BGF has surpassed £5bn in investments, fifteen years after it was established to address a structural funding gap in the UK mid-market, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support the country’s growth economy.
Founded in 2011, BGF provides long-term, flexible capital to small and mid-sized businesses. Investing through minority stakes, BGF partners with entrepreneurs and management teams while enabling them to retain ownership and control. BGF supports businesses at all stages of growth - from earlier-stage companies to established and family-owned firms - helping them scale in a way that suits them.
Today, BGF is the UK and Ireland’s most active growth investor and has backed more than 650 companies across a network of 15 offices. 74% of capital has been deployed outside of London and South East, reflecting BGF’s longstanding regional focus.
BGF crossed the £5bn milestone with its third investment in Gaussion, a UCL and Faraday Institution spinout pioneering technology that uses an external magnetic field to improve the performance and lifespan of battery systems. With a range of applications, from charging EVs and drones in minutes to powering data centres, the deal reflects BGF’s continued focus on backing businesses in sectors critical to UK economic growth.
From funding gap to national growth platform
Over time, BGF’s model has translated into both economic impact and significant returns, demonstrating the strength and scalability of its minority growth investment thesis:
- Returns: the firm has generated £3.7bn in proceeds across more than 280 exits, across growth and early stage businesses;
- Revenue: BGF-backed companies have delivered more than £8.2bn in revenue growth;
- Job creation: BGF’s portfolio companies have created over 35,000 jobs;
- Performance: since 2016, the firm’s exits have delivered a 22.6% gross IRR and a 2x money multiple*.
Scaling businesses across sectors and regions
Recent activity highlights the scale that BGF’s portfolio companies are reaching with the right backing. In 2025, BGF exited OrganOx at a $1.5bn valuation - one of the largest medtech exits in the UK - demonstrating its ability to support businesses from early growth through to global market leadership.
In 2026, BGF was also recognised as the most active investor in the UK’s 245 fastest-growing private equity-backed companies, according to the Real Deals Private Equity Value Report, in association with BDO, the international accountancy and business advisory firm. BGF currently has a portfolio of 360 investee businesses and AuM of £3.5bn.
Andy Gregory, Chief Executive Officer of BGF, said: “Fifteen years ago, BGF was created to address a structural gap in the market. The deployment of £5bn across over 650 businesses, reflects both the size of that opportunity and the consistency of BGF’s approach over time.
“Our model is deliberately different - providing long-term capital through minority investments. That allows us to partner with entrepreneurs and management teams without taking ownership, supporting them to scale their businesses on their own terms.
“That approach has enabled us to build a national platform, deliver real economic impact, and generate sustained outcomes across the portfolio. As we look ahead, we remain focused on backing ambitious businesses and continuing to deploy capital at scale across the UK and Ireland.”
Ben Barker, Chief Investment Officer of BGF, said: “Reaching more than £5bn deployed is a significant milestone for BGF. Over that time, we have created a broad and diversified portfolio, with performance reflected in strong realisations, and our evergreen funding enabling us to recycle capital into new opportunities.
“Investments such as OrganOx demonstrate how we can support companies from early growth through to international scale and successful exit.
“We continue to see a strong pipeline of investment opportunities across sectors and regions for deployment and exits, and are well placed to build on our successful track record.”
Investing for the next stage of growth
BGF has committed to invest a further £3bn over the next five years, underlining its confidence in the depth of opportunity across the UK and Ireland and its continued focus on supporting ambitious businesses to scale.
*Exit performance includes vintages from 2016-2026 YTD, across BGF investments in growth and early stage companies.
