attractions management platform with a powerful, highly customisable visitor-facing app, co-founded with Bryan Hoare. Now in its growth phase, with clients including Longleat Safari Park, Knowsley Safari Park and Jimmy's Farm.
Business Finance Market
Fintech · Commercial finance
A GCV Labs portfolio company with two brands: Finance Nation, the FCA-authorised commercial finance brokerage, and Xova, the commercial broker SaaS platform - piloted and used by Finance Nation, and built to be licensed to other commercial brokers, initially in the UK and then globally.
Valius Global
Marketplace · SME M&A
Valius is a modern digital marketplace connecting business owners with serious, verified buyers. The platform showcases over 1,000 UK businesses across a wide range of sectors. Smart matching helps buyers discover opportunities. End-to-end tools and support streamline the journey from discovery through to completion.
Quva
SaaS · Alternative investment
A GCV Labs spinout founded by Craig Peterson and Norman Peterson. A highly customisable, highly configurable SaaS platform for the alternative investment market — powering GCV Invest and licensed to other private investor networks, venture capital firms, private equity firms and property investment firms.
Founded by Craig Peterson and Norman Peterson.
Case study
Intelligence Fusion — from idea to exit
Co-founded and built with GCV Labs: from opportunity and proof of concept through product, team, £1.25m of seed and growth capital, and ultimately exit.
How access works
GCV Labs builds. GCV Invest funds.
Build
GCV Labs
The venture builder. Creates, launches and scales ventures through spinouts, founder partnerships and corporate venture building — and stays operationally involved as they grow.
Fund
GCV Invest
The investment platform. Provides qualifying investors with access to carefully selected investment opportunities, supporting ventures through seed, growth and later funding rounds. Investment activity is separate from the operational venture builder.
Visit GCV InvestGCV Labs is a trading name of Growth Capital Ventures Limited (Company No. 08155332), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), FRN 623142.
Register your interest
Start the conversation.
Tell us how you invest and what you're looking for. We'll come back to you — usually within one working day — and, where appropriate, introduce you to GCV Invest.
Important information
Capital at risk. Investments in early-stage companies are high risk and illiquid; you could lose all of the money you invest. Nothing on this page constitutes a financial promotion or an offer of any specific investment. Investment opportunities are made available through GCV Invest to qualifying investors only. Read the full risk disclosures.
Direct
Craig Peterson
Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer
- craig.peterson@growthcapitalventures.co.uk
- Office: +44 (0) 330 102 5525
- Mobile: +44 (0) 7866 571 628