NatWest Venture & Growth Finance provides tailored, non-dilutive debt facilities of £2–30 million to support high-growth UK businesses in B2B SaaS and research-led Deep Tech. Backed by NatWest Group, its offer is designed to help founders scale without equity dilution. The team supports companies with strong recurring revenues or IP-rich foundations, typically with £6–45 million in equity raised, year-on-year growth above 20%, and a credible plan to reach breakeven within four years.

Beyond finance, the fund provides access to events and peer networks. These include workshops on finance and treasury management, regional programmes such as the “Toolkit for Successful Business Growth”, and targeted gatherings such as Female Founder Dinners and IP-focused dinners held in partnership with Aon. These are intended to support knowledge-sharing and networking among founders, investors, and advisors.

Portfolio companies are also connected to NatWest’s TMT relationship managers and broader services such as FX, capital markets, and leveraged finance. The fund team facilitates access to over 200 angel, VC, and private equity investors, and to NatWest’s accelerator hubs. In 2023, 34% of the accelerator cohort identified as being from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The fund was launched in 2020 as a pilot to test whether a bank could fund pre-profit, scaling businesses. The offer has since expanded. As of March 2024, the fund had supported 11 companies. On average, portfolio companies have seen a 52% CAGR in revenue growth and a 40% CAGR in headcount increase since investment, with an average of 70 additional employees per company. Reported outcomes include an IPO (PensionBee, Q2 2021), a trade sale (TVSquared, Q1 2022), follow-on funding rounds, and market expansion. Some companies have also used the funding to make acquisitions.

The fund has also supported portfolio businesses in periods of stress, providing covenant resets, additional capital, and adjusted repayment schedules. These measures have been applied in response to evolving circumstances at the company level.

“TVSquared is expanding rapidly as the global leader in cross-platform TV ad measurement and attribution. The Venture & Growth Finance team understand technology businesses, and with their support TVSquared is primed for the next stage of its growth journey.” – Holly McComb, CFO at TVSquared

“The team at NatWest really understand the needs of fast-growing businesses, structuring a highly flexible funding package and delivering it at impressive pace, setting PensionBee up for the next stage of its development.” – Romi Savova, Group CEO at PensionBee

“Through their experience across the Venture Debt and Mid-Cap Leveraged Finance market, the team were able to provide a tailored, flexible funding structure at impressive pace. We look forward to working alongside NatWest in the future to back high-calibre, fast-growth SMEs which fuel the growth of the UK economy.” – Sanjay Panchal, Partner at Livingbridge

Natwest Venture & Growth Finance website