Midlands and East of England businesses recognised for outstanding growth

PocDoc based in Cambridge, Eden Futures located in Long Bennington, Nottingham’s Peppermint Technology, and Leicestershire’s Blue Light Card, have won the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Vision 2025 Awards for the Midlands & East.

Supported by Headline Sponsor, Grant Thornton and Supporting Sponsor, Santander, the annual awards honour the management teams of companies backed by private equity and venture capital, recognising both companies and their investors in three different investment stages and across four categories:

Early Stage:

Cambridge-based PocDoc backed by MMC Ventures and Molten Ventures was chosen as the winner for the early-stage category, with judges praising the business for embedding robust ESG practices across its entire operation.

Scale-Up:

Nottingham’s Peppermint Technology backed by SEP was recognised as the winner for the Scale-Up category. Judges highlighted the company’s significant growth through its expanded presence in North America, as well as acquiring new customers in 2024.

Medium:

Eden Futures, backed by Sovereign Capital Partners was awarded the winner for the medium category. Judges recognised Eden Futures as a company driven by a genuine sense of purpose, prioritising the well-being of both their employees and end users. This focus has notably impacted staff recruitment, retention, and career progression.

Large:

Leicestershire-based Blue Light Card backed by Inflexion was awarded the winner for the large category. Blue Light Card was lauded for its competitiveness, growth and recent innovation activity, including substantial investments in tech platforms.

A new BVCA report Private Capital in Midlands, published ahead of the awards showcased the economic impact of private capital in these regions. It found that businesses backed by private capital generate £19bn for the Midlands economy each year. As of 2025, over 302,000 jobs are supported by the industry in Midlands.
 

Michael Moore, BVCA Chief Executive said:

“We are proud to honour the outstanding successes of this year’s winners who have demonstrated the impact that private equity and venture capital has in the Midlands and the East of England.

“These businesses and their private capital backers exemplify how our industry is supporting jobs and growth in every part of the country.”
 

Nick Gillott, Head of Midlands Corporate Finance Advisory at Grant Thornton UK said:

"It’s fantastic to see such a diverse array of ambitious and innovative businesses emerging from the Midlands and East of England, all making a meaningful impact in their respective fields and contributing to the regional economy. Congratulations to the winners, who exemplify how innovation can drive substantial growth.

“We take pride in supporting the Vision 2025 Awards, celebrating the outstanding leadership of these companies and acknowledge the vital role played by their private equity investors in fostering sustainable growth and long-term success.”
 

Mal Powar, Senior Business Development Manager at Santander UK said:

“Congratulations to PocDoc, Peppermint Technology, Eden Futures and Blue Light Card on their outstanding achievements.

“This year’s winners demonstrate the exceptional talent and innovation that exists across the Midlands and East of England regions. At Santander, we remain deeply committed to championing the ambitions of UK businesses.

“As a proud supporting sponsor of the Vision 2025 Awards, we’re delighted to celebrate the remarkable achievements of high-growth companies backed by private equity investment.”
 

Steve Roest, Co-Founder and CEO of PocDoc said: 

“We’re thrilled to be recognised by the BVCA as the winner of the early-stage category for the Midlands & East. From the outset, our mission has been to empower people to detect and prevent chronic diseases quickly and easily, using their phone, to improve patient outcomes and relieve the burden on healthcare systems across the world.

“We’ve seen incredible growth over the past 12 months, and it’s been amazing to see the life-changing impact The Healthy Heart Check is having on individuals up and down the country. 

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2025 - and that’s all down to the hard work of the entire PocDoc team, the support of our NHS and pharmacy partners, and the loyal backing of our investors – MMC Ventures, Molten Ventures, KHP Ventures and SimplyHealth Ventures. Looking ahead, growth remains a major priority for us, and with several big projects in the pipeline, we’re excited about what the future holds.”
 

Bruce Macfarlane, Founder Partner of MMC Ventures said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see PocDoc win the BVCA Vision award for the Midlands & East – a well-deserved recognition for a team that is redefining preventative healthcare through cutting-edge digital diagnostics. From day one, PocDoc has combined world-class technology with a powerful mission to make vital health checks more accessible and affordable. This win is also a reminder that great businesses can scale and succeed from anywhere in the UK.”
 

Luke Smith, Head of Early Investing at Molten Ventures said:

“It’s fantastic to see PocDoc picking up the BVCA Vision award for Midlands & East. The recognition highlights the impressive progress Steve and the team have made in recent years, driven by their vision to use innovative tech to make diagnostics accessible for everyone. They've built something truly unique and gained strong traction quickly – this award is well-deserved acknowledgement of the entire team's hard work.”
 

Gary Young, Chief Executive at Peppermint Technology said:

“Thank you to the BVCA and judges for selecting Peppermint for this award. There were many factors in our success, but the real stars who made it happen were the Peppermint employees, who gave everything to the cause and over time, made Peppermint into a premier and internationally recognised legal tech SaaS business. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal and supportive customers, many of whom have been with us from the start. Finally, our partnership with SEP was collaborative, positive, supportive and key to our growth and success.”
 

Calum Paterson, Managing Partner at SEP said:

“We are delighted to see Peppermint win this BVCA Vision Award and for the company to be recognised under the scale-up category for the Midlands & East. We enjoyed a close partnership with the team at Peppermint, led by Gary Young and Niki Redwood, who did a fantastic job executing the growth strategy, and also the company’s founder, Arlene Adams. Having made strong commercial and financial progress, the recent acquisition by Litera recognises the significant value large law firms in the UK and North America derive from Peppermint’s platform.”
 

Helen Stokes, CEO, Eden Futures said:

“We are exceptionally proud to receive this award. It’s a meaningful recognition of the commitment and care we put into creating a workplace where our people truly come first. Everything we do is built around them – their wellbeing, development, and success. Our continued partnership with Sovereign has been instrumental in helping us turn our people-first vision into tangible outcomes. Their support has not only strengthened our approach but has also played a vital role in ensuring we grow in a way that is both sustainable and aligned with our values. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this achievement.”
 

Dominic Dalli, Managing Partner at Sovereign Capital Partners said:

“Eden Futures' BVCA Vision award win exemplifies how targeted investment and strategic partnership can drive meaningful social impact alongside commercial success. Since partnering with Eden, we've been impressed by their commitment to excellence in supporting vulnerable adults, and this recognition from the BVCA validates our shared vision for scaling high-quality care services that make a genuine difference in people's lives. Helen and the team continue to demonstrate how purpose-driven growth can create lasting value, and we remain committed to supporting her mission as Eden further expands its services.”
 

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.’’

Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact:
James Gribben, BVCA: [email protected]
 

About the British Private Equity and 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 almost 13,000 companies, employing more than 2.5 million people, are backed by private equity and venture capital investment in the UK.