Raising Finance to Grow: Insights from Maven at the Durham Business Growth Summit
- catherinegordon8
- Jan 9
- 3 min read
Accessing the right finance at the right time can be the difference between steady progress and transformational growth. At the Durham Business Growth Summit, business leaders will have the opportunity to hear directly from Louis Ainley, Investment Manager at Maven Capital Partners, during a dedicated session on Raising Finance to Grow.
Meet the speaker: Louis Ainley, Maven Capital Partners
Born and raised in the North East, Louis is passionate about the people, businesses and culture of the region. A graduate of Newcastle University with a BA in Modern Languages, Louis began his career in finance at RSM, where he spent over five years qualifying as an ACA accountant in audit.
Following a career break in Louis joined Maven in June 2025 and now works closely with ambitious businesses across County Durham and the wider North East. His role focuses on helping management teams access the right mix of funding and expertise to unlock growth, scale operations and make a lasting impact on the regional economy.
In his Summit session, Louis will share practical insights into how businesses can approach raising finance, what investors look for, and how the right funding partner can support long-term growth rather than just short-term gain.
About Maven Capital Partners
Maven Capital Partners is one of the UK’s most active SME finance providers, backing growing businesses across a wide range of sectors with both capital and hands-on expertise. Maven’s funding solutions have helped hundreds of management teams across the UK turn ambition into reality and achieve transformational levels of growth.
Funds managed by Maven include the Finance Durham Fund, which provides flexible equity, debt and mezzanine finance from £150,000 to £2 million for early-stage and established businesses across County Durham. This local focus means Maven understands the regional landscape and the challenges – and opportunities – faced by growing businesses in the North East.
Connect with Maven at the Funding Carousel
As well as Louis’s speaker session, businesses attending the Summit will be able to meet Maven directly at the Funding Carousel. This is a unique opportunity to have focused conversations with experienced investors, explore different finance options, and understand how the right investment could unlock your next phase of growth.
About the Durham Business Growth Summit
The Durham Business Growth Summit is the must-attend event for established businesses across County Durham and the wider North East looking to innovate, collaborate and scale up.
Backed by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through Durham Business Growth, the Summit is designed to provide practical support, vital connections and real-world insights to help businesses move confidently into their next stage of growth.
Why you can’t afford to miss it
The Durham Business Growth Summit is closely aligned with the county’s economic ambitions and is designed to deliver real, practical value for attending businesses. The event provides a unique opportunity to engage directly with key funding providers and explore a wide range of finance options to support growth and investment. Attendees will also gain clear, actionable insights to help improve productivity and efficiency within their organisations, with a focus on changes that can be implemented quickly and effectively.
The Summit is equally focused on helping businesses win new work. Through direct engagement with buyers and the County Durham Pound initiative, businesses can explore new contract opportunities and strengthen local supply chains. Throughout the day, there will be extensive opportunities to build meaningful connections, with established businesses, sector influencers and specialist service providers in attendance.
Who should attend?
This event is designed specifically for established, growth-focused businesses in County Durham that are looking to scale, diversify or accelerate their ambitions. It will be particularly relevant to business owners, directors and senior leaders who are seeking funding, new contracts and strategic partnerships to support their next stage of growth.
The Summit will appeal to companies operating across a range of priority and high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing and automotive, life sciences and engineering, space, fintech and deep tech, net zero and logistics, as well as the visitor economy and rural businesses. Sector influencers and professional service providers from across the wider region are also encouraged to attend, making the Summit a valuable networking and collaboration opportunity.
