Best Private Equity Firms in the UK

United Kingdom Private Equity Firms & Investors

From London’s historic financial districts and Edinburgh’s heritage investment networks to Manchester’s growing commercial hubs and Birmingham’s industrial heartlands, private equity in the United Kingdom plays a defining role in how companies scale, restructure, and sustain long-term growth. While once concentrated in a handful of global finance cities, today’s UK private equity landscape spans regions and sectors, shaping businesses across technology, consumer, industrial, and sustainability-focused industries.

UK private equity firms no longer serve only as capital providers—they are strategic partners, offering fractional leadership, virtual advisory, and operational support for companies navigating complex markets, regulatory environments, and competitive pressures. The best firms combine deep sector expertise with collaborative leadership, helping founders and management teams create lasting value.

At Digital Reference, we look beyond fund size or deal volume. We care about who is behind the capital, how they make decisions, and how they support management teams over the long term. That’s why we spotlight private equity firms that align with our values of radical authenticity, transparency, and accountability, surfaced through video resumes and verified professional reference collection.

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🎡 Our Methodology: How These UK Private Equity Firms Were Selected

This is not a ranking, a directory scrape, or a sponsored list. Every firm featured here was selected through extensive research, qualitative evaluation, and cross-referencing of industry impact, portfolio support, and founder alignment.

We focused on firms that:

• Operate primarily in the UK with active engagement in domestic and regional markets
• Support businesses through outsourced, fractional, part-time, or virtual advisory models
• Demonstrate hands-on involvement beyond deploying capital

Evaluation criteria included:

🧠 Leadership-driven engagement with portfolio companies

🔍 Clear investment theses backed by measurable outcomes

🗣️ Transparent decision-making and communication

🎯 Ability to drive operational and strategic growth

🤝 Alignment with Digital Reference values: credibility, trust, and accountability

Each firm below reflects a unique approach to private equity, whether through sustainability-focused investments, consumer brand growth, operational excellence, or sector specialization.

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🌟 Featured UK Private Equity Firms & Investors

Beech Tree Private Equity

What they do:
Beech Tree Private Equity invests in growing businesses across consumer, industrial, and technology sectors, offering hands-on strategic and operational support.

Who they work with:
Founder-led and mid-market companies seeking structured growth and fractional operational leadership.

Operating model:
Partner-led with high-touch engagement, combining virtual advisory and in-person guidance.

💡 Why they stand out:

• 📈 Growth-oriented operational expertise
• 🤝 Close founder collaboration
• 🏢 Sector-focused investment strategies

Adam Rudd , Paul Franks and Andy Marsh — Managing Partners

Adam Rudd, Paul Franks, and Andy Marsh combine deep sector expertise, operational insight, and strategic capital experience to drive growth in mid-market UK businesses. Together, they guide portfolio companies through operational improvement, governance enhancement, and long-term value creation. Their collaborative leadership ensures that management teams receive hands-on support while maintaining transparent, founder-aligned partnerships. They are recognized for blending disciplined investment rigor with practical, on-the-ground guidance that scales businesses sustainably.

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Hypha Private Equity

What they do:
Hypha Private Equity specializes in growth-stage technology and industrial companies, providing operational expertise alongside capital.

Who they work with:
Founder-led businesses looking for strategic, fractional, and virtual guidance.

Operating model:
Founding partner–led, offering high-touch support with sector-specific insight.

💡 Why they stand out:

🧠 Deep sector expertise

📊 Strategic and operational guidance

🤝 Founder-focused partnership

Matthew Evans-Young, Matthew Pomroy and Chris Wardle — Founding Partners

Matthew Evans-Young, Matthew Pomroy, and Chris Wardle, bring complementary expertise in investment strategy, operational improvement, and sector-focused growth. Together, they guide portfolio companies through hands-on support, scalable systems, and long-term value creation. Their leadership emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and founder-aligned decision-making across diverse industries. They are recognized for combining strategic capital deployment with practical operational guidance to help businesses achieve sustainable growth.

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Dunedin Private Equity

What they do:
Dunedin Private Equity focuses on owner-managed and founder-led businesses, providing growth capital and operational guidance.

Who they work with:
Mid-market companies across technology, industrial, and service sectors.

Operating model:
Partner-led, combining fractional and virtual engagement with hands-on strategic support.

💡 Why they stand out:

🏢 Deep sector expertise

🤝 Founder-aligned partnership

📈 Operational improvement focus

Shaun Middleton — Managing Partner

Shaun Middleton brings extensive experience in driving growth and operational excellence across UK mid-market businesses. He is known for his hands-on leadership style, combining strategic insight with transparent, founder-focused partnership.

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NVM Private Equity LLP

What they do:
NVM Private Equity invests in owner-managed and founder-led businesses, emphasizing long-term growth, operational improvement, and strategic value creation.

Who they work with:
Small to mid-market companies seeking founder-aligned capital and operational support.

Operating model:
Co-founder-led firm with hands-on portfolio engagement and fractional advisory.

💡 Why they stand out:

📊 Long-term strategic focus

🤝 Close founder partnerships

⚙️ Operational improvement expertise

Tim Levett — Co-Founder & Chairman and Martin Green — Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Tim Levett and Martin Green, Co-Founders of NVM Private Equity, have built one of the UK’s long-standing regional investment platforms focused on supporting ambitious mid-market businesses. Tim brings visionary leadership and decades of experience championing growth capital outside London, while Martin contributes disciplined investment oversight and hands-on portfolio support as Managing Partner. Together, they emphasize partnership-driven investing, regional economic development, and sustainable long-term value creation.

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Private Equity Partners

What they do:
Private Equity Partners supports lower mid-market UK businesses with growth capital, strategic repositioning, and operational transformation.

Who they work with:
Entrepreneur-led and family-owned businesses seeking expansion capital, succession planning, or performance enhancement.

Operating model:
CEO-led private equity platform offering hands-on strategic oversight and long-term partnership.

💡 Why they stand out:
📈 Deep lower mid-market focus
🏗️ Operational transformation experience
🤝 Founder-aligned investment philosophy
📊 Strategic clarity in scaling businesses

Craig Heeley — CEO

Craig Heeley brings disciplined execution and strategic oversight to Private Equity Partners, guiding portfolio companies through structured growth phases with a clear operational roadmap. His leadership reflects a balance of commercial pragmatism and long-term partnership thinking, making him a steady hand for UK mid-market management teams navigating expansion and transition.

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Seligman Private Equity Select

What they do:
Seligman Private Equity Select provides curated access to private equity investment opportunities with a focus on disciplined selection and strategic diversification.

Who they work with:
Investors and partners seeking selective exposure to high-quality private equity opportunities.

Operating model:
Founder-led investment platform emphasizing selectivity, diligence, and investor alignment.

💡 Why they stand out:
🎯 Highly curated investment approach
🔎 Strong due diligence framework
📊 Risk-aware portfolio construction
🤝 Transparent communication

David Seligman — Founder and Owner

David Seligman is known for his methodical approach to private equity selection, prioritising disciplined evaluation over volume deployment. His leadership emphasizes transparency, investor education, and strategic clarity — qualities that resonate strongly in today’s cautious UK investment climate.

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Triple Private Equity

What they do:
Triple Private Equity invests in high-potential growth companies with a strong emphasis on operational performance and long-term value creation.

Who they work with:
Ambitious management teams scaling UK-based and European businesses.

Operating model:
Managing partner–led firm combining capital investment with strategic oversight and advisory engagement.

💡 Why they stand out:
🚀 Growth acceleration expertise
📊 Financial and operational rigor
🌍 Cross-border strategic perspective
🤝 Active partnership model

Mads Hansen — Managing & Founding Partner

Mads Hansen brings international investment experience and operational insight to Triple Private Equity, supporting management teams through complex growth trajectories. His leadership style is pragmatic and performance-focused, ensuring that capital deployment is paired with structured execution and measurable impact.

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Bestport Private Equity

What they do:
Bestport Private Equity focuses on growth-oriented industrial and consumer businesses, delivering hands-on guidance and strategic capital.

Who they work with:
Founder-led businesses seeking structured operational and financial support.

Operating model:
Founder-led, managing partner–driven firm with strong virtual and strategic advisory capabilities.

💡 Why they stand out:
⚙️ Operational improvement and growth strategies
🏢 Sector-focused industrial expertise
🤝 Transparent partnerships with management
📈 Strong emphasis on scalable systems

Ole Bettum and James Stoddart — Founders and Managing Partners

Ole Bettum and James Stoddart, Founders and Managing Partners of Bestport Private Equity, bring complementary expertise in international investment, operational oversight, and financial discipline. Together, they guide founder-led businesses through structured growth, professionalisation, and scalable operational strategies. Their leadership emphasizes transparency, long-term value creation, and close partnership with management teams.

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Bregal Private Equity Partners

What they do:
Bregal Private Equity Partners invests in mid-market companies across Europe and the UK, focusing on sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Who they work with:
Established businesses seeking structured expansion, professionalisation, and international scaling.

Operating model:
Managing partner–led private equity platform with cross-border reach and sector specialization.

💡 Why they stand out:
🌍 European and UK integration
📈 Long-term value orientation
🏢 Institutional discipline with entrepreneurial agility
🤝 Active board-level involvement

Jan Faber — Managing Partner

Jan Faber brings cross-border private equity experience and structured investment governance to Bregal’s UK strategy. His leadership reflects institutional rigor combined with growth-oriented pragmatism, supporting companies as they professionalize operations and expand internationally.

Forgepoint Capita

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What they do:
Forgepoint Capital is a global venture and growth equity firm focused exclusively on cybersecurity, infrastructure software, and AI-driven technologies, backing companies that secure the digital economy.

Who they work with:
Visionary founders building category-defining cybersecurity and infrastructure platforms serving enterprise and government markets.

Operating model:
Founder-led, thesis-driven investment platform with deep domain expertise and hands-on strategic engagement across the U.S. and Europe.

💡 Why they stand out:
🔐 Exclusive focus on cybersecurity and digital trust
🌍 Strong transatlantic presence with U.S. and European reach
🧠 Deep operator and security-domain expertise
🤝 Strategic enterprise and government network access

Alberto Yépez — Co-Founder and Managing Director

Alberto Yépez is a seasoned technology executive and investor with decades of experience scaling cybersecurity and enterprise software companies. As Co-Founder and Managing Director of Forgepoint Capital, he leverages his background as a former CEO and board leader to help founders navigate complex global markets, enterprise sales cycles, and strategic growth with discipline and long-term vision.

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Final Thoughts

The best private equity firms in the UK don’t just deploy capital—they shape businesses, leadership teams, and regional ecosystems. Across London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, and beyond, the firms highlighted here demonstrate that transparency, founder alignment, and operational support are not optional—they are essential.

For additional insights into professional services that complement private equity leadership, check out:

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• Best Bookkeeping Services in the UK
• Best Accounting Firms & Accounting Companies in the UK

At Digital Reference, we help investors, founders, and operators see leadership credibility clearly, using video resumes and verified professional reference collection. By making professional trust visible, we enable confident, data-driven decisions grounded in real experience and tangible outcomes.