This firm announced a strong start to the year with the exit of executive search firm Metric Search following an acquisition by Southfield Capital with a valuation at $100m.
BGF was set up in Birmingham in 2011 and has invested over £4.7 billion in more than 650 companies.
BGF provides minority, non-controlling equity investments for growth-stage businesses, combining capital with long-term partnership and access to a nationwide network of expertise.
Last year alone, the Midlands team completed several new investments, follow-on funding to support growth across the portfolio, together with three positive exits – one with a partial reinvestment.
The success of BGF and the wider portfolio in 2025 follows BGF’s pledge to invest £300 million in Midlands-based businesses over the next five years, as part of its £3 billion UK-wide commitment to support high-potential companies.
This regional commitment builds on BGF’s strong track record in the Midlands, where it has invested £541 million since 2011.
In 2025, BGF invested £15 million in Cronofy, a UK-based provider of embedded scheduling infrastructure, to support ongoing international expansion and product development.
In July, Opus Safety, a tech-enabled health and safety, HR and occupational health solutions provider, secured minority funding from BGF and OakNorth to accelerate growth.
At the end of the year, Utelize Communications, a high-growth enterprise managed mobility specialist based in Malvern, Worcestershire, also secured a multi-million-pound investment from BGF.
2025 was also another successful year of exits, including BGF’s exit from Brisant Secure Limited, a leading designer and supplier of premium security hardware.
This follows the company’s acquisition by global security and access provider, Allegion plc, through one of its subsidiaries.
BGF also completed the successful exit of green tech pioneer Monodraught. During the eight-year investment period, Monodraught achieved a sevenfold increase in profitability alongside sustained job creation, growing its workforce to 95 people at its High Wycombe headquarters.
BGF continued to support its portfolio companies throughout 2025, by helping with the appointment of key talent, facilitating M&A activity, enabling the development of new technologies, as well as providing growth funding.
Aaron Baker (pictured), investor at BGF said: “At BGF, we continue to invest, support entrepreneurs, and deliver strong outcomes, demonstrating the region’s capacity for innovation and resilience.
“The founders we back are pursuing growth, finding new ways to adapt and thrive – each driven by a clear sense of purpose and long-term ambition.
“Our ambitions are clear. We want to expand our high-calibre regional investment team, continue to support portfolio companies through the full suite of BGF’s value creation tools, and maintain our position as the most active and supportive investor in the Midlands.
“Despite a challenging economic background, the Midlands remains a region defined by ingenuity, determination and opportunity. With the right support, its entrepreneurs will not only weather the headwinds – they will turn them into momentum for the next phase of growth.”
