Image for Stargate's Corporate Finance funds of a handful of acorns

The Board

Paresh Shah

Paresh Shah
BSc (Econ), MBA, FCCA
Managing Director

A successful entrepreneur who built up and sold his own automotive components manufacturing business, Paresh is a co-founder of StarGate: “I always felt there was an opportunity to fill the equity gap,” he says, “by focusing on entrepreneurial investments which others had overlooked.” He worked previously with Laurie Millbank and 3i plc and is a fund manager of StarGate’s Trapezia and Catalyst Funds

paresh@stargatecapital.co.uk

Stephan Gagnon

Stephan Ganon
CA, MSc Fin
Director, Corporate Finance

Stephan graduated from HEC Montreal, and holds a Masters in Finance from London Business School. A Canadian Chart ered Accountant, Stephan has held managerial posts with Grant Thornton and Arthur Andersen. Before co-founding StarGate, he headed the City team of a venture capital advisory firm. As a corporate advisor, he has completed over 20 transactions, some from seed funding to exit and he is a founding Director of African Emerging Ventures and Green Gold Forestry, two projects being incubated by Stargate.

stephan@stargatecapital.co.uk

Gita Patel

Gita Patel
BSc (Econ), FCA
Director, Trapezia

Gita is a co-founder of Stargate and a fund manager of Stargate's Trapezia EIS Fund. She was also the creator of the Trapezia programme which included launching Europe's first venture fund, Trapezia EIS Fund, targeting women-focussed businesses. Gita plays a leading role in growing women's entrepreneurship, a field in which she has aquired substantial experience and provided thought leadership over the past five years. Her previous experience includes work in the oil industry, followed by a 15 year career in banking at Nat-West group where she was part of the bank's core management. Gita is a business angel and mentor, and serves on the boards of a number of private companies. Gita also sits on the 'Narrowing the gap' commitee for ICAEW, is on the board of British Women Entrepreneurship Association and is a member of the London Chamber of Commerce's ABA board. A graduate from London School of Economics, Gita is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (UK), having trained with Arthur Anderson.

gita@stargatecapital.co.uk

Peter Kirby
Company Secretary
and Compliance
Officer

A Cambridge graduate, Peter spent six years in oil and mining companies before joining consultants Deloitte Haskins Sells. After eight years of change management assignments, he joined a re-insurance broker and became its Joint Managing Director before launching his own group of consultancy and business service companies. A widely experienced manager and administrator of growing businesses, Peter was also for five years Finance and Compliance Director for VCT fund manager Classic Fund Management.

peter@stargatecapital.co.uk

Paresh Shah BSc (Econ), MBA, FCCA Managing Director A successful entrepreneur who built up and sold his own automotive components manufacturing business, Paresh is a co-founder of StarGate: “I always felt there was an opportunity to fill the equity gap,” he says, “by focusing on entrepreneurial investments which others had overlooked.” He worked previously with Laurie Millbank and 3i plc and is a fund manager of StarGate’s Trapezia and Catalyst Funds paresh@stargatecapital.co.uk
Stephan Ganon CA, MSc Fin Director, Corporate Finance Stephan graduated from HEC Montreal, and holds a Masters in Finance from London Business School. A Canadian Chart ered Accountant, Stephan has held managerial posts with Grant Thornton and Arthur Andersen. Before co-founding StarGate, he headed the City team of a venture capital advisory firm. As a corporate advisor, he has completed over 20 transactions, some from seed funding to exit and he is a founding Director of African Emerging Ventures and Green Gold Forestry, two projects being incubated by Stargate. stephan@stargatecapital.co.uk
Gita Patel BSc (Econ), FCA Director, Trapezia Gita is a co-founder of Stargate and a fund manager of Stargate's Trapezia EIS Fund. She was also the creator of the Trapezia programme which included launching Europe's first venture fund, Trapezia EIS Fund, targeting women-focussed businesses. Gita plays a leading role in growing women's entrepreneurship, a field in which she has aquired substantial experience and provided thought leadership over the past five years. Her previous experience includes work in the oil industry, followed by a 15 year career in banking at Nat-West group where she was part of the bank's core management. Gita is a business angel and mentor, and serves on the boards of a number of private companies. Gita also sits on the 'Narrowing the gap' commitee for ICAEW, is on the board of British Women Entrepreneurship Association and is a member of the London Chamber of Commerce's ABA board. A graduate from London School of Economics, Gita is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (UK), having trained with Arthur Anderson. gita@stargatecapital.co.uk
Peter Kirby Company Secretary and Compliance Officer A Cambridge graduate, Peter spent six years in oil and mining companies before joining consultants Deloitte Haskins Sells. After eight years of change management assignments, he joined a re-insurance broker and became its Joint Managing Director before launching his own group of consultancy and business service companies. A widely experienced manager and administrator of growing businesses, Peter was also for five years Finance and Compliance Director for VCT fund manager Classic Fund Management. peter@stargatecapital.co.uk