Venture capital firm Oxford Capital has announced the launch of its fifth Oxford Gateway Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) Fund.

The tax efficient fund, due to be launched on Tuesday, 6th May 2008, will invest in a portfolio of high-growth business from start-up to IPO in the healthcare and communications sectors and sustainability projects.

The EIS Fund structure offers substantial tax advantages, including income tax relief on investment at 20 per cent, income tax carry back relief, a capital gains tax (CGT) exemption which allows tax-free growth and 100 per cent inheritance tax (IHT) relief.

The Fund can also provide tax savings of 22 per cent on existing capital gains. Investors with gains achieved in the last three years and liable to tax at 40 per cent can reinvest these gains into Oxford Gateway Fund No.5 and defer the CGT to benefit from the new 18 per cent CGT ceiling.

Oxford Gateway Fund No.5 will adopt Oxford Capital’s proven investment process, which combines asset allocation and an active involvement in portfolio companies to deliver a diversified portfolio with reduced risk and the potential to deliver returns to shareholders.

Ted Mott, Chief Executive, Oxford Capital says, ‘The world has a voracious appetite for advances in global healthcare and information technology combined with an absolute need to deliver sustainable economic and environmental development. Scientific and technological advances are moving at a blistering pace to meet these needs and we are investing in the most exciting companies in these ‘super-growth’ sectors with the intention of delivering serious capital growth to our investors.

‘Our investment managers are all exceptionally talented scientists and we use this insight combined with the firm’s entrepreneurial flair to identify and back the most innovative and commercially viable companies. We don’t just invest and wait for returns, we roll our sleeves up. We are real business partners. We get actively involved with our portfolio companies, to help and support them by providing mentoring, strategic advice and access to international development opportunities to accelerate their growth and development.’

Oxford Gateway Fund No.5 is designed for private investors with a minimum investment of £25,000, up to a maximum of £2 million and has a minimum holding period of three years if full tax advantages are to be captured.

The EIS Fund structure was pioneered by Oxford Capital and has the benefit of a fully discretionary portfolio service approach. Oxford Gateway Fund No.5 has an initial fee of five per cent and an annual management fee of two and a half per cent. There is a performance fee of 20 per cent of the Fund’s net return after 100 per cent return of investors’ capital.

For more information visit www.oxcp.com