Investor announces £400 million pledge for North West businesses

Growth capital investor, BGF, has announced a pledge to invest £400 million in North West businesses over the next five years.

The regional announcement is part of a larger commitment to invest £3 billion in high-potential businesses across the UK.

The announcement builds on the £596 million that BGF has already invested in North West businesses since 2011 as part of a regional-first strategy that has seen 74% of the firm’s capital being invested in companies outside of London and the South East of England.

This nationwide strategy additionally includes a £300 million commitment to female-led businesses, which follows an earlier £25 million in funding via the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT) that has unlocked over £250 million in capital in 2023.

Pinesh Mehta, Partner, North West, BGF, said:

“The North West is home to some of the most exciting and ambitious companies in the UK. This £400 million commitment underlines our confidence in the region and our determination to support more businesses through every stage of growth.”

Commenting on the commitment to support women-led businesses, Debbie Wosskow OBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce, said:

“This is a historic moment. BGF’s £300 million commitment to female-powered businesses, which builds on the work of the Invest in Women Taskforce, is one of the largest ever made in the UK. It marks a turning point in how we back women-led enterprise and is exactly the kind of action that can start to reshape our business landscape for the better.”

The latest investment pledges from BGF come as the firm also publishes its latest impact data. Since 2011, the BGF portfolio has delivered a combined economic impact of £7.1 billion in revenue growth and £1 billion in export growth, and created 27,000 new jobs across the UK.

Backed by five major UK banks, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and Standard Chartered, BGF was established in 2011 to address SME funding gaps.