• Management Team
• Advisory Committee Team

The Mercia Technology Seed Fund is managed by a team of executives based in Birmingham who are highly experienced at investing at seed investment level in technology opportunities. Each investment executive has a particular sector expertise.

Dr Mark Payton, MBA
Mark is the fund principal for the Mercia Technology Seed Fund. Mark has a PhD from King's College (University of London) and an MBA from Warwick Business School. Prior to joining the fund, Mark was a research fellow at the Department of Pharmacology (University of Oxford), played leading roles within Isis Innovation (the technology transfer arm of the University of Oxford, ranked as the premier technology transfer office in the UK) and was VP Corporate Development at Oxxon Therapeutics Inc (before its sale to Oxford BioMedica Plc). Mark benefits from in excess of 15 years experience from the commercialisation of life science opportunities in the biotech, niche pharma, medtech and diagnostics fields.
markp@merciafund.co.uk

Dr Mark Bowman, MBA
Mark has worked at Porton Capital within their seed investment arm: Synergis Technologies. Synergis made seed investments in spin-out companies from UK public sector research establishments and universities across the UK. Prior to this he was Head of the Enterprise Unit at the University of Kent, served as managing director of Kent Enterprise Ltd, the University’s commercial arm and implemented a Concept Generation Fund. Mark has particular expertise in ICT and chemical sciences.
markb@merciafund.co.uk

Tim Hazell, MBA
Tim has over 20 years' experience in making venture capital investments, initially gained with 3i plc and subsequently with WM Enterprise. Tim has made investments in start-ups and other early stage businesses, as well as in support of MBOs, MBIs and business development. He has also invested in a number of technology businesses including ones spinning out from universities and other research establishments in the West Midlands. Prior to entering venture capital, Tim worked for UBS Phillips and Drew as a North American high technology and capital goods companies analyst. Tim has particular expertise in engineering, applied sciences and ITC.
timh@merciafund.co.uk

Dr Everard Mascarenhas, MBA
An advisor to the Mercia Technology Seed Fund, Everard is a highly experienced business development focused manager with a successful track record of commercialising ICT technologies.  Significant experience of project managing early stage technology to commercialised product. Previous experience includes IP Group plc, Honeywell, IO Global, New Venture Partners LLC, QE Intellectual Property Ltd and PA Consulting Group. Everard read physics at University College Swansea, has a PhD in semi conductor devices from Nottingham Trent University and an MBA from Imperial College. Everard has particular expertise in the telecommunication, physical sciences and advanced materials sectors.
everardm@merciafund.co.uk

Mr Michael Cumming (Chairman)
35 years experience in investing in unquoted companies. Michael was managing director of Barclays Private Equity for 14 years. Extensive experience in technology venture capital, VCTs and private equity years experience in investing in unquoted companies. Michael was managing director of Barclays Private Equity for 14 years. Extensive experience in technology venture capital, VCTs and private equity

Mr Peter Dicks (vice chairman):
Peter started his career as a stockbroker and was co-founder of Abingworth PLC in 1973. Abingworth was a quoted venture capital company based in London investing in the UK and the USA. In America, in particular, it specialised in making a wide range of investments in technology-based companies. Peter Dicks is the chairman of Sportingbet. He is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a Member of the Audit and Nomination Committees.

Professor Michael Cruise
Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Birmingham

Dr Tony Diment
Tony started his venture capital career with 3i, where he was responsible for investment in early stage and start-up IT companies in the USA and Europe. He ran CRIL, the Cambridge based seed fund and is currently a non-executive director of Foresight Technology VCT plc, Cascade Fund Management Limited, and a member of the investment committee of the South East Seed Fund.

Mr Patrick Palmer
Head of Access to Finance at Advantage West Midlands. Patrick joined Advantage West Midlands in 2004 after nearly 30 years in financial roles in the private sector, firstly with Price Waterhouse, then as Group Finance Director of two listed companies and finally on a self employed basis.

Mr Paul Isaacs
Managing Director, Forward Group plc

Dr Angela Kukula
Head of contracts and IPR, Aston University

Ms Mary Martin
Pro Vice Chancellor, Birmingham City University

Professor Stuart Palmer
Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Warwick

Dr Norman Price OBE
Extensive industrial experience in a variety of sectors in which innovation has been key to success in large to medium enterprises, and start up companies. Norman, as chairman, took a Durham University spin out to the main market at a £60m capitalisation. Norman is also Chairman of the Regional Finance Forum in the West Midlands, which has developed 6 venture capital funds.

Dr Ederyn William
Managing Director, Warwick Ventures (technology transfer arm of the University of Warwick). He has been managing university technology transfer for 17 years, in Leeds and then Warwick, and has been responsible for helping create over 50 spin-out companies, as well hundreds of patents and licences.

Dr James Wilkie
Managing Director, BRDL (technology transfer arm of the University of Birmingham). James joined the University of Birmingham from industry in early 2007 to lead the Research & Commercial Services unit that supports academic staff in their competition for Research funding. He has held senior positions at Shell Oil, Shell Solar, Morgan Crucible and Johnson Matthey plc. He is an expert in the commercialisation of solar power and fuel cell technologies.