DSW Ventures strengthens investment team with duo of new hires

DSW Ventures, the venture capital arm of Dow Schofield Watts, has bolstered its investment team with two new appointments. Mira Androniciuc joins as an Investment Associate, and Annabel Stork takes on the position of Investment Analyst for her industrial placement year with The University of Manchester.

Mira further extends the scientific depth of the team, joining from the Francis Crick Institute, where she completed a postdoctoral research position following her PhD, conducted in collaboration with Imperial College London. Her work focused on identifying novel proteins in key developmental pathways implicated in cancer. She holds a master’s in medicinal chemistry from University College London and gained early research experience at the Institute of Cancer Research.

Annabel joins the team as part of her master’s degree in physics at The University of Manchester. She brings experience from a valuation firm, where she developed her financial and analytical skills.

The new appointments reflect DSW Ventures’ continued investment in building a high-calibre team with broad capabilities and reinforces its mission to back and support early-stage regional businesses with deep domain insight and specialist capability.

Keith Benson, cofounder of DSW Ventures, said: “We’re excited to welcome Mira and Annabel to the team. Mira’s deep research background and technical insight are a valuable addition to our capability, particularly in sectors where scientific understanding underpins investment. Annabel brings energy, curiosity and analytical rigour – all key attributes for a successful investor. These appointments reflect our long-term commitment to developing talent and building a team that can support ambitious founders in a meaningful, hands-on way.”

Mira Androniciuc, Investment Associate at DSW Ventures, said: “I’ve long been interested in how deep scientific innovation translates into real-world impact. DSW’s reputation for backing high-potential start-ups and working closely with founders really appealed to me. I’m thrilled to be joining the team and to start applying my background in a commercial setting.”