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Enterprise

BGF pledges to invest £400m into North East and Yorkshire businesses

The investor says the sum forms part of its £3bn commitment to support companies across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Chris Boyes, partner, Yorkshire and North East, BGF(Image: Piranha Photography Limited)

Growth capital investor BGF has pledged to plough £400m into businesses in the North East and Yorkshire as part of a £3bn commitment to back high-potential firms across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ over the next five years.

The investor – which has 15 offices across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ including bases in Newcastle and Leeds – said the new cash pot builds on £711m already invested in the regions since 2011, while addressing regional investment gaps.

The pledge includes £300m for female-powered businesses across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ, on the back of a previous £25m sum invested into the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT), which helped raise over £250m last year.

Over the last 14 years BGF said its portfolio of º£½ÇÊÓÆµ companies have delivered £7.1bn in revenue growth, £1bn in export growth, and created over 27,000 jobs.

Meanwhile, the organisation said it has deployed 74% of its capital outside London and the South East.

In Hebburn, ITC Services, an IT managed services provider, received a £7m investment last November to support its organic growth and merger and acquisition strategy.

Other recent investments include a £4.6m investment into Gateshead digital accessibility tech firm Recite Me – the second cash injection in the last few years – while prominent Newcastle tech consultancy Hedgehog Lab has also benefited from BGF backing, sealing a £6.3m package to aid its ambitions to become a £50m turnover company.

Ross Linnett, founder of Recite Me, who featured on the Jimmy's Jobs of the Future podcast.(Image: Crest Photography)

The company has since launched a new Leeds base and is also targeting growth in Scotland, as well as other areas.