Roll-up vehicles (RUVs): one line for many investors

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What a roll-up vehicle does for your round

A cap table that stays manageable

Fifty new angels become one entry, so your shareholder structure stays tidy for the investors who come next.

Faster approvals

A lead investor acts as the point person for the vehicle, so you share updates through one channel and get sign-off from one representative.

Control stays where it belongs

Voting power is consolidated through the RUV's representative, which cuts the risk of deadlock across a large group of small shareholders.

Eligibility snapshot

Is an RUV right for your round?

RUVs help most in these situations. We'll confirm the detail with you before anything is set up.

Read about RUV pitfalls

Many smaller investors. You are dealing with a large number of smaller cheques.
Heavy investor admin. You spend too much time on investor admin and not enough on running the business.
Earlier investors to consolidate. You are preparing for a Series A or B and want a clean shareholder structure.

A bigger round ahead. You want to tidy your cap table before you raise more.
Quick decisions needed. You can't afford to be slowed down by wrangling multiple shareholders.
S/EIS relief matters. Relief is assessed investor by investor, so the RUV needs careful structuring.

Before you set one up

Three pitfalls to avoid with an RUV

Timing

RUVs work best as prevention, not repair. Adding one once the cap table is already messy can mean different investor rights, historic documents to untangle, and more cost.

Treating it as admin

An RUV changes how decisions are made, who speaks for investors and how quickly things move. If governance isn't clear early, it becomes a problem later.

Structure

Not all RUVs are created equal. Copying a structure without considering EIS and SEIS implications, investor compatibility and future rounds can limit you down the line.

Tax

Keeping EIS relief inside an RUV

EIS relief is generally assessed investor by investor, so one ineligible investor does not automatically disqualify the others. Structure still matters, because the more investors you consolidate, the more pressure there is on documentation and clarity.

Read the full guide

Combining SEIS and EIS needs strict sequencing, so pooled funds must be traceable.
Control and arrangements can fail relief if the vehicle or its rights create effective control.
Compliance statements need issuing correctly for each investor. InVestd Raise issues them for you on the platform.

Value received by an investor, or someone connected to them, can trigger wider withdrawal of relief.
Preferential rights and capital protection need checking against the relief conditions.

Everything in one place

Set up and run your RUV on one platform

Here's how Vestd supports the vehicle after the round closes.

Easy set up

Vestd Nominees makes it straightforward to set up an RUV and manage it afterwards.

Clean, current cap table

The RUV shows as one line, and your cap table stays accurate in real time.

One channel

Keep investors informed and decisions moving without managing each shareholder individually.

Shares and certificates

Issue shares and share certificates to investors from the same platform.

The difference

Vestd vs managing every investor yourself

What changes when many cheques become one line.

Features	Spreadsheets	Vestd
One line on the cap table for many investors	Included	Included
One representative for approvals and updates	Included	Included
Cap table kept accurate in real time	Included	Included
Shares and certificates issued on the platform	Included	Included

Cap table already cluttered?

See how migrating to Vestd works

Before you book

What we'll cover on the call

Get direct support from dedicated specialists who know the process inside out.

Whether an RUV suits your round, and when to set it up
How an RUV changes decision-making and communication with investors
What to check if your investors are claiming S/EIS relief
How the RUV sits alongside your share classes and cap table
Plus any question you have about RUVs

Book a call 30 minutes, no obligation

Frequently asked questions

What is a roll-up vehicle (RUV)?

A roll-up vehicle is a type of special purpose vehicle that bundles many smaller investors into one entity on a company's cap table. The investors pool their money into the RUV, and the RUV invests in the company as a single shareholder.

When should we set up an RUV?

Set up an RUV when you expect many smaller investors or want to tidy your cap table before a larger round. You can set one up later, or retrospectively, but that can add complexity if you have multiple share classes and different investor rights.

Does an ineligible investor stop everyone else claiming EIS relief?

No, EIS relief is generally assessed investor by investor, so one ineligible investor does not automatically disqualify the others. Poor structuring or unclear documentation can still put relief at risk across the vehicle, so set the RUV up carefully and take tax advice.

How is an RUV different from a syndicate?

An RUV consolidates many investors into one line on a company's cap table, while a syndicate is a group of investors led by a nominated lead who invest together in one company. Both are types of SPV, and Vestd runs them on one platform.

Does Vestd act as a fund manager for an RUV?

No, Vestd acts as platform operator and nominee provider and does not act as a fund manager. Vestd Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (685992).

RUVs for a cleaner cap table

What a roll-up vehicle does for your round

A cap table that stays manageable

Faster approvals

Control stays where it belongs

How a roll-up vehicle works

1. Set up the RUV

2. Investors pool their money

3. The RUV invests

4. One line on your cap table

Is an RUV right for your round?

Three pitfalls to avoid with an RUV

Timing

Treating it as admin

Structure

Keeping EIS relief inside an RUV

Set up and run your RUV on one platform

Easy set up

Clean, current cap table

One channel

Shares and certificates

Vestd vs managing every investor yourself

What we'll cover on the call

There's much more under the hood

Special purpose vehicles

PISCES

Escrow

Go deeper

EIS and RUVs: raise more without losing your tax relief

Special purpose vehicles

Why investors hate messy cap tables

Roll-up vehicles: simplify your cap table and speed up fundraising

Frequently asked questions

Ready to tidy your cap table before your next round?