Investor pledges £100m to NI businesses over next five years
Growth capital investor BGF has pledged £100m to Northern Ireland businesses as part of its wider £3bn plan to support companies UK-wide.
BGF said it had already invested £86m in NI since 2011, which it said reflected a commitment to back business with flexible capital.
As part of its broader national strategy, BGF has also committed £300m to female-powered businesses across the UK.
Since 2011, BGF portfolio companies across the UK have delivered £7.1bn in revenue growth, £1bn in export growth, and created more than 27,000 jobs.
BGF says it has a 'regional-first' model, with 74% of capital deployed outside London and the South East.
Paddy Graham, regional partner for BGF in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: "Despite economic headwinds, Northern Ireland's entrepreneurial spirit remains strong.
"With our £100m commitment, we're deepening our long-standing presence here and reaffirming our mission to support more high-potential businesses with capital and strategic guidance."
This latest commitment increases BGF's national investment from the £2.3bn deployed between 2020 and 2024.
NI firms supported by BGF include Connected Health in Belfast, which in January announced it had been given support with plans to hire an additional 1,000 carers over the next two years.
Woodland Kitchens, a Northern Irish manufacturer and supplier of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture, also announced in April last year that it had received BGF support to fund acquisitions and support future growth.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth the £400 price tag? PETER HOSKIN says the answer is an emphatic yes... and reveals why
Nintendo Switch 2 Verdict: Joy redefined The latest Nintendo console, the Switch 2, is finally here — and a question mark block hovers over it, just like the ones above Mario's head. Is it worth the £395.99 asking price (or £429.99, when bundled with the new Mario Kart World)? In this economy, and with more powerful PlayStations and Xboxes available for less, that's quite an outlay. I could make a financial argument for the Switch 2. Its predecessor, the original Switch, has been around for eight years now. If this new console has the same shelf life, that amounts to about £50 a a pound a week. Most people's chocolate habits cost more. But financial arguments are boring, when the Switch 2 is anything but. Although this is mostly just a bigger, better Switch, it's bigger and better in exciting ways. The larger, higher-definition screen is tremendously good for handheld play. Its more powerful innards mean that it can handle some very visually demanding games, including Cyberpunk 2077, which is also available now. It will come in two varieties: just the console and the console bundled with Mario Kart World. The former will cost £395.99 and the latter £429.99 Can the PS5 and Xbox Series X run these games even better? Yes. But a PC can run them even better again. And none have the easy, well, switchability of the Switch 2, which can move from your TV to your handbag in an instant. Technological domination isn't everything. Then there are the Switch 2's innovations, like its new mouse mode. The detachable Joy-Con controllers can be laid on their sides and moved and clicked just like the mouse for your desktop computer. It adds to the sense that Nintendo has made the Swiss Army knife of consoles. Everything for all occasions. The real draw, though, is the games. Neither the PlayStation nor the Xbox will ever get Mario Kart World, which is a loss for them. This first open-world entry in the madcap racing series is — much like the Switch 2 itself — an improvement on its already great predecessor. And think of all the joys to come! A new Donkey Kong game in July, which looks as though it delivers on its hero's full destructive potential. Followed by, presumably, new Mario and Zelda releases in future. Get saving.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man United's hunt for Mbeumo heats up
Manchester United 's initial £45m bid for Brentford 's Bryan Mbeumo, with a further £10m in add-ons, has been rejected. Brentford values Mbeumo at over £60m and may extend his contract by an additional year to retain him. Thomas Frank has acknowledged that Mbeumo's sale is possible but would be "expensive". Mbeumo is attractive to United due to his Premier League experience, versatility across the forward line, and strong fitness record. Manchester United aims to bolster their attacking options following the expected departures of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony and are also targeting a goalkeeper, wing-back, and midfielder.
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Lack of Devon and Cornwall transport funding criticised
The government has been accused of leaving Devon and Cornwall behind in terms of transport Rachel Reeves announced £15.6bn of funding for transport projects across parts of England including Greater Manchester, the Midlands, West England and Yorkshire on and business leaders based in Devon and Cornwall have criticised the government for overlooking the region after no money was earmarked for projects in either Department for Transport (DfT) said it was committed to delivering infrastructure that would boost the whole country. 'Underfunded services' Leigh Frost, leader of Cornwall Council, said the county's roadwork of more than 4,500 miles (7,242km) would have to be maintained with limited Liberal Democrat councillor said: "Our residents deserve a reliable, affordable, and integrated public transport system."Instead, we're left to struggle with making the Cornish pound stretch further to support our underfunded services, while other areas receive the lion's share of investment."Ben Maguire, Lib Dem MP for North Cornwall, said the county had "yet again been overlooked" by the government and the area deserved much better."We've had promises of 'levelling up', but this £15bn plan doesn't offer a single penny for our region," Mr Maguire added. Lib Dem MP for St Ives Andrew George accused the government of targeting "handpicked mayoral zones" with its £15.6bn of George added: "So we're expected to believe this is a politically neutral decision based on need?"Cornwall's Chamber of Commerce said transport consistently ranked as the top priority for businesses in the county, but said there was still not enough support from the Brown, the chamber's chief executive, said Cornwall was being left behind."Our businesses struggle daily with connectivity issues that limit growth potential," he said. "While metro mayors across England receive billions for trams and mass transit, Cornwall's economy continues to be hampered by inadequate bus services and rail connections that fail to meet business needs." 'Languishing behind' The funding announcement also received criticism in Smith, Conservative MP for South West Devon, said she was "deeply disappointed" that no money had been given to Devon or Cornwall."Anyone living in our corner of the UK will know that our transport infrastructure languishes behind the rest of the nation," Ms Smith said."I have warned before that the South West risks becoming Labour's forgotten region. It seems this remains true." 'Pushing our government' Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, defended the government, saying the funding was focused on city said she and Perran Moon, Labour MP for Camborne and Redruth, had been told more help was expected in Spending Review due to be set out by the chancellor on 11 June."We will be pushing and pushing and pushing our government to make sure we get as much as we can for Cornwall, because we know how much we need it here," Ms Kirkham DfT said Wednesday's announcement would help more than a quarter of England's population get better transport infrastructure.A spokesperson added decisions on future transport spending would be announced as part of the Spending Review."We are committed to delivering transport infrastructure that will boost growth and opportunity across the whole country, as part of our 'Plan for Change'," the spokesperson said."This includes investing in Cornwall – where this year alone we are already providing £10m towards better bus services, up to £48m for highways and local transport maintenance and £1.1m to enable better walking, wheeling and cycling opportunities."
