• Operated by the British Business Bank, the £130 million Investment Fund for Wales provides a mix of debt and equity funding, helping a range of small and medium sized businesses in Wales to start up, scale up or stay ahead
• Foresight Group, one of the UK’s most active regional SME investors, has been chosen to manage the £50 million equity finance fund, providing equity investments from £250,000 to £5 million to Welsh companies

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23 November 2023, Cardiff: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), a leading listed private equity and infrastructure investment manager, has announced it will manage a £50 million equity fund for the Investment Fund for Wales (“IFW”), the IFW – Foresight Equity Finance (“the Fund”).

Operated by the British Business Bank (“BBB”), the £130 million IFW will provide loans from £25,000 to £2 million, and equity investment from £250,000 to £5 million to fund a range of small and medium sized businesses across Wales to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

This is the second fund Foresight Private Equity has announced in 2023 and is the second time Foresight has been appointed as Fund Manager by the BBB. In 2018, Foresight was appointed as Fund Manager to the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”), a £250 million initiative launched by the BBB to support SME growth across the Midlands.

Foresight is dedicated to investing in local economies and enabling them to thrive, having already launched 12 funds dedicated to particular regions across the UK and Ireland, creating thousands of high-quality, local jobs. For IFW, Foresight will replicate the successful strategy it has deployed elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.

IFW – Foresight Equity Finance will be managed by Foresight’s team based in Cardiff, supported by Foresight’s wider Private Equity team which is made up of over 50 investment professionals, based across its office network located in the UK and Ireland. The Fund will be sector agnostic providing equity investments from £250,000 to £5 million to SMEs across Wales.

Claire Alvarez, Parter at Foresight Group, commented: “We are delighted to announce IFW – Foresight Equity Finance, a £50 million equity fund dedicated to Wales. This is the second time we have been appointed as Fund Manager to the BBB and we are pleased to continue working alongside the BBB to help plug the funding gap for the provision of capital to SMEs.

“We look forward to supporting a range of promising companies across Wales to achieve their growth ambitions, make a positive impact in their local areas and create high-quality, local jobs.”

John Cordrey, Principal at Foresight Group, added: “We believe there is a thriving business advisory community and growing business ecosystem in Wales and are pleased to officially launch here. We continue to see promising businesses across all regions in Wales and look forward to supporting Welsh SMEs to grow, innovate and achieve their business ambitions.”

The purpose of IFW is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across Wales. IFW will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in Wales, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.

Foresight provides more than investment and partners with promising SMEs – across all sectors and transaction types - to enable founders and management teams to achieve their business ambitions. By providing operational insight, guidance, expertise and connections, Foresight enables SMEs to achieve their vision, positively impact their local areas and create high-quality, local jobs. It is one of the most active investors in SMEs in the UK and Ireland; so far in 2023, Foresight’s Private Equity division has made over 50 investments.

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Lucy Sherwood: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100

Chris Barry: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

Notes to Editors

About Foresight Group

Foresight Group was founded in 1984 and is a leading listed infrastructure and private equity investment manager. With a long-established focus on ESG and sustainability-led strategies, it aims to provide attractive returns to its institutional and private investors from hard-to-access private markets. Foresight manages over 400 infrastructure assets with a focus on solar and onshore wind assets, bioenergy and waste, as well as renewable energy enabling projects, energy efficiency management solutions, social and core infrastructure projects and sustainable forestry assets. Its private equity team manages 13 regionally focused investment funds across the UK and an SME impact fund supporting Irish SMEs. This team reviews over 2,500 business plans each year and currently supports more than 250 investments in SMEs. Foresight Capital Management manages four strategies across seven investment vehicles.

Foresight operates in eight countries across Europe, Australia and United States with AUM of £12 billion. Foresight Group Holdings Limited listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in February 2021 and is a constituent of the FTSE250 index.

https://www.foresightgroup.eu/shareholders

About the Investment fund for Wales

• Operated by the British Business Bank, the IFW provides a mix of debt and equity funding. IFW will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the in-region small business finance ecosystem, including local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support Wales’s smaller businesses at all stages of their development investmentfundwales.co.uk
• The funds in which the IFW invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations across the whole of Wales
• Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government
• Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• For investment by NRIL at the sub-fund level the investment from the Nations and Regions Investments Limited into [.] does not amount to any endorsement or warranty from Nations and Regions Investments Limited, the British Business Bank plc or the government of the United Kingdom
• For investment by IFW sub-fund at the investee company level the investment from The Investment fund for Walesinto [.] does not amount to any endorsement or warranty from Nations and Regions Investments Limited, the British Business Bank plc or the government of the United Kingdom

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• Mae Cronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru £130 miliwn Banc Busnes Prydain yn cynnig cymysgedd o gyllid dyled ac ecwiti, gan helpu amrywiaeth o fusnesau bach a chanolig yng Nghymru i gychwyn, tyfu neu aros ar y blaen
• Dewisiwyd Foresight Group, un o fuddsoddwyr rhanbarthol mwyaf gweithgar y DU mewn BBaCh, i reoli’r gronfa cyllid ecwiti gwerth £50 miliwn, a fydd yn darparu buddsoddiadau ecwiti rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn ar gyfer cwmnïau Cymreig.

Cliciwch yma i weld y fersiwn PDF.

23 Tachwedd 2023, Caerdydd: Mae Foresight Group (“Foresight”), rheolwr buddsoddiadau ecwiti preifat a seilwaith rhestredig blaenllaw, wedi cyhoeddi y bydd yn rheoli cronfa ecwiti o £50 miliwn ar gyfer y Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru (“IFW”), sef IFW - Foresight Equity Finance (“y Gronfa”).

Bydd yr IFW o £130 miliwn, a gaiff ei weithredu gan Fanc Busnes Prydain (“BBB”), yn darparu benthyciadau o rhwng £25,000 a  £2 filiwn, a buddsoddiadau ecwiti rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn i gynorthwyo amrywiaeth o fusnesau bach a chanolig ar draws Cymru i gychwyn, datblygu neu aros ar y blaen.

Dyma’r ail gronfa i Foresight Private Equity ei chyhoeddi yn 2023, a’r ail dro i BBB benodi Foresight yn Rheolwr Cronfa. Yn 2018, penodwyd Foresight yn Rheolwr Cronfa ar gyfer Cronfa Buddsoddi Injan Canolbarth Lloegr (“MEIF”, menter gwerth £250 miliwn a lansiwyd gan BBB i gynorthwyo twf BBaCh ar draws canolbarth Lloegr.

Mae Foresight wedi ymrwymo i fuddsoddi mewn economïau lleol a chaniatáu iddynt lewyrchu, ac mae’r cwmni eisoes wedi lansio 12 cronfa ar gyfer rhanbarthau penodol ar draws y DU ac Iwerddon, gan greu miloedd o swyddi lleol o safon uchel. Yn achos IFW, bydd Foresight yn efelychu’r strategaeth lwyddiannus y mae hi wedi ei defnyddio eisoes mewn rhannau eraill o’r DU ac Iwerddon.

Caiff IFW - Foresight Equity Finance ei reoli gan dîm Foresight yng Nghaerdydd, a’i gynorthwyo gan dîm Ecwiti Preifat ehangach Foresight, sy’n cynnwys dros 50 o broffesiynolion buddsoddi ar draws ei rwydwaith o swyddfeydd yn y DU ac Iwerddon. Bydd y Gronfa’n agored i bob sector, gan ddarparu buddsoddiadau ecwiti o rhwng £250,000 a £5 miliwn ar gyfer BBaCh ar draws Cymru.

Dywedodd Claire Alvarez, sy’n Bartner yn Foresight Group: “Rydyn ni wrth ein bodd i gyhoeddi IFW - Foresight Equity Finance, cronfa ecwiti £50 miliwn yn benodol i Gymru. Dyma’r ail dro i BBB ein penodi ni’n Rheolwr Cronfa, ac rydyn ni’n falch o allu parhau i weithio ochr yn ochr â BBB er mwyn helpu i gau’r blwch ariannu wrth ddarparu cyllid cyfalaf i BBaCh.

“Rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at gynorthwyo amrywiaeth o gwmnïau addawol ar draws Cymru i gyflawni eu huchelgeisiau o ran twf, cael effaith gadarnhaol ar eu milltir sgwâr, a chreu swyddi lleol o safon uchel.”

Dywedodd John Crodrey, Pennaeth Foresight Group:“Rydyn ni’n credu bod yna gymuned lewyrchus o gynghorwyr busnes ac ecosystem o fusnesau sydd ar dwf yng Nghymru, ac rydyn ni’n falch o gael lansio yma’n swyddogol. Rydyn ni’n parhau i weld busnesau addawol ar draws pob rhanbarth yng Nghymru, ac rydyn ni’n edrych ymlaen at gael cynorthwyo BBaCh Cymru i dyfu, arloesi a chyflawni eu huchelgeisiau fel busnes.”

Nod IFW yw gyrru twf economaidd trwy gynorthwyo arloesi a chreu cyfleoedd lleol ar gyfer busnesau newydd a’r rhai sydd ar dwf ar draws Cymru. Bydd IFW yn cynyddu’r cyflenwad a’r amrywiaeth o gyllid cyfnod cynnar sydd ar gael i fusnesau llai ar draws Cymru, gan ddarparu cyllid ar gyfer busnesau na fyddai’n derbyn buddsoddiad fel arall o bosibl, ac yn helpu i chwalu’r rhwystrau i gael cyllid.

Mae Foresight yn darparu mwy na dim ond buddsoddiad, ac mae’n gweithio mewn partneriaeth â BBaCh addawol - ar draws pob sector a phob math o drafodion - er mwyn caniatáu i’r sylfaenwyr a’r timau rheoli gyflawni eu huchelgeisiau busnes. Trwy gynnig dirnadaeth weithredol, arweiniad, arbenigedd a chysylltiadau, mae Foresight yn caniatáu i BBaCh gyflawni eu gweledigaeth, cael effaith gadarnhaol ar eu milltir sgwâr a chreu swyddi lleol o safon uchel. Y cwmni yw un o’r buddsoddwyr mwyaf gweithgar mewn BBaCh yn y DU ac Iwerddon; hyd yn hyn yn 2023 mae adran Ecwiti Preifat Foresight wedi cyflawni mwy na 50 o fuddsoddiadau.

DIWEDD

Am fanylion pellach, cysylltwch â:

Lucy Sherwood: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100

Chris Barry: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

Nodiadau i Olygyddion

Am Foresight Group

Sefydlwyd Foresight Group ym 1984 ac mae’n rheolwyr buddsoddiadau seilwaith a buddsoddiadau ecwiti preifat rhestredig blaengar. Gyda ffocws hirsefydlog ar strategaethau ESG ac sy’n seiliedig ar gynaliadwyedd, ei nod yw darparu elw deniadol ar gyfer ei fuddsoddwyr sefydliadol a phreifat o farchnadoedd preifat sy’n anodd eu cyrchu. Mae Foresight yn rheoli mwy na 400 o asedau seilwaith gyda ffocws ar asedau ynni solar a gwynt ar y tir, bioynni a gwastraff, yn ogystal â phrosiectau sy’n hwyluso ynni adnewyddadwy, atebion rheoli effeithlonrwydd ynni, prosiectau seilwaith cymdeithasol a chraidd, ac asedau coedwigaeth cynaliadwy. Mae ei dîm ecwiti preifat yn rheoli 13 cronfa fuddsoddi â ffocws rhanbarthol ar draws y DU, a chronfa effaith BBaCh sy’n cynorthwyo BBaCh Iwerddon. Mae’r tîm yn adolygu dros 2,500 o gynlluniau busnes bob blwyddyn, ac ar hyn o bryd mae’n cynorthwyo dros 250 o fuddsoddiadau mewn BBaCh. Mae Foresight Capital Management yn rheoli pedair strategaeth ar draws saith cyfrwng buddsoddi.

Mae Foresight yn gweithredu mewn wyth gwlad ar draws Ewrop, Awstralia a’r Unol Daleithiau gydag AUM o £12 biliwn. Rhestrwyd Foresight Group Holdings Limited ar Brif Farchnad Cyfnewidfa Stoc Llundain yn Chwefror 2021, ac mae’n rhan o fynegai FTSE250.

https://www.foresightgroup.eu/shareholders

Am y Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru

• Dan adain Banc Busnes Prydain, mae’r IFW yn darparu cymysgedd o gyllid ariannu dyled ac ecwiti. Bydd IFW yn cynnig amrywiaeth o opsiynau cyllid masnachol gyda Benthyciadau Llai o rhwng £25k a £100k, cyllid ariannu dyled rhwng £100k a £2m, a chyllid ecwiti o hyd at £5 miliwn. Mae’n gweithio ochr yn ochr â’r ecosystem cyllid busnesau bach rhanbarthol, gan gynnwys canolwyr lleol fel cyfrifwyr, rheolwyr cronfeydd a banciau, er mwyn cynorthwyo busnesau llai Cymru ar bob cam yn eu datblygiad investmentfundwales.co.uk
• Mae’r cronfeydd y mae’r IFW yn buddsoddi ynddynt yn agored i fusnesau sy’n gweithredu’n faterol, neu sy’n bwriadu gweithredu’n faterol ar draws Cymru gyfan.
• Gyda chefnogaeth Nations and Regions Investment Limited, un o is-gwmnïau British Business Bank Plc, mae’r Banc yn fanc datblygu sy’n llwyr eiddo i Lywodraeth EF
• Nid yw Nations and Regions Investment Limited na British Business Bank plc dan awdurdodaeth nac wedi eu rheoleiddo gan yr Awdurdod Rheoleiddio Darbodus (PRA) na’r Awdurdod Ymddygiad Ariannol (FCA)
• O ran buddsoddiad NRIL ar lefel is-gronfa, nid yw’r buddsoddiad gan Nations and Regions Investments Limited i [.] gyfystyr unrhyw ardystiad neu warant gan Nations and Regions Investments Limited, British Business Bank plc na llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.
• O ran buddsoddiad gan is-gronfa IFW ar lefel cwmni’r buddsoddai, nid yw’r buddsoddiad gan y Gronfa Buddsoddi i Gymru i [.] gyfystyr ag ardystiad neu warant gan Nations and Regions Investments Limited, British Business Bank plc na llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig.