BGF, the independent company established to help Britain’s growing businesses, has promoted two members of its West-based investment team.
Ned Dorbin has been promoted to investment director and Edwin Davies to investment manager. The BGF investment team in Bristol, which covers the South West of England and South Wales and is led by regional director Paul Oldham, includes seven people.
BGF has invested around £33m of growth capital in seven businesses based across the South West and South Wales: Benefex, Bullitt, Magma Global, Primrose, SHS, Sub 10 and Trunki. 
BGF chief executive Stephen Welton said: “Our people are our greatest asset and developing a strong regional network of talent across the UK is one of the greatest achievements that BGF has made since it formed in 2011.
“Although we are still a relatively new business, we have a major role to play in revitalising the growth capital industry and helping entrepreneurial companies across the UK – and our investment team is absolutely critical to attaining that goal.”
Paul Oldham added: “As growth capital investors, we work with a range of very different businesses drawn from varied sectors, each facing different challenges and opportunities.
“It is therefore vital that we offer our own people the opportunity to expand their own experience and develop as investors, and these promotions reflect this. I’d like to congratulate both Ned and Edwin on their promotions and thank them for their active contribution to our investment activity to date in the South West and South Wales.
“2014 is shaping up to be an exciting year for all of us at BGF and the outlook for South West and South Wales is no exception.
“We now have a broad-based portfolio of businesses from a wide range of sectors, each successfully using growth capital to fulfil their potential. We also believe that there are many more businesses out there that are ready to capitalise on an improving economy, given the right backing and support. Our team is very much focussed on identifying and working with these businesses to create an even more dynamic culture of entrepreneurship in the South West of England and South Wales.”
BGF invests between £2m and £10m in businesses turning over between £5m and £100m in return for a minority equity stake and a seat on the board for a BGF director.
It has access to capital of up to £2.5bn, backed by five of the UK’s main banking groups – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS, and Standard Chartered. BGF is managed completely autonomously with an independent management team.
