Thought Leadership

Whilst global leaders are shifting their stance on sustainability, the past year has seen significant advancements in ESG and sustainability practices, especially within the mid-market private equity sector in the UK. Companies have increasingly embedded sustainability into their core strategies, responding to heightened investor demand for responsible and ethical investments.

There will come a point when President Trump is not mentioned in every opinion piece you read in the media. But that moment has not yet arrived, I have to warn you. Not in this contribution at least.

We are seeing a developing industry shift from focusing solely on cost to embracing long-term value and truly recognising the win-win proposition that stands before both the Venture Capital and Pension industries. This evolution is increasingly evident in how Pension Schemes are beginning to approach their investment decisions. The move towards a Value for Money framework is a welcome development. This framework is less about comparing fees and more about understanding the quality of returns over time for savers who depend on these funds for their retirement. Such an approach is vital if we are to create a truly sustainable investment landscape. 

Sometimes in life the numbers, like the existential issues that surround them, just come at you thick and fast. And there’s been a blizzard of them in one particular direction in recent weeks.

The issue of getting more UK pensions fund investment into private capital is one the BVCA has long championed. However, it has become something of a hot topic in recent years, with both the last and the current Government increasingly seeing that it's a conundrum that, if resolved, provides solutions to two challenges keeping them up at night: the lack of UK growth and a pending retirement crisis.

Amidst the ever-changing geo-political backdrop of tariffs and shifting policies, it is evident this new era brings opportunities, as well as challenges. And it positions the UK and Europe competitively on the world stage as an attractive market for investment and partnership.

Meghan Stevenson-Krausz, Co-CEO of Diversity VC shares her reflections on the newly published BVCA/Level 20 Diversity Report and gives her outlook on diversity from a VC perspective and takes a wider look at diversity initiatives that are needed to charter the path forward.

In this special Annual Review Voicenote podcast, BVCA Chief Executive, Michael Moore, is joined by Sarah Adams, BVCA Co-Director of Policy and Matthew Sabben-Clare, BVCA Chair and Senior Adviser at Cinven, to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that are still to come in 2025.

Suzi Gillespie, the BVCA’s Head of Research provides her perspective on the latest analysis published about the industry’s performance and reflects on what will impact private market conditions in 2025.

The BVCA’s recent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) series of panel discussions focussed on how network-building, mentorship and risk-taking can accelerate women’s careers. Sustainability Executive, Breeze Haywood, reflects on the event’s discussion and the need for active engagement with diverse talent pools to drive innovation and address underrepresentation in the industry. 

The BVCA, in partnership with Level 20, recently released a report, Diversity in UK Private Equity and Venture Capital 2025, which shows an increase in the proportion of women working within the industry over recent years - but there is still more work to be done.

‘Move fast and break things’ is a mantra celebrated in certain business circles, enjoying a resonance well beyond its origins as a Facebook motto.