Crosslane Investments Limited

The business purpose of Crosslane Investments Limited (CIL) is to invest in companies that are at an early stage in their development life cycle or that may be mature but need to have a business-supported direction. The intent is to follow the investment. Its shareholders are James Metcalf and Michael Sharples.

CIL has no market sector specific focus. In assessing companies, CIL takes a close look at the management team and its personal objectives and determines if the business opportunity meets CIL’s goals. To be compatible with CIL’s goals, companies need to be aiming at an exit event within a five-year horizon. There also needs to be a mutual understanding that CIL is able to add the value that will make the difference and that it has the remit to do so.

CIL’s investment funds are personal. CIL is able to raise additional funding by working with a regulated corporate finance house as needed. The CIL model is to build on the network of businesses that are known to the directors and to foster inter-company cooperation amongst its investment companies as appropriate.

CEO Profile: James Metcalf

CEO, Crosslane Investments (in position since 2007)

James Metcalf was educated in mathematics and law. He entered the IT industry with ICL in the 1970s and was initially employed in technical support. He was the youngest technical support manager at ICL and had a team of 12 working in the government research sector. He moved to a sales role in early 1980s and became the number one sales representative worldwide before moving into sales management.

James joined Tandem Computers in Cupertino, California and managed its commercial sector based in the UK. The sector posted the greatest cumulative growth for the company worldwide over a three-year period.

Stepping out of IT, James managed and owned several companies and early stage businesses. He returned to IT with Oracle in the 1990s and over a six-year period he managed several UK vertical markets, culminating in revenue that was 50% of the UK. He introduced a license rental model in the UK that was rolled out across Europe and achieved compound growth in excess of twice the company norm.

James left Oracle in 2000 and became CEO of a pre-IPO company. He grew revenues from £1.0M to £20.0M in 10 months, but he missed the IPO opportunity in early 2001.