Northern Venture Trust PLC (NVT.L) is a United Kingdom-based venture capital trust (VCT) that provides long-term tax-free returns to investors through a combination of dividend yield and capital growth by investing primarily in unquoted companies. The company makes long-term equity and loan investments, mainly in unquoted venture capital holdings across sectors including software and electronics, healthcare and biotechnology, consumer services, and industrial and manufacturing; its remaining assets are held in quoted equity investments, investment funds, and cash deposits. Managed by Mercia Fund Management Limited (formerly NVM Private Equity), it targets established unquoted businesses and growth capital opportunities, with 91% of its portfolio allocated to growth capital investments as of June 2025.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered at Forward House, 17 High Street, Henley-in-Arden, B95 5AA, United Kingdom, the trust operates exclusively within the UK, focusing on smaller companies whose securities are not publicly traded. It maintains a diversified portfolio of approximately 63 companies across the Northern VCTs (including Northern 2 VCT PLC and Northern 3 VCT PLC, with significant investment overlap), with combined net assets of £416.2 million as of June 2025.
In the 12 months to March 2025, the trust invested £27.7 million in six new companies, including Semble Technology, and £16.1 million in follow-on investments; it also launched a share subscription offer in September 2025 seeking to raise £14 million with an over-allotment facility of £6 million for the 2025/26 tax year, which was increased and reopened to further applications in December 2025. Recent activity includes the publication of unaudited half-yearly financial reports for the six months ended 30 September 2025 in November 2025, a dividend declaration, transactions in own shares, and issue of equity; additionally, portfolio updates highlighted events such as the IPO of The Beauty Tech Group in October 2025.