Fifteen years after it was established to address a structural funding gap in the UK mid-market, BGF has surpassed £5bn in investments, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support the regional growth economy across the UK and Ireland.
Founded in 2011, BGF provides long-term, flexible capital to small and mid-sized businesses. Investing through minority stakes, the firm 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 London and the South East, reflecting BGF’s longstanding regional focus.
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
In the South West, BGF recently completed its exit from Nonwovenn, the Somerset-based fabric technology specialist, following a nine-year partnership that delivered an 8.4x money multiple.
BGF also completed its exit from Off-Piste Wines, a leading UK-based wine developer and distributor, following the sale of the business to Grupo Peñaflor, one of Argentina’s largest family-owned wine groups. The exit delivered a strong return on BGF’s original investment in December 2019, helping to scale revenues from £37 million to £65 million.
Alongside these exits, the Bristol office backed eSignature software platform, Signable with a multi-million-pound investment. The funding will support the business in accelerating its growth, strengthening its go-to-market capabilities, and expanding beyond its established SME base into the UK mid-market.
In Wales, BGF exited Victorian Sliders®, the manufacturer of ECOSlide® uPVC sash windows, generating a 3.2x money multiple. Since BGF’s initial £14 million investment in 2021, the business increased its annual revenue from £19 million to £33 million.
In the Thames Valley region, BGF invested £16.6 million into Workbooks, a mid-market SaaS platform based in Reading. Further recent deals included a multimillion-pound investment into Oxfordshire-based technology service provider PMC.
BGF’s Reading office also successfully exited several portfolio businesses over the last 12 months. This included Polar Technology, an engineering-led designer and manufacturer of high-performance carbon-fibre and metals, which was acquired by US private equity firm,Trive Capital.
Operational Solutions Limited, a leading provider of counter-drone and airspace management technologies, also exited following acquisition by Terma A/S, which marked another strong outcome for BGF’s portfolio of pioneering technology companies.
In 2026, BGF was 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 £3bn.
Alex Garfitt, Investment Partner at BGF, South West & Wales: “BGF was established to address a clear gap in the market for providing long-term capital through minority investments. Since its launch only 15 years ago, investing £5bn in more than 650 businesses across every UK region demonstrates both the scale of the opportunity and BGF’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
Supported by strong founder ambition and deep sector expertise, BGF is well positioned to play a key role in shaping the future of the UK’s investment landscape for decades to come.”
Alistair Brew, Regional Partner at BGF, Thames Valley: “Founders in this region are building some of the UK’s most innovative and exciting growth businesses. Our role is to back that ambition with patient, minority capital and hands-on support. We help founders scale their business, while they retain control, and that’s something that really resonates.
Since being established in 2011, BGF has demonstrated the size of the opportunity in backing ambitious mid-market businesses, and the clear demand for funding that helps them scale on their own terms.”