Foresight Group

Foresight, a leading investment management firm with a strong focus on sustainability, manages £12.2 billion in assets as of March 2023. The company caters to a broad range of investors, including 200 institutions and approximately 29,000 private investors. Foresight operates through three main divisions: Foresight Private Equity (FPE), Foresight Capital Management, and Foresight Infrastructure.

FPE boasts £1.4 billion in assets under management, spread across over 250 companies. This division is characterised by its diverse investment strategies, utilising 21 different VCTs and regional funds. FPE predominantly invests between £1 million and £5 million in companies, with its UK offices ensuring a strong local presence. The annual revenues of its portfolio companies typically range from £2 million to £20 million, but FPE also engages in venture and seed investments in high-tech, pre-revenue enterprises, including university spin-outs.

Key components of FPE's portfolio are its VCTs, notably the Foresight VCT and Foresight Enterprise VCT. As of June 2023, Foresight VCT had invested in 52 rapidly growing unquoted companies, while Foresight Enterprise VCT had made 44 investments.

FPE has been instrumental in the growth of various scale-ups, including ClubSpark in sports technology, Firefish in recruitment software, Red Flag Alert in business intelligence, Five Wealth in wealth management, and the street food restaurant chain Mowgli.

Foresight's sector-agnostic approach facilitates connections between its investee businesses and an expert network for strategic guidance and industry insights. It also provides avenues for accessing potential Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and hosts a range of events, briefings, and a comprehensive library of insights and research on its website.

Through its regionally focused funds, Foresight collaborates with local ecosystem support providers, including devolved governments and Growth Hubs. Since 2016, its Foresight Regional Investment Funds have raised £120 million to invest in growth companies in areas such as North West England, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and North Wales. The £100 million Foresight East of England Fund, backed by the Cambridgeshire Pension Fund, supports growth companies in the East of England and beyond with investments of up to £10 million. Foresight also manages funds dedicated to regions like Scotland, Northern Ireland, West Yorkshire, the North East, Nottingham, and the East & South East Midlands.

The Foresight Enterprise VCT Manager asserts, “The UK undoubtedly remains an exceptional place to start, fund, and grow a small business, and we remain committed to supporting the best UK entrepreneurs on their journey.”