Where can I invest my money in business or…..?

For the last year or so I’ve (thankfully) been saving much more than I can spend. Last year I started to invest in the stock market and things are going ok, and I’m happy with that considering the volatility of the stock markets these days. I’m investing there more for the long term/retirement.

However, I’d really like to invest in a small company or two, maybe even start up company, and be a kind of silent partner with little responsibility. This would be more to balance up the risk of my stocks. Probably looking to start with small investments of perhaps a few thousand pounds.

Any ideas where I can find information about going about this?