Mr Sealey, a “true pioneer” in angel investing, launched Archangels with Mike Rutterford in 1992.

Paying tribute to Mr Sealey, David Ovens, joint managing director of Archangel Investors, said: “We’re all incredibly saddened by Barry Sealey’s passing and our sincere condolences go out to his family.

“Having co-founded Archangels more than 30 years ago with Mike Rutterford, Barry was a true pioneer of angel investing. Mike and Barry got together with the intention of helping young Scottish companies grow – neither anticipated that thirty years later they’d have had an impact far exceeding that original intent.”

“Barry himself would have been very proud of what he built and the impact that Archangels companies have had in Scotland and around the world. More than 5000 jobs created and nearly £200m invested in some of Scotland’s most exciting and innovative young companies, many of which are using technology to deliver significant social impacts.

“From the sight-saving technology of Optos to the world-leading prosthetic technologies of Touch Bionics, Barry’s legacy investments are testament to the impact he set out to achieve back in 1992. He will be missed by all who knew him.”

Before founding Archangels, Mr Sealey had a 32-year career as a deal-maker at Christian Salvesen. Since his retirement in 1990, he served on the boards of companies including Stagecoach Holdings and chaired public sector bodies including the Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust.