Richard Henderson
Managing Partner
Get their honest, personalized take on your startup.
Sign in to pitch Richard →At a glance
- Full Name
- Richard Henderson
- Title
- Managing Partner / CFO
- Firm
- MTI Ventures (MTI Partnership LLP / MTI Partners)
- Firm Type
- Venture capital firm (technology-transfer and growth-phase investor). Note: some aggregators list MTI as "angel," but it is a fund-managing VC established in 1983.
- Investment Stage
- Early- to growth-phase technology companies (historically Series A/B and university spin-outs; the firm's largest vehicle was a university spin-out fund)
- Check Size
- Not currently disclosed; historically significant (e.g., MTI co-led a £3.75m Series B into ApaTech)
- Target Company Profile
- Companies with defensible intellectual property addressing unmet market needs, frequently university spin-outs (notably from the University of Manchester and Oxford)
- Sector Focus
- Health technology, Net Zero / cleantech, digital, and the "3rd Economy"; historically life sciences, materials technology, and renewable energy
- Geographic Focus
- United Kingdom (with historical activity across Europe)
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (firm also operates from Grasscroft, Oldham)
Background
Richard Henderson is Managing Partner and CFO of MTI Ventures, a UK venture capital firm he joined in 2002. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a BCom (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh, and came into venture capital after operational and finance roles in industry. Within the MTI partnership his responsibilities center on deal structuring, legals and turnaround situations, alongside the firm's compliance, reporting and fund accounting — reflecting the CFO side of his Managing Partner role.
MTI Ventures was established in 1983 on the premise that venture capital is best delivered by executives with hands-on experience founding and running companies. Over its history the firm has raised and managed five LP funds and invested in some of the UK's highest-profile life-science and cleantech exits. Its most recent flagship vehicle, the 2008-vintage UMIP Premier Fund, backed spin-outs from the University of Manchester and was, at the time it was raised, described as the largest university spin-out fund in Europe. MTI is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 467158).
Henderson works alongside a small partnership team that includes Dr. Mark Rahn, David Ward and Diane Legget. His profile within the firm is that of the finance-and-structuring principal — the partner who builds the deal mechanics, manages fund compliance and steers portfolio companies through restructuring where needed — complementing colleagues focused on technology and origination.
Investment Thesis & Focus
- Backs technology businesses with defensible intellectual property that addresses a clear, unmet market need, often sourced through university technology transfer.
- Core stated belief: *"VC is best served by executives that have real hands-on experience in founding and managing companies."*
- Sector priorities today: health technology, Net Zero, digital, and the "3rd Economy"; historically life sciences, cleantech/renewables and materials technology.
- Flexible engagement model — the firm offers either active, hands-on involvement or a lighter touch depending on the company's needs.
- Comfortable being an early / first institutional investor (as with Oxford PV) and writing meaningful growth-stage cheques (e.g., £3.75m into ApaTech's Series B).
- Strong orientation toward UK university spin-outs, particularly from Manchester and Oxford.
Notable Investments
- Oxford PV (Oxford Photovoltaics) — Perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cell pioneer, spun out of the University of Oxford in 2010; MTI was its first institutional investor. Now building the world's first volume manufacturing line for perovskite tandem cells.
- ApaTech — Synthetic bone-graft/orthopaedic materials company (spin-out from Queen Mary University of London). MTI co-led a £3.75m Series B when the company had 9 staff and ~£300k revenue; it grew to 100+ employees and ~$15m sales, was named the UK's fastest-growing VC-backed MedTech in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 for three consecutive years, and was acquired by Baxter.
- Fuel3D — 3D imaging / scanning technology.
- Bioxydyn — Life-sciences imaging and diagnostics.
- PowerOasis — Energy management for telecom/off-grid infrastructure.
- DataLase — Laser-reactive coding/marking materials technology (listed among MTI's portfolio holdings by investment-data aggregators; details unconfirmed on the firm's own site).
Unlock the full research
Get how to approach them, recent activity, sources, contact links — plus pitch their AI twin for a candid read on your raise.
One-time. Stays unlocked for you.