BVCA Report on Investment Activity 2021
This report has been produced by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (“BVCA”) to demonstrate the activities of our members in 2021. The statistics in this report are the results of the BVCA’s Investment Activity Study, a detailed and comprehensive survey of our members’ activity in the year, covering fundraising, business investments and business exits.
With a significant presence in the UK, developed over the past 30 years, private equity and venture capital provide companies with the finance and know-how to deliver sustainable business growth. Active ownership, over the medium to long term, delivers economic and social value to those involved in the businesses (from employees, management and owners on the one hand, to customers and suppliers on the other) and a wide group of stakeholders (from local communities and local and regional economies, to national policy makers focused on issues such as climate change, diversity and inclusion (D&I) and social justice).
Both private equity and venture capital are focused on delivering sustainable growth for the companies in which they invest: venture capital firms typically support early stage and younger companies, holding minority stakes in the businesses, while private equity firms typically acquire controlling stakes in more established businesses.
In the 2021 study we received responses from 202 members out of a total eligible pool of 269 members, a response rate of 75%. For comparison, in 2020 we received response from 194 members out of a total of 264 who were eligible (73% response rate).
The survey is of BVCA members only. Although our membership changes over time, 84% of the respondents in 2021 also provided us with data in 2020. We are comfortable that the year-on-year data is broadly comparable.
This publication is a companion document to our Growing Great British Businesses report, which uses the survey data to tell the story of private equity and venture capital through 2021. An excel extract of the aggregated results can also be downloaded from our website here.
