BVCA Report on Investment Activity 2023
This report has been produced by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (“BVCA”) to demonstrate the activity of the UK private equity and venture capital industry in 2023. The statistics in this report are the results of the BVCA’s Investment Activity Study, covering fundraising, business investments and business exits. Data is sourced from a detailed member survey, supplemented by data from third party sources.
With a significant presence in the UK, developed over the past 40 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 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.
Key findings from the 2023 survey include:
- £59.6bn raised in 2023 by UK-managed funds to be invested globally.
- Total private capital investment in UK businesses reached £20.1bn.
- Private capital investors supported almost 1,500 UK businesses right across the United Kingdom in 2023.
- 9 in 10 UK companies receiving private investment in 2023 were small or medium sized – employing 250 or fewer people.
- Private capital invests across the whole of the UK as 58% of businesses receiving investment in 2023 were outside of London.
- Investment led out of the UK reached £31bn, as the UK remains a global hub for driving investment across Europe and beyond.
