AGM Information • Dec 23, 2025
AGM Information
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(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 03504214)
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Baronsmead Venture Trust plc (the "Company") will be held at Saddlers' Hall, 40 Gutter Lane, London, EC2V 6BR from 10.00am on Thursday, 19 March 2026 to consider the proposed resolutions as set out in the Notice of AGM on pages 7 to 8 of this document.
Shareholders are invited to attend the AGM from 10.00am on Thursday, 19 March 2026 with an introductory presentation to shareholders by the Company Chair, Ms Fiona Miller Smith starting at 10.30am, followed by a Q&A session with the Board and Manager.
The Manager will deliver a presentation at 11.30am followed by lunch and refreshments from 12.30pm.
Important information:
If you are in any doubt as to any aspect of the proposals referred to in this document or as to the action you should take, you should seek advice from your stockbroker, solicitor/attorney, accountant, central securities depository participant, banker or other independent professional adviser.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares, please pass this document together with the accompanying form of proxy, as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee, or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer, so that they can deliver the documents to the person who now holds the shares.
A shareholder may appoint one or more proxies to exercise all or part of their rights to attend, speak and vote at the meeting, provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different ordinary share or ordinary shares held by that shareholder. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. To be valid, any form of proxy or other instrument appointing a proxy must be received by post or (during normal business hours only) by hand at the Company's Registrar, at the address shown on the form of proxy, or in the case of shares held through CREST, via the CREST system no later than 11.00am on 17 March 2026. Electronic proxy voting is available for this meeting. Should a shareholder wish to appoint a proxy electronically, such proxy appointment must be registered electronically via the Company's website https://baronsmead-agm.city-proxyvoting.uk.
I am pleased to enclose the Company's Notice of AGM, which will be held on Thursday, 19 March 2026 at 10.00am at Saddlers' Hall, 40 Gutter Lane, London, EC2V 6BR. The Notice of AGM, which follows this letter, sets out the business to be considered at the meeting. The purpose of this letter is to explain certain elements of that business to you.
The Board recognises that the Company's AGM represents an important forum for shareholders to ask questions and understands that attending in person may not be possible for all who wish to attend. We encourage all shareholders, whether or not they propose to attend the AGM, to exercise their votes by submitting their proxy electronically or by post no later than 11.00am on 17 March 2026. Shareholders who wish to appoint a proxy are recommended to appoint the Chair of the AGM as their proxy. All valid proxy votes will be included in the polls to be taken at the meeting.
Your votes do matter. Proxy instructions (which explain how to lodge proxies electronically) are set out below.
Shareholders are invited to attend the AGM from 10.00am on Thursday, 19 March 2026 with an introductory presentation to shareholders by the Company Chair, Ms Fiona Miller Smith starting at 10.30am, followed by a Q&A session with the Board and Manager.
The Manager will deliver a presentation at 11.30am followed by lunch and refreshments from 12.30pm.
Shareholders are invited to submit questions to the Chair in advance of the AGM via email at c[email protected] or by contacting Gresham House Investor Relations via telephone on 020 7382 0999 by no later than 11.00am on 17 March 2026. We endeavour to publish responses to the questions received in advance on our website, ahead of the proxy voting deadline.
The Directors are required to present the Strategic report, Directors' report, Auditor's report and the financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2025 to the meeting. These are contained in the Company's Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2025 (the "2025 Annual Report").
The Board proposes a final dividend of 2.00 pence per share in respect of the year ended 30 September 2025. If approved, the recommended final dividend will be paid on 24 March 2026 to all ordinary shareholders who are on the register of members on 27 February 2026. The shares will be marked ex-dividend on 26 February 2026.
Under section 420 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act"), the directors must prepare an annual report detailing the remuneration of the directors and a statement by the chair of the remuneration committee (together, the "Directors' Remuneration Report"). The Act also requires that a resolution be put to shareholders each year for their approval of that report. The Directors' Remuneration Report can be found on pages 54 to 59 of the 2025 Annual Report. Resolution 3 is an advisory vote only.
In accordance with the Articles of Association, any new Directors will offer themselves for election at the first AGM following their appointment. In line with the AIC Code of Corporate Governance, the Nomination Committee has agreed that all Directors will stand for re-election on an annual basis. Therefore, David Melvin and Mandeep Singh, who were appointed on 1 April 2025, will be standing for election, and Fiona Miller Smith and Michael Probin will retire and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election.
The Board confirms that the performance of each Director seeking re-election continues to be effective and that each Director demonstrates commitment to their role. The Board believes that it is therefore in the best interests of shareholders that each Director be re-elected.
The Directors also believe that the Board includes an appropriate balance of skills, experience and knowledge. Full biographies and the reasons for election/re-election are set out on pages 5 to 6 of this document.
Resolutions 8 and 9 – To re-appoint BDO LLP as Auditor of the Company, to hold office until the conclusion of the next general meeting at which the accounts are laid before the Company and to authorise the Audit & Risk Committee to determine the remuneration of BDO LLP
At each meeting at which the Company's accounts are presented to its members, the Company is required to appoint an Auditor to serve until the next AGM. The Board, on the recommendation of the Audit & Risk Committee, recommends the reappointment of BDO LLP. Resolution 9 gives authority to the Audit & Risk Committee to determine the Auditor's remuneration.
The authority proposed under Resolution 10 will authorise the Directors, until the conclusion of the AGM held in 2027 or 15 months from the date of passing this resolution, whichever is earlier, to allot shares in the Company or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares in the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount of £21,351,381 representing 50 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares), as at 22 December 2025. Any consequent increase in the size of the Company will, in the opinion of the Directors, be in the interests of shareholders generally. Any issue proceeds will be available for investment in line with the Company's investment policy and may be used to purchase ordinary shares of the Company.
The Directors intend to use this authority for the purposes described under Resolution 11.
Resolution 11 renews and extends, subject to the passing of Resolution 10, the Directors' authority to allot equity securities for cash without pre-emption rights in certain circumstances. This resolution will authorise the Directors, until the date falling 15 months after the date of the passing of the resolution or, if earlier, the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company, to issue ordinary shares for cash without pre-emption rights applying of: (i) up to an aggregate nominal amount representing 30 per cent of the Company's issued share capital (excluding shares held in treasury) as at the date of the passing of the resolution pursuant to one or more offers for subscription (for illustrative purposes only; had Resolution 11 been passed as at the date of this notice, this authority would have applied to 128,108,283 shares, being 30 per cent of the Company's current issued share capital (excluding shares held in treasury)); (ii) up to an aggregate nominal amount representing 10 per cent of the Company's issued share capital (excluding shares held in treasury) as at the date of the passing of the resolution pursuant to a dividend reinvestment scheme (which may be at a discount to NAV); and (iii) up to an aggregate nominal amount representing 10 per cent of the Company's issued share capital (excluding shares held in treasury) as at the date of the passing of the resolution (which may be at a discount to NAV) for allotments from time to time (for illustrative purposes only; had Resolution 11 been passed as at the date of this notice, this authority would have applied to 42,702,761 shares, being 10 per cent of the Company's current issued share capital excluding treasury shares).
This power will be exercised only if, in the opinion of the Directors, it would be in the best interests of shareholders as a whole.
The current authority of the Company to make market purchases of up to approximately 14.99 per cent of its issued share capital, granted at last year's AGM expires shortly. Resolution 12 seeks renewal of such authority until the next AGM (or the expiry of 15 months after the passing of the resolution if earlier). The price paid for shares will not be less than the nominal value nor more than the maximum amount permitted to be paid in accordance with the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority in force as at the date of purchase. This power will be exercised only if, in the opinion of the Directors, a repurchase would be in the best interests of shareholders as a whole. Any shares repurchased under this authority will either be cancelled or held in treasury at the discretion of the Board for future re-sale in appropriate market conditions.
The authority sought would replace the authority previously given to the Directors. The maximum number of ordinary shares authorised to be purchased pursuant to the authority represents approximately 14.99 per cent of the total number of ordinary shares in issue as at the date of the passing of this resolution (excluding any ordinary shares held in treasury).
Under the Act, the notice period required for all general meetings of the Company is 21 clear days. AGMs will always be held on at least 21 clear days' notice, but shareholders can approve a shorter notice period for other general meetings.
The Board believes that it is in the best interests of shareholders of the Company to have the ability to call meetings on no less than 14 clear days' notice should a matter require urgency. The Board is therefore proposing Resolution 13 to approve the reduction in the minimum notice period from 21 clear days to 14 clear days for all general meetings other than AGMs. The Directors do not intend to use less than 21 clear days' notice unless immediate action is required.
The Directors believe that the resolutions contained within the Notice of AGM are in the best interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of them, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their beneficial shareholdings. As at 22 December 2025, the total beneficial shareholdings held by the Directors were 217,446 ordinary shares, which represented 0.05% per cent of the total voting rights.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but will not be attending the AGM, you may appoint a proxy:
Alternatively, if you hold your shares in CREST, you can appoint a proxy via the CREST system.
Notice of your appointment of a proxy should reach the Company's Registrar, The City Partnership (UK) Ltd at the address shown on the proxy form, by no later than 11.00am on 17 March 2026.
If you hold your shares through a nominee service, please contact the nominee service provider regarding the process for appointing a proxy.
Yours sincerely,
Fiona Miller Smith
Chair
Fiona is the CEO of Barts Charity, a health foundation with a £550 million financial investment and commercial property portfolio. Barts Charity funds transformational medical research and innovation in healthcare delivery and technology. Under Fiona's leadership, over the last five years, Barts has also allocated 25 per cent of its portfolio to private equity and venture funds, including early stage venture and life sciences funds. Fiona brings a wealth of experience, spanning over 25 years, in investing in and leading growth companies. Her early career was in finance and private equity at Goldman Sachs and Murray Johnson Private Equity, and she then had a successful entrepreneurial career prior to joining Barts Charity in 2016 including, five years at Social Finance UK, a leading impact investing and advisory firm. Fiona is a Trustee of John Lyons, the Chair of Lifting Limits and serves on the Barts Life Sciences Advisory Board, as well as the Board of Better Society Capital. Fiona has an MBA from INSEAD.
Fiona brings a range of experience spanning over 25 years, including investing in and leading growth companies and private equity investments. Furthermore, her experience as the CEO of Barts Charity, which under her leadership invested in private equity and venture funds, is relevant to that of the Company and to her role as the Chair of the Board and Nomination Committee.
Michael has over 30 years' experience in executive roles within the tax efficient investment industry. He worked on Business Expansion Scheme products at AXA Sun Life Group for ten years before joining the management team at Livingbridge LLP, where he gained extensive knowledge of the VCT industry. Before retiring from his role at Livingbridge LLP in 2018, he worked closely with the VCT industry trade and representative bodies and various stakeholders. Michael has a BSc (Econ) and MSc (Econ) (Urban and Regional Planning) from the London School of Economics and EMBA from London Business School.
Michael brings a range of skills and experience from over 30 years of working in executive roles in investment management firms managing tax efficient investment products. Over this time, he gained extensive knowledge of the industries' regulatory and technical frameworks and liaised with those industries respective representative bodies and stakeholders. This experience plays an important role in the oversight of the Company's responsibilities to its shareholders and other stakeholders, and in the monitoring and challenge of the Company's Manager and other third-party service providers in his capacity as the Chair of the Management Engagement & Remuneration Committee.
David is an investment and financial services professional with over 30 years of experience in investment banking and private equity. He is currently President of HBA Media Limited, a sports media rights business, senior adviser at Bixteth Partners Limited, a boutique advisory firm, Principal at 24 Haymarket Private Capital and a member of the Investment Committee of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. David previously served as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Pantheon International Plc, he was also a senior adviser at CITIC CLSA Securities, a CITIC Securities Company, and Partner at TDR Capital, a European private equity firm. Prior to that, he spent 24 years at Merrill Lynch, where he held a number of leadership positions, including Global Co-Head of Financial Sponsors and Chairman of EMEA Financial Sponsors and Leverage Finance. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
David is the Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee. As a Chartered Accountant, he brings significant financial and audit expertise relevant to his role, including his recent experience serving as Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee at Pantheon International plc. In addition, David has over thirty years of investment banking and private equity experience.
Mandeep is an experienced founder, CEO, Non-Executive Director, and investor with expertise, and a proven track record in scaling tech businesses. Mandeep started his career as a strategy consultant at OC&C and an investor with Private Equity fund, BC Partners. Between 2013 and 2020, Mandeep was the Founder CEO of Trouva, a SaaSenabled marketplace, the second fastest growing tech business in the UK at the time. Since, Mandeep served on the Board of Thrift+, an early-stage fashion marketplace, on the global Board of Amnesty International, and on the Advisory Board of Walking on Earth, a health tech company. He has also been a scout investor for Accel, a Venture Partner at Hoxton Ventures, and an active angel investor in AI businesses including, Cusp AI, Convergence AI, and TitanML. He is currently an EIR at Founders at the University of Cambridge.
Mandeep brings extensive experience in founding, scaling, and investing in technology businesses, as well as serving on multiple Boards as a Non-Executive Director. His expertise in private equity and strategic consulting further strengthens the Board's capacity to assess growth opportunities and evaluate the valuations of the Company's unquoted assets.
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Baronsmead Venture Trust plc will be held on Thursday, 19 March 2026 at 10.00am at Saddlers' Hall, 40 Gutter Lane, London, EC2V 6BR, to consider and if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, of which resolutions 1 to 10 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions; this means that for each of those ordinary resolutions to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour. Resolutions 11 to 13 will be proposed as special resolutions; this means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be in favour.
Voting will be done by way of a poll.
THAT, the Directors of the Company be and are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised in accordance with Section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act"), to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares of 10p each in the capital of the Company (the "Ordinary Shares") and to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into Ordinary Shares ("Rights") up to an aggregate nominal amount of £21,351,381 equivalent to 213,513,806 Ordinary Shares (being 50 per cent of the issued Ordinary share capital of the Company on 22 December 2025 (excluding Treasury shares) (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice of Meeting)), such authority to apply in substitution for all previous authorities pursuant to Section 551 of the Act and to expire (unless previously revoked, varied, renewed or extended by the Company in general meeting) at the conclusion of the AGM held in 2027 or 15 months from the date of passing this resolution, whichever is earlier save that the Company may, at any time such expiry, make any offer and enter into any agreement which would, or might, require Ordinary Shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into Ordinary Shares to be granted after authority given by this resolution expired and the Directors may allot Ordinary Shares or grant Rights to subscribe for or convert securities into Ordinary Shares in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred by this resolution had not expired.
(a) the allotment of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount representing 30 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares), as at the date of passing of this resolution pursuant to one or more offers for subscription;
(b) the allotment of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount representing 10 per cent of the issued share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares) as at the date of passing of this resolution which may be at a discount to NAV pursuant to any dividend reinvestment scheme operated by the Company; and
(c) the maximum price which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is an amount equal to the higher of:
(ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent purchase bid for a share of the Company on the trading venues where the market purchases by the Company pursuant to the authority conferred by this resolution 12 will be carried out;
By order of the Board
Gresham House Asset Management Ltd Company Secretary
22 December 2025
Registered Office: 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW
The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your right to attend and vote at this AGM or to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf.
Telephone +44 (0)1484 240910
Email [email protected]
Post The City Partnership (UK) Ltd
The Mending Rooms Park Valley Mills Meltham Road
Huddersfield – HD4 7BH
(b) if they do not purport to exercise the power in the same way as each other, the power is treated as not exercised.
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