Active Partners, a consumer-focused investment firm, has held the final close of AP III, a GBP100 million fund focused on category-defining, high-growth consumer brands emerging from the UK and Europe.Active Partners invests in the iconic brands of tomorrow, backing outstanding businesses with exceptional levels of customer engagement that are poised for rapid growth. AP III will build on the firm’s success partnering with founders to build valuable, high-performing and sustainable businesses that consumers love.
The consumer market is undergoing a period of unprecedented change; unlike earlier generations who drew comfort from big brands, a new generation of consumer (Millennials and Gen Z – most of whom are true digital natives) are demanding authentic, purpose-led challenger brands. With technology enabling innovation and reach, these brands are able to scale at a remarkable pace, creating exceptional opportunities for ambitious entrepreneurs.
The Active Partners’ team is comprised of consumer specialists who invest with a long-term perspective and have an excellent track record in supporting brands through all stages of growth and global expansion. The team brings Active Partners’ collective knowledge, expertise and deep network within the consumer world to help realise the full potential of every brand and entrepreneur they back.
The portfolio of brands includes some of the most exciting consumer companies to emerge from the UK and Europe: category defining brands like Rapha, Soho House, LEON and Secret Cinema; and challenger brands in large markets ripe for disruption – brands like Northern Monk (craft beer), Finisterre (sustainable apparel), Cubitts (direct-to-consumer eyewear), Context (guided city experiences), and Honest Burgers (vertically-integrated premium burger restaurant).
“Today we see a real appetite for something new, and there’s never been a better time to invest in consumer businesses. We work with exceptional, innovative founders, whose brands delight an evolving consumer audience and who consistently outcompete. We get excited by brands people shout about and passionate teams with vision and energy. We’re thrilled to help bring these businesses to consumers globally, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s to come. It’s a truly exciting time,” says Spencer Skinner, Managing Partner at Active Partners.
