In a bold move to reshape the UK’s growth capital landscape, Business Growth Fund (BGF) has committed to investing £3 billion into high-potential UK businesses over the next five years. The announcement, made Tuesday, reaffirms BGF’s mission to offer “patient capital”—long-term, minority investments that empower entrepreneurs without forcing premature exits or handing over control.
A key part of this pledge includes a landmark £300 million commitment to female-powered businesses, reinforcing BGF’s support for inclusive leadership and expanding on its earlier £25 million backing of the Invest in Women Taskforce.
This increased commitment builds on the £2.3 billion deployed between 2020 and 2024, positioning BGF as the UK’s most active growth investor and a cornerstone of economic resilience in times of uncertainty.
Backing British Business at Every Stage
Founded in 2011 with the support of five major UK banking groups—Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, and Standard Chartered—BGF was created to address the chronic lack of capital available to early and growth-stage businesses across the UK and Ireland. With an evergreen balance sheet of £3 billion, BGF is structured as an independent platform focused on long-term value creation.
“Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, BGF is reaffirming its mission to be the long-term partner of choice for ambitious entrepreneurs in every corner of the country,” said Andy Gregory, CEO of BGF. “Our £3 billion commitment is about backing British business through the cycle. It sends a clear message: we believe in the potential of this country’s entrepreneurs, and we’re ready to go further.”
BGF stands out for its region-first investment strategy. With 74% of its capital deployed outside London and the South East, the firm is uniquely positioned to address regional funding disparities. It operates from 15 offices across the UK and Ireland, employing approximately 180 staff who are embedded in local economies.
Initial investment sizes range from £3 million to £30 million for growth-stage companies, and £3 million to £10 million for early-stage ventures, with additional follow-on funding available to support scaling and innovation.
In total, BGF has invested £4.5 billion in more than 600 companies since inception, delivering consistent top-quartile performance while driving real economic impact.
A Platform Built for “Good Growth”
BGF’s investment philosophy—branded as “good growth“—is grounded in values such as sustainability, leadership, diversity, and shared success. The fund is a certified UK B Corp, a member of the Diversity VC Standard, and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the Investing in Women Code.
Since 2011, BGF portfolio companies have collectively generated £7.1 billion in revenue growth, £1 billion in export gains, and 27,000 new jobs, underlining the firm’s strategic focus on impact as well as returns.
The new £300 million pledge to support female-powered businesses is one of the largest of its kind in the UK. It signals a pivotal shift in funding access and aims to catalyse greater inclusion in the country’s startup and scale-up ecosystems.
“This is a historic moment,” said Debbie Wosskow OBE, Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce. “BGF’s commitment marks a turning point in how we back women-led enterprise and is exactly the kind of action that can reshape our business landscape for the better.”
Fueling Innovation Across Sectors
Recent BGF investments include:
- £15 million in Cronofy, a Nottingham-based scheduling platform, to support global expansion
- £9 million in Phlux Technology, a Sheffield-based infrared sensor firm
- A significant investment in London’s OCL Vision, a premium ophthalmology provider scaling its clinic network
Tim Rea, Co-Head of Early Stage at BGF, said: “Backing businesses from their earliest stages is essential to developing a robust and dynamic scale-up economy. This £500 million commitment allows us to double down on our efforts to support visionary founders with the capital and guidance they need to realise their ambitions.”
An Endorsement of the UK as a Place to Grow
Minister for Investment, Baroness Gustafsson CBE, welcomed the news: “BGF’s investment in our growth companies is a strong endorsement that Britain is a place to invest and do business. This commitment will boost our capital markets, grow regional economies, and provide a powerful boost to female-powered enterprises.”
BGF’s unique model—blending scale, regional reach, and long-term investment focus—continues to set it apart in the UK’s funding ecosystem. As the firm enters its next phase, the £3 billion pledge serves as both a vote of confidence in the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and a call to action for inclusive, sustainable economic growth.
