FW Capital opens new office in Sheffield

FW Capital, one of the UK’s largest regional fund managers, has expanded with the opening of a new office at the Electric Works in Sheffield to provide finance to SME businesses in South Yorkshire through the South Yorkshire Debt Fund. A dedicated team will be working from the new office with Joe Parikh joining FW Capital as an Assistant Investment Executive. 

Earlier this year the South Yorkshire Pension Authority announced the launch of the £20million South Yorkshire Debt Fund, which is managed by FW Capital. It is designed to support growing businesses across Barnsley, Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham with loans of up to £2million. Funding can be used for a variety of purposes, such as boosting working capital, purchasing equipment, recruitment, marketing and product development.

The opening of the Sheffield office marks the latest step in FW Capital’s regional expansion. Joe Parikh is the first member of the Sheffield team  and will be working with businesses in the area to provide funding to accelerate growth from the South Yorkshire Debt Fund

Before joining FW Capital, Joe worked in banking audit at KPMG Manchester, conducting statutory audits for large and listed financial institutions. He also holds a First-Class BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from the University of Liverpool.

Joanne Whitfield FW Capital Fund Director said: “South Yorkshire has a rich history of innovation and change. By bringing investment opportunities to the region, we can drive further economic success and prosperity. We’ve been working hard since the launch of the South Yorkshire Debt Fund to support local entrepreneurs access finance to develop and scale up. Having a base in Sheffield is key to the successful delivery of the South Yorkshire Debt Fund, and we are building a team of  locally based people, who will be on the ground working with business owners across the region. We’re pleased to welcome Joe to the team and his appointment strengthens our presence in South Yorkshire.  Joe lives in Sheffield and is keen expand his local network and provide businesses with even more localised, personal support.”

Joe Parikh, Assistance Investment Executive, FW Capital added: “I’m looking forward to working with local businesses, enabling them to secure the financial resources necessary for growth and job creation. The client facing aspect of the role is something I am passionate about, bringing added value to businesses and seeing the direct impact of how the right funding can change the direction of a business and bridge the funding gap. This is a great opportunity for me and I’m excited to join the FW Capital team.”

Councillor Donna Sutton, Chair of South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, said: "The opening of FW Capital’s Sheffield office marks an important step forward in delivering the South Yorkshire Debt Fund. We’re proud to see our investment supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and driving sustainable economic growth across our region. This fund shows how pension investments can deliver real value – not just strong financial returns, but tangible benefits for the communities our members live and work in."

 FW Capital has a strong track record of providing flexible finance to dynamic SMEs and manages UK-based funds of £410.8m businesses across various funds including the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II which drives sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England.