Manchester-based investment firm Northern Gritstone has appointed Simon Braham as its new chief investment officer to oversee its investment activities across the North of England.
Braham joined the business in September 2025 as head of portfolio, having previously led the Sustainable Growth Funds in the North for Bridges. His promotion comes alongside further additions to the firm’s investment team, including James Bellis as portfolio director, joining from Teneo, and Narjeet Singh as investment manager, who joins from Lincoln International’s technology M&A team.
Since launching in 2022, Northern Gritstone has evaluated more than 1,500 investment opportunities and backed 52 life sciences and technology companies across the region. The team expansion forms part of the firm’s focus on funding university spinouts and commercialising academic research. In 2025, the company opened its doors to external investors.
Simon Braham said: “I’m delighted to be appointed as Northern Gritstone’s new chief investment officer. In my previous role as head of portfolio, I have seen first-hand the power of Northern Gritstone’s investment model not just to create the world leading businesses of tomorrow but the fundamental impact that this success can have on the local, regional and national economies in which we operate.”
Duncan Johnson, chief executive of Northern Gritstone, concluded: “Simon has made a positive impact on Northern Gritstone in the past year. His appointment supports our profit with purpose investment philosophy and our firm belief that the UK’s first trillion-dollar company will be based on the science and technology that comes from academic research in our leading universities based in the UK Technology Diamond.”
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