BGF (Business Growth Fund) has expanded its team with the appointment of Paul Stevens, who joins from Octopus Investments.
Based in the London office, Stevens will focus on identifying investment opportunities in AIM listed companies as part of the BGF Quoted offering, which is led by Gavin Petken and Tom Jenkins and supported by BGF’s nationwide investment team.
Stevens has over 10 years’ experience investing in listed companies, having worked in the quoted smaller companies equities team at Octopus Investments, where he contributed to the outperformance of funds-under-management during that time.
Since its launch in 2014, BGF has invested GBP59m in 14 listed companies including carpet and floor covering manufacturer, Victoria, property services specialist, Styles & Wood, and most recently, corporate tax software provider Tax Systems.
With up to GBP2.5bn to invest, BGF provides listed companies with initial investments typically between GBP500,000 and GBP10m and can then invest follow-on funding to support further growth.
BGF was set up in 2011 to provide long-term, patient capital to small and mid-sized companies with headquarters in the UK. Over the past five years, BGF has invested GBP900m in nearly 130 companies.
Tom Jenkins, head of BGF Quoted, says: “We are delighted that Paul has joined the BGF Quoted team. His experience of working with listed businesses, and his relationships with NOMADS and advisors, will prove invaluable as we continue to increase the number of investments we make in smaller public companies.”
Stevens adds: “The fact that BGF has made 12 investments in AIM listed business so far this year is testament to attractiveness of its flexible long-term funding. I’m pleased to be joining the team as BGF continues to scale up its presence and operations among the listed community.”
