When Guy Remond talks about investing in startups, it sounds less like venture capital and more like mentorship with money attached.聽
The founder and director of EHE Venture Studio is backing what he calls 鈥淎I-first organisations鈥� – startups and scaleups where technology is at the core and where his team can add real value.
鈥淲e鈥檙e investing in AI-first organisations,鈥� he explains to me at Brewin Dolphin鈥檚 Manchester offices during an event for businesses on the ASCEND Scale Up Programme, run by .
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e looking for are startups and scaleups in the AI tech product world, where we can add value.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e about helping with the tech and supporting companies through those initial stages by introducing them to our network and community of entrepreneurs who can help further down the line as well.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 money plus tech plus expert support.鈥�
This approach is the keynote of the Manchester-based firm, which combines investment capital with in-house technical specialists and a network of experienced founders.聽
Unlike a traditional venture capital or private equity fund, EHE doesn鈥檛 impose fixed timelines for returns.聽
Remond continues: 鈥淲e鈥檙e different to a normal PE or VC in that we don鈥檛 have any end dates on the funds.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e entrepreneurs first, and investors second. We understand the mindset of an entrepreneur – what it takes to build a company from start to an exit – and that鈥檚 what we try and help startups with as well as money.鈥�
Guy Remond speaks at ASCEND meeting
From retail floors to exits, to starting up again
Remond鈥檚 route to becoming one of Manchester鈥檚 most active early-stage investors wasn鈥檛 conventional.聽
Before founding his first tech company, he spent over a decade in retail management.
In 2001, he co-founded Cake Solutions, a Manchester-based software engineering firm that built scalable, reactive systems for enterprise clients.聽
Over 16 years, the company grew into an international business with offices in Manchester, London and New York and was recognised in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50.
However, in 2017, Remond exited, as the business was acquired by Walt Disney Corporation company BAMTECH Media.聽
After the exit, the avid Manchester City fan co-founded The Startup Factory (TSF), an engineering studio built around a model helping聽 founders build products from day one.聽
Over time, TSF and EHE Ventures merged their capabilities, creating a venture studio that combines investment capital with technical delivery and advisory support.
In late 2024, EHE launched a 拢15 million S/EIS AI Growth Fund focused on early-stage, AI-first startups.聽
Since then, it has deployed more than 拢1.1m into seven UK AI companies, spanning fields such as MedTech, FinTech and automation.聽
The fund, led by Remond and co-founder Gary Fletcher, is FCA-regulated and structured to prioritise long-term value creation rather than short-term exits.
Lessons from mistakes and the value of scrappiness
Remond is under no illusions about the fact that he has made errors and laughs easily when talking about failure.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e made more mistakes than I鈥檝e made good decisions,鈥� he says.聽
鈥淲e tried something recently within EHE that I thought was going to work and it didn鈥檛, but I understand why it didn鈥檛 and I don鈥檛 get too upset about that.聽
鈥淵ou learn a lot more from trying something. It enables you to move forward more efficiently and quicker.鈥�
He also admits that he still enjoys the 鈥渟crappiness鈥� of startup life, adding: 鈥淚 just enjoy the starter world and the hustle and bustle.聽
鈥淚 love getting a company to the point where it becomes a proper business, and then it can really accelerate growth.鈥�
While EHE invests across the UK, Remond has a soft spot for the North West, with a 鈥渓arge portion鈥� of the company鈥檚 portfolio being Manchester or regionally based.聽
鈥淢anchester鈥檚 great,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 invest exclusively here, but there鈥檚 a huge amount of talent and energy in the region.鈥�
A diagnosis with a difference
Remond was diagnosed with dyslexia later in life after his son鈥檚 own diagnosis and has spoken publicly about how that shaped his resilience and creative problem-solving.聽
Outside tech, he has served as Chairman of Variety 鈥� the Children鈥檚 Charity North West.
This ties into the ethos of EHE, whose model deliberately avoids the short-term relationships often seen in venture capital.聽
It is aiming to build sustainable companies rather than chasing rapid exits.
鈥淚 think people you talk to that we鈥檝e helped would say good things about us,鈥� he says.聽
鈥淲e just want to help founders build something real.鈥�
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