Women-led start-ups firm aided by Gordons

LAW firm Gordons has been appointed as the legal partner of Leeds-based Lifted Ventures, a start-up investment network aimed at supporting female founders.

As legal partner, Gordons will advise the network’s investors and provide guidance to start-ups throughout the funding process, including early stage, growth and exit.

Lifted Ventures was founded in 2023 by Helen Oldham and Jordan Dargue, who were joint leaders of the NorthInvest angel network and co-founders of both Fund Her North and Women Angels of the North.

Helen Oldham said: “Lifted Ventures is an early-stage investment connector, existing to increase the flow of early-stage capital to female-founded businesses.

“It’s critical that both our community of angel investors and our founders have access to reliable and experienced legal experts.

"The Lifted Ventures team are so pleased to be able to facilitate this for our network through our partnership with Gordons.”

To date, Lifted Ventures has facilitated over £450m of funding and helped more than 500 entrepreneurs across a range of sectors outside of London and the SouthEast.

Amy Pierechod, partner and head of start-ups and emerging companies at Gordons, said: “Lifted Ventures has a vital mission in getting capital flowing to womenled start-ups.

"It’s great to have been appointed and we are looking forward to leveraging our experience in this space to provide straightforward, practical advice to the network and grow its list of success stories.”

Gordons’ start-ups and emerging companies clients include marketing and technology platform ContentCal which was sold to US-based global software company Adobe. The firm has offices in Leeds and Bradford and employs 170 people.