Foresight to manage a £50 million equity fund for the Investment Fund for Wales

• Operated by the British Business Bank, the £130 million Investment Fund for Wales provides a mix of debt and equity funding, helping a range of small and medium sized businesses in Wales to start up, scale up or stay ahead
• Foresight Group, one of the UK’s most active regional SME investors, has been chosen to manage the £50 million equity finance fund, providing equity investments from £250,000 to £5 million to Welsh companies

Click here to view the PDF version. 

23 November 2023, Cardiff: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading listed private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has announced it will manage a £50 million equity fund for the Investment Fund for Wales (“IFW”), the IFW – Foresight Equity Finance (“the Fund”).

Operated by the British Business Bank (“BBB”), the £130 million IFW will provide loans from £25,000 to £2 million, and equity investment from £250,000 to £5 million to fund a range of small and medium sized businesses across Wales to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

This is the second fund Foresight Private Equity has announced in 2023 and is the second time Foresight has been appointed as Fund Manager by the BBB. In 2018, Foresight was appointed as Fund Manager to the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”), a £250 million initiative launched by the BBB to support SME growth across the Midlands.

Foresight is dedicated to investing in local economies and enabling them to thrive, having already launched 12 funds dedicated to particular regions across the UK and Ireland, creating thousands of high-quality, local jobs. For IFW, Foresight will replicate the successful strategy it has deployed elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.

IFW – Foresight Equity Finance will be managed by Foresight’s team based in Cardiff, supported by Foresight’s wider Private Equity team which is made up of over 50 investment professionals, based across its office network located in the UK and Ireland. The Fund will be sector agnostic providing equity investments from £250,000 to £5 million to SMEs across Wales.

Claire Alvarez, Parter at Foresight Group, commented: “We are delighted to announce IFW – Foresight Equity Finance, a £50 million equity fund dedicated to Wales. This is the second time we have been appointed as Fund Manager to the BBB and we are pleased to continue working alongside the BBB to help plug the funding gap for the provision of capital to SMEs.

We look forward to supporting a range of promising companies across Wales to achieve their growth ambitions, make a positive impact in their local areas and create high-quality, local jobs.”

John Cordrey, Principal at Foresight Group, added: “We believe there is a thriving business advisory community and growing business ecosystem in Wales and are pleased to officially launch here. We continue to see promising businesses across all regions in Wales and look forward to supporting Welsh SMEs to grow, innovate and achieve their business ambitions.”

The purpose of IFW is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across Wales. IFW will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in Wales, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.

Foresight provides more than investment and partners with promising SMEs – across all sectors and transaction types - to enable founders and management teams to achieve their business ambitions. By providing operational insight, guidance, expertise and connections, Foresight enables SMEs to achieve their vision, positively impact their local areas and create high-quality, local jobs. It is one of the most active investors in SMEs in the UK and Ireland; so far in 2023, Foresight’s Private Equity division has made over 50 investments.

• Mae Cronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru £130 miliwn Banc Busnes Prydain yn cynnig cymysgedd o gyllid dyled ac ecwiti, gan helpu amrywiaeth o fusnesau bach a chanolig yng Nghymru i gychwyn, tyfu neu aros ar y blaen

   

• Dewisiwyd Foresight Group, un o fuddsoddwyr rhanbarthol mwyaf gweithgar y DU mewn BBaCh, i reoli’r gronfa cyllid ecwiti gwerth £50 miliwn, a fydd yn darparu buddsoddiadau ecwiti rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn ar gyfer cwmnïau Cymreig.

  Cliciwch yma i weld y fersiwn PDF.

  23 Tachwedd 2023, Caerdydd: Mae Foresight Group (“Foresight”), rheolwr buddsoddiadau ecwiti preifat a seilwaith rhestredig blaenllaw, wedi cyhoeddi y bydd yn rheoli cronfa ecwiti o £50 miliwn ar gyfer y Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru (“IFW”), sef IFW - Foresight Equity Finance (“y Gronfa”).

  Bydd yr IFW o £130 miliwn, a gaiff ei weithredu gan Fanc Busnes Prydain (“BBB”), yn darparu benthyciadau o rhwng £25,000 a  £2 filiwn, a buddsoddiadau ecwiti rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn i gynorthwyo amrywiaeth o fusnesau bach a chanolig ar draws Cymru i gychwyn, datblygu neu aros ar y blaen.

  Dyma’r ail gronfa i Foresight Private Equity ei chyhoeddi yn 2023, a’r ail dro i BBB benodi Foresight yn Rheolwr Cronfa. Yn 2018, penodwyd Foresight yn Rheolwr Cronfa ar gyfer Cronfa Buddsoddi Injan Canolbarth Lloegr (“MEIF”, menter gwerth £250 miliwn a lansiwyd gan BBB i gynorthwyo twf BBaCh ar draws canolbarth Lloegr.

  Mae Foresight wedi ymrwymo i fuddsoddi mewn economïau lleol a chaniatáu iddynt lewyrchu, ac mae’r cwmni eisoes wedi lansio 12 cronfa ar gyfer rhanbarthau penodol ar draws y DU ac Iwerddon, gan greu miloedd o swyddi lleol o safon uchel. Yn achos IFW, bydd Foresight yn efelychu’r strategaeth lwyddiannus y mae hi wedi ei defnyddio eisoes mewn rhannau eraill o’r DU ac Iwerddon.

  Caiff IFW - Foresight Equity Finance ei reoli gan dîm Foresight yng Nghaerdydd, a’i gynorthwyo gan dîm Ecwiti Preifat ehangach Foresight, sy’n cynnwys dros 50 o broffesiynolion buddsoddi ar draws ei rwydwaith o swyddfeydd yn y DU ac Iwerddon. Bydd y Gronfa’n agored i bob sector, gan ddarparu buddsoddiadau ecwiti o rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn ar gyfer BBaCh ar draws Cymru.

  Dywedodd Claire Alvarez, sy’n Bartner yn Foresight Group: “Rydyn ni wrth ein bodd i gyhoeddi IFW - Foresight Equity Finance, cronfa ecwiti £50 miliwn yn benodol i Gymru. Dyma’r ail dro i BBB ein penodi ni’n Rheolwr Cronfa, ac rydyn ni’n falch o allu parhau i weithio ochr yn ochr â BBB er mwyn helpu i gau’r blwch ariannu wrth ddarparu cyllid cyfalaf i BBaCh.

  Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at gynorthwyo amrywiaeth o gwmnïau addawol ar draws Cymru i gyflawni eu huchelgeisiau o ran twf, cael effaith gadarnhaol ar eu milltir sgwâr, a chreu swyddi lleol o safon uchel.”

  Dywedodd John Crodrey, Pennaeth Foresight Group: “Rydyn ni’n credu bod yna gymuned lewyrchus o gynghorwyr busnes ac ecosystem o fusnesau sydd ar dwf yng Nghymru, ac rydyn ni’n falch o gael lansio yma’n swyddogol. Rydyn ni’n parhau i weld busnesau addawol ar draws pob rhanbarth yng Nghymru, ac rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at gael cynorthwyo BBaCh Cymru i dyfu, arloesi a chyflawni eu huchelgeisiau fel busnes.”

  Nod IFW yw gyrru twf economaidd trwy gynorthwyo arloesi a chreu cyfleoedd lleol ar gyfer busnesau newydd a’r rhai sydd ar dwf ar draws Cymru. Bydd IFW yn cynyddu’r cyflenwad a’r amrywiaeth o gyllid cyfnod cynnar sydd ar gael i fusnesau llai ar draws Cymru, gan ddarparu cyllid ar gyfer busnesau na fyddai’n derbyn buddsoddiad fel arall o bosibl, ac yn helpu i chwalu’r rhwystrau i gael cyllid.

  Mae Foresight yn darparu mwy na dim ond buddsoddiad, ac mae’n gweithio mewn partneriaeth â BBaCh addawol - ar draws pob sector a phob math o drafodion - er mwyn caniatáu i’r sylfaenwyr a’r timau rheoli gyflawni eu huchelgeisiau busnes. Trwy gynnig dirnadaeth weithredol, arweiniad, arbenigedd a chysylltiadau, mae Foresight yn caniatáu i BBaCh gyflawni eu gweledigaeth, cael effaith gadarnhaol ar eu milltir sgwâr a chreu swyddi lleol o safon uchel. Y cwmni yw un o’r buddsoddwyr mwyaf gweithgar mewn BBaCh yn y DU ac Iwerddon; hyd yn hyn yn 2023 mae adran Ecwiti Preifat Foresight wedi cyflawni mwy na 50 o fuddsoddiadau.