Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust

What they do

Founded in 1909 to provide credit to rubber planters in Malaya, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust has evolved into a £15 billion global investment giant. Managed by the Edinburgh-based partnership Baillie Gifford, SMT is distinctive for its "crossover" approach, allocating up to 30% of its total assets to late-stage private companies alongside public equities. This structure allows everyday retail and institutional investors to access highly illiquid unicorns like SpaceX, ByteDance, and Stripe. The trust is renowned in the ecosystem for its extreme patience, low fees, and willingness to back visionary founders over multi-decade horizons.

What they look for

SMT’s core philosophy is to "Invest in Progress." The trust aims to identify, own, and support the world’s most exceptional growth companies and the entrepreneurs building the future of the global economy, with the ultimate goal of maximizing total returns over the long term. They seek out transformational growth, founder-led businesses, and companies capable of delivering asymmetric returns. They focus heavily on structural shifts in the global economy, currently prioritizing artificial intelligence infrastructure, space exploration, digital platforms, and electrification/clean energy.

Stage

Series B+

Sectors

AI, Deeptech, SaaS, Consumer, Fintech, Healthcare, Climate

Based

Edinburgh, GB