Laurence Vaughan

Laurence Vaughan has been Chairman of Catapult Ventures since September 2013. Catapult describes itself as an independent fund manager whose owners have operated venture funds for public and private investors totaling approximately £130 million.

He began his career at PwC in audit and consultancy. In 1993 he joined Sytner, where as CEO he led the business from a single BMW dealership in Nottingham to a luxury car group with about £1 billion in revenue by the time it listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997. Sytner was acquired by Penske Group in 2002; Vaughan later became Sytner’s non-executive chairman.

Before Catapult, Vaughan founded Opus Ventures in 2003 with Peter Main and Frank Sytner. In September 2013, Catapult Venture Managers combined operations with Opus Ventures to form Catapult Ventures Group, with Vaughan becoming Chairman and Nick Wright becoming CEO. UKBAA reported that the combined group would manage four early-stage and growth venture funds totaling close to £100 million.

Vaughan has chaired or served on boards across automotive, software, and private-equity-backed companies. Catapult’s biography lists him as a graduate of Durham University and a Chartered Accountant, and notes chair roles at Civica plc, Idox plc, Anglian Home Improvements, The Superbike Factory, and AD Williams.

• Vaughan’s stated goal for the 2013 Catapult / Opus combination was “to establish the leading venture capital fund manager in the Midlands,” using combined resources to support growth companies across “luxury retail brands and pharmaceuticals to software and manufacturing.”
• Catapult’s broader model is hands-on venture investing: the firm says executive team members take direct portfolio responsibility and act as active board members involved in strategy, senior hiring, financial strategy, customer introductions, and follow-on financing.
• Catapult invests across multiple stages: its funds include seed and early-stage life sciences, regional venture capital, early-stage co-investment, and growth-capital mandates.
• The firm’s sector map is broad but especially visible in life sciences and healthcare, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, diagnostics, digital health, medical devices, and healthcare technology.
• Catapult’s GM&C Life Sciences Fund was a £31 million seed and early-stage fund for life sciences companies in Greater Manchester and Cheshire & Warrington; its new investment period ended in mid-2021, with follow-on support continuing until at least 2030.
• Catapult’s Growth Fund is a £30 million Enterprise Capital Fund targeting growth opportunities across the UK.