About Mark Lyttleton
Mark Lyttleton is an angel investor, business mentor and occasional speaker. He supports early stage and growing small businesses, providing guidance on both a paid and pro-bono basis across a broad range of industries.
In his capacity as an angel investor, Mark Lyttleton has invested in over 40 businesses, including early stage businesses that have been created with the goal of creating a positive planetary impact including OHM Energie, Maanch, Skoot and C-Cell. In addition to providing financing and strategic advice, Mr Lyttleton also speaks at financial institutions, explaining to employees the importance of Compliance and Regulation.
Professional Career and Education
With a wealth of experience of working with both private and public companies, providing business support and funding, Mr Lyttleton also invests in the stock market.
After graduating from the University of York, Mark Lyttleton worked as a fund manager for Mercury Asset Management, the company that went on to become Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, which today forms part of the BlackRock group.
During his time with the company, he ran its flagship UK equity funds, enjoying a sustained period of strong performance. In 2005, while working for Merrill Lynch, Mark Lyttleton ranked as the top performing UK fund manager across the industry. He also ran the highly successful UK Absolute Alpha fund, which grew to more than $4 billion of assets at its peak.
An alumnus of the University of York, Mark Lyttleton studied Chemistry and has a bachelor’s degree with honours. As an angel investor, he invests in and works with a selection of early stage and growing small businesses, helping them to unlock their potential and allowing them to grow and develop their market offerings. Although generally industry agnostic, he looks for founders who are passionate and driven, with an ability to think deeply about their business.
Percent for Good
Mark Lyttleton is the founder of Percent for Good, a charity that enables professionals to donate 1% of their salary to support charitable causes, while also contributing to the long-term improvement of society. The target of Percent for Good is to encourage 50% of employees and 100% of senior management in partner firms to participate. Percent for Good is needed now more than ever, as over the past decade the number of people donating to charities in the UK has dropped by more than 10%. Meanwhile, the top 1% of earners in the UK donate less than 0.2% of their income to charity. Through payroll giving, Percent for Good offers simple giving options to employees via its Cause Portfolios, making it easier for donors to target their donations to causes they feel strongly about.
By signing up as a partner, employers will be able to drive employee engagement, give clear information about the positive social impact of giving and demonstrate thought leadership.
Prana Partners
Mark Lyttleton is also the founder of Prana Partners, a company conceived to share the extensive knowledge and experience he has acquired over many years of advising and investing in companies. Prana Partners helps companies at all stages of their evolution by offering thoughtful and strategic advice, enabling them to flourish and grow. Its main services include strategic advice, financial structuring and mentoring, as well as a variety of bespoke services. Whether a client wants to optimise an existing business strategy or design a business plan to help with capital raising, Prana Partners can help.
Mark Lyttleton’s interests centre around helping others, providing fledgling business leaders with the benefit of his experience. He offers more than just financial and strategic advice, helping entrepreneurs to achieve the right work/life balance and manage the challenges and pressures of running a business.
With a keen interest in wellness, particularly how the mind operates and energy works, he is a certified Pranic Healer and Three Principles mindset practitioner.
In his spare time, Mr Lyttleton enjoys travelling, socialising, walking his dog, and immersing himself in the great outdoors. He is also a keen sportsman and philanthropist, and is currently in the process of establishing a UK charity.