We are delighted to announce that Katie Ramsey (Office for Investment) has been appointed to the EIS Association’s Board of Directors to support the continued success of the EIS and SEIS in championing entrepreneurship and facilitating private investment into fast-growth, innovative startups and scaleups across the UK.
The EIS and SEIS play a critical role in backing Britain’s most ambitious founders and are driving economic growth in every part of the country. To date, the SEIS and EIS have facilitated £35.5 billion of private investment into more than 62,000 startups and scaleups. These businesses employed 386,000 people and generated £28.2 billion in turnover in 2023 alone. 46.5% of UK unicorns have received investment through the EIS including household names such as Revolut, Monzo, Zoopla and Just Eat.
Increasingly, this growth is being felt across the regions and devolved nations. The latest HMRC data shows EIS investment in the North East doubling and SEIS investment in the East Midlands rising by 125%, with further growth across the North West, the West Midlands and the South West. With the new government’s focus on devolution and driving investment and renewal in every region of the UK, the schemes have never been better placed to support entrepreneurship and growth nationwide.
Katie Ramsey is Head of the Global Venture Capital Unit in His Majesty’s Government’s Office for Investment, and previously served as Head of Fintech at the Department for Business & Trade. Prior to this, Katie had an illustrious private sector career in the City: a former Equities fund manager and algorithmic trader at the world’s largest asset managers including BlackRock and global investment banks. She still invests across sectors, including fintech, wellness, AI and robotics, and was shortlisted for Angel of the Year 2024, is a two-time winner of Financial News’ Top 40 Under 40, a previous UN Women UK Delegate, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader nominee and Fintech Power List Power 45 winner, a long-time supporter of getting young people into work and advocate for women in finance and investment as founder of The Power Collective and co-founder of InvestHER.The InvestHER campaign resulted in the reversal, in the 2024 Budget, of Financial Promotion legislation which threatened to create unintended barriers for female investors. Katie was also named in Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Women in Tech in 2025.
Commenting on her appointment, Katie said: “I’m delighted to join the EIS Association’s Board and support its work championing EIS and SEIS. These schemes play a vital role in connecting private capital with ambitious founders and innovative businesses across the UK. I am looking forward to working with the Association and its members to help strengthen the UK’s investment ecosystem and support our next generation of high-growth companies.”
Katie joins the Board on a temporary basis, following Andrew Aldridge stepping down in April for personal reasons. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Andrew for his support and dedication during his three years on the Board, and for the valued contribution he made to the work of the Association. The EIS Association will be inviting applications for Board roles at the next point at which they are due, in Spring 2027.
Joanna Jensen, Chair of the EIS Association, said: “Katie brings outstanding insight into the changing needs of businesses through her role at the Office for Investment and her previous role at the Department of Business & Trade, driving new initiatives such as the recent launch of the Sovereign AI Fund. Having her as part of the EIS Association’s Board is great news for all of our members.”