BGF has committed to invest £100m to back high-growth businesses in Wales.
The equity investor, formerly known as the Business Growth Fund, said it forms part of plans over the next five years to invest £3bn to support firms across the Ƶ to scale-up.
It also includes £300m ringfenced to back Ƶ female run businesses. This follows an initial £25m pledge to the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT), which contributed to raising over £250m in 2023.
Initial investments from the BGF range from £3m to £30m for growth-stage companies and £3m to £10m for early-stage ventures. BGF backs earlier-stage businesses in the life sciences and deep tech sectors, and growth-stage businesses across all sectors, typically generating annual profits of £1m to £10m.
Since being established in 2011 BGF has invested more than £4.5bn in 370 companies. Backed companies have generated £7.1bn in additional sales, £1bn in export growth, and created more than 27,000 jobs. Some 74% of BGF’s capital has been deployed outside London and the south east of England.
Companies in Wales it has invested in to date include PureCyber, Character.com, Victorian Sliders and IQ Endoscopes. In total it has injected £47m in equity into Welsh since 2011.
Cardiff-based BGF investor, Hannah King, said: "We’re proud of our track record in Wales and excited to increase our investment through this £100m commitment. Welsh businesses have enormous potential, and we’re here to provide the capital and support to help them grow and scale sustainably.”
Debbie Wosskow co-chair on the Invest in Women Taskforce, said: “This is another historic moment. BGF’s 10% commitment to female-powered businesses is significant. At £300m in total it builds on our already groundbreaking progress with the Invest in Women Taskforce, and is one of the largest ever made in the Ƶ.”
The £3bn pledged by the BGF over the next five years follows £2.3bn deployed between 2020 and 2024.
