Alex Macpherson

As head of the ventures division of Octopus Investments, a firm which manages investments worth over £2 billion, including £250m of venture capital and private equity funds, Alex Macpherson has built his professional reputation on identifying, assessing and nurturing talented young businesses. His company specialising in identifying emerging businesses with the potential for market disruption, so he is ideally placed to judge the potential of this year’s FGBA entrants.

Within the Octopus team, Alex takes responsibility for evaluating the potential of companies for investment, finalising deals, and managing portfolios with a view to maximum returns. He currently represents Octopus on the boards of Calastone, Future Route and Financial Edge.

Before joining Octopus, Alex founded and sold a growth consultancy for small firms; this knowledge enables him to give experienced insight into what it takes to turn a promising idea into sustainable commercial reality.