BVCA Vision Awards recognise excellence of leading North West companies backed by private capital

RiskSmart, Robiquity, Alpine Group, Movera and DR&P have won British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Vision 2025 Awards for the North West of England.

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 and across several categories: 
 

Early Stage: 

RiskSmart backed by Maven Capital Partnerswas chosen as the winner in the Early Stage category. RiskSmart impressed the judges with its proprietary and highly scalable technology, exceptional revenue growth and dedication to sustainability and long-term impact. 
 

Scale-up: 

Robiquity backed by Growth Capital Partners Judges was chosen as the winner in the Scale-up category, with judges commending the company’s leveraging of AI and automation, alongside a sustained commitment to sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives.
 

Medium: 

Alpine Group backed by Westbridge was chosen as a joint winner in the Medium category.  Judges noted Alpine Group’s impressive strides towards its growth ambitions, expanding geographically and substantially expanding headcount, and spearheading industry sustainability through its Alpine Fire Campaign.
 

Medium: 

Movera backed by Inflexion was chosen as a joint winner in the Medium category, with judges praising Movera’s strong organic growth performance, as well as its focus on getting more women into senior leadership positions and actively recruiting female talent to ensure diverse talent pools.
 

Exit:

DR&P backed by Inflexion was chosen as the winner in the Exit category.  Judges were impressed with the Company’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.

A new BVCA report Private Capital in the North West, published ahead of the awards showcased the economic impact of private capital in the region. It found that businesses backed by private capital generate £15.7bn for the region’s economy each year. As of 2025, over 247,000 jobs are supported by the industry in the North West. 
 

Commenting, BVCA Chief Executive Michael Moore said:

“This year has seen another impressive cast of companies, backed by private capital, delivering growth and innovation across the UK. We are delighted to have the opportunity to recognise this important economic contribution and dynamic industry leadership through our annual awards.

“We are proud to highlight the key role of private capital in supporting companies like those nominated as they grow and scale, helping to support jobs across the UK’s nations and regions and drive sustainable long-term economic growth.”
 

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 award for the North West. 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.

“With most providers of risk management solutions focussing primarily on larger companies, there is a clear gap in the market for an innovative business like RiskSmart to target both the established market and the underserved SME segment. We look forward to continuing to support the team as they look to scale their technology and expand internationally."
 

Commenting, Tom Davies, CEO at Robiquity said:

“Robiquity are proud to be born and raised in the North West, and our success is thanks to the network of employees, clients and partners who work together to make this region the amazing place it is to be part of.”
 

Commenting, Alex Thomson, Partner at Growth Capital Partners said:

“Congratulations to the incredible team at Robiquity on winning the BVCA Vision Award for the North West, a well-deserved recognition of their outstanding growth and innovative leadership in the low code and AI services space. Robiquity’s strategic partnerships, domain expertise, strong culture and absolute focus on delivering ROI for clients sets them apart in this sector.

“We’re proud to continue to back Tom and the team, supporting their journey as they scale with ambition and remain committed to building a business that delivers lasting impact.”
 

Commenting, Claire Ownes, Group CEO at Alpine Group said:

“We’re proud to be recognised by the BVCA for what has been a defining chapter in Alpine Group’s growth. This award reflects our innovation, progress and most importantly, the people who drive our success.

“By attracting top talent and encouraging a culture of shared purpose, we’ve built a high-performing team and strengthened our position as an employer of choice, reinforcing our ambition to shape a responsible and innovative future for the fire protection industry.”
 

Commenting, Thomas Dutton, Investment Director at WestBridge said:

“It's been a pleasure to support Alpine Group’s ambitious management team through a period of transformational growth, and we’re honoured that this has been recognised by the BVCA with this award win. Following our investment, the business has made huge strides in its ESG progress, strengthened its sales and people functions and made a strategic acquisition to enter new, high-value markets.

“Working alongside the management team, we are looking forward to continuing on this strong growth trajectory and further bolstering Alpine Group’s position as a market leader in the active fire suppression market.”
 

Commenting, Nick Hale, CEO at Movera said:

"This award is welcome recognition of our team's incredible work in transforming the moving experience. Tripling our EBITDA while achieving NPS scores in the 70s proves that doing right by customers drives business success. 

“Our rebrand to Movera marks a new era for UK moving, but we're just getting started in many ways. We pride ourselves on being grounded, ambitious. But the clay is still wet. Together, we're shaping the future of this sector for consumers and really are one to watch."
 

Commenting, Andrew Neville, Partner at Inflexion said:

“Inflexion is proud to support Movera, a company focused on transforming UK home moving through vertically integrated, tech enabled legal services. By uniting five acquisitions and harnessing advanced legal tech, including AI, Movera now completes over 500,000 property transactions each year with leading partners across major lenders and introducers. This scale, innovation and customer focus have driven exceptional growth and set a new standard in a sector ready for disruption.”
 

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, Chris Thomas, Director, Financial Sponsors, Structured & Specialist Finance at Santander said:

“Congratulations to RiskSmart, Robiquity, Alpine Group, Movera and DR&P for their remarkable achievements. Their success highlights the strength, ambition and innovation that characterise the region’s business community and the vital role private capital plays in supporting their 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, Pete Terry, Head of Private Equity and Head of North West said:

 “A huge congratulations to all the winners of the Vision 2025 North West Awards. The region continues to demonstrate exceptional strength and diversity across its business community, and the achievements of this year’s winners showcase the innovation and commitment to growth that underpins the region’s economic success. 

“We are proud to support the Vision 2025 Awards, recognising outstanding businesses and the vital contribution of private capital in enabling sustainable growth and long-term value creation.”

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.