BVCA crowns 7 exceptional businesses in Vision 2025 National Awards
Seven UK businesses backed by private capital have been crowned as national winners of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association’s (BVCA) Vision Awards for exceptional performance, following regional awards that took place throughout the year.
Sponsored by Grant Thornton and Santander, these annual awards honour the management teams of companies backed by private equity and venture capital, recognising both companies and their investors in different investment stages.
RiskSmart, Dynamic Planner, Pure Cremation, Blue Light Card, Aggreko, DR&P, and Lowe Rental, were all selected by the judges as 2025’s national winners having previously been recognised at the regional level earlier this year.
Early Stage:
RiskSmart, North West winner backed by Maven Capital Partners
Risk Smart impressed the judges with its proprietary and highly scalable technology, exceptional revenue growth and dedication to sustainability and long-term impact.
Scale-up:
Dynamic Planner, London and South East winner backed by FPE Capital
The judging panel were impressed by Dynamic Planner’s unique offerings, ability to remain competitive and scale rapidly whilst continuing to drive a strong product roadmap, and champion ESG responsibilities.
Medium:
Pure Cremation, London & South East winner backed by Epiris
Pure Cremation stood out to the judges as a true “management led transformation”, with the business being transformed without any additional capital in a very short period of time. By heavily focusing on personalisation and quality service, Pure is helping families both financially and emotionally at one of the hardest moments in their lives.
Large (joint winners):
Blue Light Card, Midlands & East winner backed by Inflexion Private Equity Partners and Aggreko, Scotland winner backed by TDR Capital
Judges noted Aggreko’s strong financial momentum and operational progress, including completing five significant acquisitions in 2024. Aggreko has also demonstrated a sustained commitment to DE&I initiatives, including championing gender diversity in senior leadership positions in the historically underrepresented commercial and engineering sectors.
Leicestershire-based Blue Light Card was lauded for its competitiveness, growth and recent innovation activity, including substantial investments in tech platforms.
Exit:
DR&P, North West winner backed by Inflexion
Judges were impressed with DR&P’s rapid expansion, delivering an industry leading organic growth and strong very strong M&A record, achieving a tenfold improvement in EBITDA in three years.
International Expansion:
Lowe Rental, Northern Ireland winner backed by Perwyn
Lowe Rental backed by Perwyn, was chosen as the winner in the International Expansion Category, with judges praising the business for demonstrating innovation by strategically accelerating capital investment during Covid, which has proven pivotal to the business’s recent growth.
Winners were crowned last week at the BVCA’s Gala Dinner, which took place at the Londoner Hotel. The Gala Dinner was a celebration of some of the most innovative businesses across the UK that have contributed to their local economies through the support of private capital.
In 2024, private capital supported almost 1,600 businesses across the UK, with total private capital investment in UK businesses reaching £29.4bn.
Commenting, BVCA Chief Executive Michael Moore said:
“This year’s lineup of companies, backed by private capital and based all across the UK, showcased extraordinary leadership, industry leading growth, and robust commitment to the environmental and social good.
“These awards provide an important opportunity to highlight the vital role private equity and venture capital play in supporting dynamic, innovative business as the grow and scale and we are proud to play out part in supporting this vital ecosystem.”
Commenting, Amo Amin-Addo, Partner, Private Equity Coverage Lead at Grant Thornton said:
“Celebrating the Vision 2025 UK Awards winners is a reminder of the creativity and determination powering the UK’s business landscape. From pioneering technologies to transformative ideas, these companies show how vision and collaboration help deliver real economic impact. Congratulations to all the winners.
“Private capital remains essential in turning ambition into growth. By supporting companies like this year’s winners, this industry helps UK businesses to scale, innovate, and make a lasting contribution to economic growth.”
Commenting, Andrew Clayton, Head of Financial Sponsors at Santander, said:
“Congratulations to the winners of the national Vision 2025 Awards. These companies exemplify the innovation and ambition that are helping to drive the UK economy. Across a range of sectors, this year’s winners demonstrate how smart investment, collaboration, and leadership can create long-term growth.
“At Santander, we are proud to support the wider private capital ecosystem, and we remain committed to helping high-growth businesses turn their ambitions into reality.”
Commenting, Ryan Swann, Founder and CEO of RiskSmart said:
“We are absolutely delighted to receive this Early Stage award. This recognition is a tribute to the hard-work, innovative thinking and resilient spirit of the entire RiskSmart team. From our early days we set out to redefine how businesses manage risk and seize opportunity, and to win this honour from the UK’s leading private capital community affirms that our mission is resonating.
“A special thank you to our investors, partners and customers who have trusted us to grow and scale rapidly; this award motivates us even further as we continue to expand, innovate and deliver value for our region and beyond.”
Commenting, Jenny Linney, Portfolio Director at Maven said:
"It’s fantastic to see the BVCA recognise RiskSmart’s progress with this national award following their success in the North West awards. Since Maven invested we’ve found the RiskSmart team to be ambitious, driven and highly capable – they have significant experience in this sector and have achieved impressive growth to date.
Commenting, John Page, CEO at DR&P said:
‘’We are proud of what has been achieved with the support of Inflexion over the past three years. Their investment has allowed us to build a market leading business in the UK insurance market. We believe there are significant opportunities for further growth ahead of us.’’
Commenting, Carl Wormwald, Partner at Inflexion said:
‘’Our partnership with DR&P has been both highly productive and richly rewarding for all involved, a testimony to the tremendous skill and energy of such a talented management team in delivering industry leading organic performance alongside thoughtful and impressive acquisitive led growth. We would like to thank the entire team for their hard work and wish them all the best for the future.’’
Commenting, Dan Walker, Partner, FPE Capital said:
"Our congratulations to Ben and the whole team at Dynamic Planner on winning this prestigious BVCA award. In such a competitive region of the UK, it is a testament to the business they have built which is customer-centric and committed to its mission to deliver a platform to its customers, including UK advice firms and wealth managers, which helps them to match their clients with suitable financial solutions for their life goals. The delivery of this mission is creating some impressive financial performance but also enabling the company to continue to invest in the products of the future for its industry".
Commenting, Dean Lamble, CEO of Pure Cremation said:
“We’re delighted to win a 2025 Vision Award. Pure Cremation has grown tremendously over the last two years by delivering on what customers want – making it easier to have a celebration of someone’s life, rather than the traditional, Victorian crematoria experience that can include costs for add-ons and extras they don’t want.”
“Epiris has been a fantastic business partner throughout, sharing our ambitions and supporting our growth as we continue our transformation, extend our market-leading position and cement our status as the foremost brand in the sector.”
Commenting, Owen Wilson, Chief Investment Partner at Epiris said:
“We are thrilled for the recognition Pure has earned with this 2025 Vision Award at a national level. Pure is a strong example of our strategy of partnering with outstanding CEOs to transform high-quality businesses. In this case, the CEO is Dean who, in less than two years, has transformed the business by building an exceptional team and delivering best-in-class service to customers. Congratulations from all of us at Epiris to Dean and his team.”
Rachel McCausland, CEO, Lowe Rental Corporation said:
“We’re honoured to be recognised as the national winner of the BVCA Vision 2025 award in the International Expansion category. This award is testament to the dedication and vision of our entire team, whose hard work drives our success. Our rapid worldwide deployment capabilities and innovative technology allow us to meet diverse client needs at scale. By delivering tailored services—from ESG-aligned equipment to flexible rental solutions for refrigeration, catering, and kitchen infrastructure—we continue to expand with purpose. This recognition reflects our commitment to ambitious, responsible global growth.”
Alidad Moghaddam, CEO, Blue Light Card said:
“"We are honoured to receive this recognition from the BVCA. Everything we do at Blue Light Card is for our members - the people who do so much for us in our community, often going above and beyond the call of duty. Over the past year, we've helped members save hundreds of millions of pounds at a time when it matters most, while continuing to innovate and grow to better meet their needs.
“Beyond member savings, through the Blue Light Card Foundation we help to fund vital projects across the UK for those dealing with the most challenging situations. Projects like these provide key resources and environments to support physical and mental wellbeing.
"We are also committed to nurturing a community that creates meaningful connections and memorable, shared experiences, through exclusive money-can’t-buy member events and access to some of the most sought-after event tickets in the UK.
“With the backing of Inflexion and the support of our partners, we’ve invested in technology, data and new offers and services that are strengthening our platform and expanding our impact. This award is a wonderful acknowledgment of the positive difference we are making together, and it inspires our ongoing drive to support and reward our Blue Light Card community."
Tom Pemberton, Partner at Inflexion said:
“We are proud of Blue Light Card’s continued growth and the positive impact they have on the UK’s Blue Light community of key workers. Since our investment, the business has broadened its offering, delivered significantly more savings to millions of members, and expanded internationally. This recognition is a testament to the team’s dedication and innovation, as they continue to enhance their platform and deliver even greater value to those who serve our communities.’’
Commenting, Blair Illingworth, Chief Executive Officer at Aggreko, said:
“Our recent success at Aggreko owes a lot to the support we’ve had from our owners since 2021, TDR Capital and I-Squared Capital. Their backing has been a big part of us winning the BVCA Vision Award, which we’re hugely proud of. TDR’s experience in the specialty rental space has helped us sharpen our operational focus, make better use of data science for fleet utilisation, and speed up the transition of our fleet to hybrid and alternative energy. At the same time, I-Squared has brought invaluable expertise in energy and infrastructure, which has been critical to our journey.”
Commenting, Gary Lindsay, Managing Partner at TDR Capital, said:
“Congratulations to Blair and the entire Aggreko team on this achievement. The award recognises the remarkable transformation they have delivered at Aggreko, which has become a global leader in integrated energy solutions. By combining world-class operational execution with innovation in hybrid and renewable technologies, Aggreko has shown how commercial performance and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. At TDR Capital, we are delighted to support the BVCA Vision Awards, which shine a light on exceptional businesses backed by private capital that are driving meaningful growth and innovation across the UK.”
Notes to Editors:
For further information, please contact:
BVCA Press Office
Email: [email protected]
About the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) (private capital) industry in the UK. With a membership of over 600 firms, we represent the vast majority of all UK-based private capital firms, as well as their professional advisers and a large base of UK and global investors. The private equity and venture capital industry has a vital role to play in driving national and regional growth. Currently over 13,000 companies, employing more than 2.5 million people, are backed by private equity and venture capital investment in the UK.
