Par Equity expands Edinburgh team following fund launch

Leading venture capital firm, Par Equity has announced three new appointments to its Edinburgh team – Patricia El-Jichi as Investment Manager, with Clara Baltay and Oliver Johnston-Watt as Investment Analysts. 

Working from Par Equity’s Edinburgh office, the new hires promise to bring a diverse set of expertise and bolster the existing investment strategy in Scotland. 

Patricia El-Jichi joins Par Equity from SIS Ventures. She previously worked at Ada Ventures, gaining invaluable experience screening and investing in tech start-ups in sectors including healthcare, climate, and financial inclusion. 

She is a CFA Charterholder accumulating over a decade of experience working with international institutions such as Citigroup and J.P. Morgan, where she provided ultra-high net worth clients with institutional service, advice, and execution across asset classes.

Clara Baltay joins Par Equity from Hive Energy where she worked as an Investment Manager. Having graduated from UCL, where she studied MSci, Biochemistry, Clara specialises in biochemistry, exploring and evaluating new technologies and business opportunities in the sustainable technology sector. 

Also joining as an Investment Analyst is Oliver Johnston-Watt, who comes armed with several years of experience founding and growing businesses. He was Co-Founder & Advisor at BTP, before becoming a Co-Founder and Non-Executive Board Member at OneCommerce. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ancient and Modern History from the University of Oxford. 

Paul Munn, Managing Partner at Par Equity: “We are delighted to welcome Patricia, Clara and Oliver to our growing team. At Par Equity, we’re committed to supporting innovative technology companies with high-growth potential in areas of the UK that are typically underserved – namely Scotland and the North of the UK. 

We are confident their expertise from multiple aspects of investment will make them invaluable additions – each playing a pivotal role in Par Equity’s next chapter.”

The team expansion follows Par Equity’s launch of its £100m fund to boost innovative technology companies with high-growth potential in the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.