Become a DIY biotech venture capitalist

A new equity crowdfunding platform wants to become the go-to place for investors in early-stage life science companies.

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Biotech: it's a risky business
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Equity crowdfunding is like DIY venture capitalism for the small investor. Individuals put their money into very early-stage businesses, many of which will qualify for Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) or Seed EIS (SEIS) tax relief. The UK's first equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube, was established in 2011; Seedrs in 2012; and SyndicateRoom in 2013. Most of these platforms are of a general nature anyone with a bright idea can put together a pitch and put it in front of investors. Head to any of the three platforms mentioned above, for example, and you'll see a wide range of businesses touting for cash: brewers, apps, artisanal bakers and biotech companies galore. But a growing number of new platforms cater to just one strand of business. One such platform is Capital Cell.

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Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.