When Guy Remond talks about investing in startups, it sounds less like venture capital and more like mentorship with money attached.
The founder and director of EHE Venture Studio is backing what he calls “AI-first organisations” – startups and scaleups where technology is at the core and where his team can add real value.
“We’re investing in AI-first organisations,” he explains to me at Brewin Dolphin’s Manchester offices during an event for businesses on the ASCEND Scale Up Programme, run by GM Business Growth Hub.
“What we’re looking for are startups and scaleups in the AI tech product world, where we can add value.
“We’re about helping with the tech and supporting companies through those initial stages by introducing them to our network and community of entrepreneurs who can help further down the line as well.
“It’s money plus tech plus expert support.”
This approach is the keynote of the Manchester-based firm, which combines investment capital with in-house technical specialists and a network of experienced founders.
Unlike a traditional venture capital or private equity fund, EHE doesn’t impose fixed timelines for returns.
Remond continues: “We’re different to a normal PE or VC in that we don’t have any end dates on the funds.
“We’re entrepreneurs first, and investors second. We understand the mindset of an entrepreneur – what it takes to build a company from start to an exit – and that’s what we try and help startups with as well as money.”
Guy Remond speaks at ASCEND meeting
From retail floors to exits, to starting up again
Remond’s route to becoming one of Manchester’s most active early-stage investors wasn’t conventional.
Before founding his first tech company, he spent over a decade in retail management.
In 2001, he co-founded Cake Solutions, a Manchester-based software engineering firm that built scalable, reactive systems for enterprise clients.
Over 16 years, the company grew into an international business with offices in Manchester, London and New York and was recognised in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50.
However, in 2017, Remond exited, as the business was acquired by Walt Disney Corporation company BAMTECH Media.
After the exit, the avid Manchester City fan co-founded The Startup Factory (TSF), an engineering studio built around a model helping founders build products from day one.
Over time, TSF and EHE Ventures merged their capabilities, creating a venture studio that combines investment capital with technical delivery and advisory support.
In late 2024, EHE launched a £15 million S/EIS AI Growth Fund focused on early-stage, AI-first startups.
Since then, it has deployed more than £1.1m into seven UK AI companies, spanning fields such as MedTech, FinTech and automation.
The fund, led by Remond and co-founder Gary Fletcher, is FCA-regulated and structured to prioritise long-term value creation rather than short-term exits.
Lessons from mistakes and the value of scrappiness
Remond is under no illusions about the fact that he has made errors and laughs easily when talking about failure.
“I’ve made more mistakes than I’ve made good decisions,” he says.
“We tried something recently within EHE that I thought was going to work and it didn’t, but I understand why it didn’t and I don’t get too upset about that.
“You learn a lot more from trying something. It enables you to move forward more efficiently and quicker.”
He also admits that he still enjoys the “scrappiness” of startup life, adding: “I just enjoy the starter world and the hustle and bustle.
“I love getting a company to the point where it becomes a proper business, and then it can really accelerate growth.”
While EHE invests across the UK, Remond has a soft spot for the North West, with a “large portion” of the company’s portfolio being Manchester or regionally based.
“Manchester’s great,” he says. “We don’t invest exclusively here, but there’s a huge amount of talent and energy in the region.”
A diagnosis with a difference
Remond was diagnosed with dyslexia later in life after his son’s own diagnosis and has spoken publicly about how that shaped his resilience and creative problem-solving.
Outside tech, he has served as Chairman of Variety – the Children’s Charity North West.
This ties into the ethos of EHE, whose model deliberately avoids the short-term relationships often seen in venture capital.
It is aiming to build sustainable companies rather than chasing rapid exits.
“I think people you talk to that we’ve helped would say good things about us,” he says.
“We just want to help founders build something real.”
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