SERIAL entrepreneur Graham Leslie is leading a multi-million pound drive to boost Yorkshire firms.

The man who made his fortune with pharmaceuticals firm Galpharm, aims to inject £25m into the regional economy, create 300 jobs over the next three years and safeguard hundreds more by investing in up-and-coming companies.

Prof Leslie has joined forces with marketing and business specialist Patrick Allen and finance expert Richard Smith to launch One Degree Capital, a consortium of funding sources, aiming to provide the backing to help businesses across the region to grow and succeed.

A statement said the three would take a “hands-on approach” to the businesses they invest in – looking for ways to drive sales and profitability, develop management teams and build for the long term.

It said: “Between them, they boast a wealth of expertise across a variety of different sectors.

“Initial investments have already been made in a diverse portfolio of businesses, including retail, leisure, pharmaceuticals, technology and construction.”

Among them, online baby retailer Direct2Mum, launched in 2010 by the Leslie family, has received £5m of funding to enable it to branch out into retail.

Direct2Mum, based at Dodworth, Barnsley, offers online advice on pregnancy and parenting as well as being a one-stop-shop for premium baby and toddler products.

Prof Leslie, Mr Allen and Mr Smith will join Direct2Mum as board members.

Direct2Mum managing director Alex Leslie, Prof Leslie’s son, said the company had already generated revenue of £1m from online retailing this year and was now looking to expand into “boutique retail” by building or acquiring premises or buying an existing business.

Prof Leslie becomes chairman of One Degree Capital.

Mr Allen is chief executive of One Degree Capital and managing director of the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre in Huddersfield.

He is a former marketing director of the Co-operative Group – where he took the brand from outside Britain’s top 100 to number 24 in two years and number six in the retail brand sector. He also helped increase its brand value from £147m to £2.2bn in three years.

Mr Smith, acquisitions and investment finance director for One Degree Capital, formerly worked at Andersen Corporate Finance, dealing with mergers and acquisitions.

More recently, he was at Batley-born tycoon Lawrence Tomlinson’s LNT Group, where he managed the sale of more than £100m of care home assets.

Over the years, Prof Leslie has taken several companies in various forms of difficulty and turned them into profitable businesses.

He is resident professor of enterprise and entrepreneurship at 3M BIC, based at the Huddersfield University.

He said: “Many companies need our help, not only in terms of investment, but also in helping management teams meet their longer term objectives.

“This may be through connecting them with new customers or suppliers, creating wealth through other forms of finance or through input into product development and marketing.

“We aim to support sustainable business growth, safeguard and create jobs and turn companies around so they become an important part of their local communities and ensure that they are still trading for many years to come.”