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BGF [2021]
Finance and Risk Capital
Impact for scaleups
263
Companies backed
21%
Follow-on investments
79%
Investments outside of London
149
Growth-stage investments
Key sectors
BGF describes itself as “the world’s most active growth capital investor.” Since its formation in 2011, it has backed more than 400 British and Irish companies. The investor supports a range of growing companies – early stage, growth stage and quoted – across every region and sector of the economy, and on average invests in more than one company per week.
It makes long-term equity investments in return for a minority, non-controlling stake in the companies it backs. Initial investments are between £1m-£15m, which can be followed by significant follow-on funding.
The company has 16 offices in the UK and Ireland. Four-fifths of its investments are made into companies based outside of Greater London. Scaleups that it has backed include Gousto (in which it has participated in eight funding rounds), Decora, Emma Bridgewater and Seasalt. It has recently created a specialist advisory board in order to solidify its position in the life sciences sector.
It has a specialist internal team of more than 180 people, combined with an international network of business leaders, sector experts and non-executive directors, providing a platform and capability to support management teams’ ambitions for growth. This is reinforced by dedicated in-house support with chair and senior executive selection and appointments through its 6,000-strong Talent Network.
This year BGF led the inaugural Scaleup Week, a week-long series of virtual events, with the ScaleUp Institute.
