“Private equity is medium to long-term finance provided in return for an equity stake in potentially high-growth unquoted companies. Private equity investments typically support management buyouts and managing buy-ins in mature companies, as opposed to venture capital which provides funding for early-stage and younger companies.”
“Venture capital (VC) is a form of investment for early-stage, innovative businesses with strong growth potential. Venture capital provides finance and operational expertise for entrepreneurs and start-up companies, typically, although not exclusively, in technology-based sectors such as ICT, Life Sciences or Fintech.” British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA)
For more information on venture capital go to our Venture Capital blog and also see our blogs on Crowdfunding / Business Start-Up Funding.
The BVCA says that 2,980 companies are currently backed by UK private equity and venture capital and 385,000 people are employed in the UK by companies backed by private equity and venture capital. So it is a major contributor to the UK’s business sector.
Other BVCA statistics that underpin the importance of private equity and venture capital include:
“The BVCA is the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity and venture capital industry in the UK. With a membership of over 450 firms, the BVCA represents the vast majority of all UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisors.” BVCA website
See also our Help Desks on: Crowdfunding / Business Start-Up Funding / Venture Capital
“Private equity companies invest in established companies that are planning to grow significantly. They will want a large share of the business, often enough to have control. They will introduce operational structures and improvements and expect a place on the board.” DFID
Private Equity Explained– BVCA
Private Equity FAQs– with help from the BVCA
Qu: What is private equity?
Ans: Private equity is finance provided in return for an equity stake in potentially high growth companies. However, instead of going to the stock market and selling shares to raise capital, private equity firms raise funds from institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, and high net worth individuals. Private equity firms use these funds, along with borrowed money and their own commercial acumen, to help build and invest in companies that have the potential for high growth.
It backs, or has backed, companies in a range of different sectors, such as consumer brands like Boots, DFS and Poundland, to leading market names including ASCO, Allied Glass and Palletways.
Qu: What is the difference between private equity and venture capital?
Ans: Venture capital refers to funds used to invest in companies in the seed (concept), start-up (within three years of the company’s establishment) and early stages of development. In turn, private equity denotes management buyouts and buy-ins.
In general venture capital funds invest in companies at an early stage in their development when they often have little track record of profitability and are cash-hungry. In contrast, private equity funds invest in more mature companies with the aim of reducing inefficiencies and driving business growth through often increased margins and/or new sources of revenue growth.
Qu: Why is private equity a better model of ownership compared with publicly traded companies?
Ans: As soon as a private equity house completes an investment, often before, it will sit down with the company’s management team and work out the best strategy to take the business forward and drive growth. This method of working side by side – of private equity backer sitting down with management – is fundamental to why private equity is such a successful way of building a business.
This ‘active ownership’ stands in contrast to public companies, where there are often hundreds or thousands of different shareholders. In private equity, the investors will generally own a controlling stake and are directly involved in the running of the business. A plan may include seeking out and entering new markets for growth, product development and innovation, training of management teams, improving procurement and the efficiency of supply chains, making acquisitions, strengthening financial controls and operating systems and preparing a company for exit.
By having a much shorter reporting line between investor and company management team, it ensures the interests of the two are very much aligned. Both the private equity house and the management team are motivated by the same goal – to increase the value of the business. By keeping the reporting lines short, private equity has a strong incentive to be actively engaged in the running of a company.
Qu: What does a private equity investor look for when making an investment?
Ans: The ultimate aim of private equity investors is to create value. As such, they look for high quality management teams with a credible plan to grow their business. Private equity investors are long-term investors and work with the company’s management to improve the company’s performance and strategic direction by aligning incentives, improving business plans, making operational improvements and strengthening corporate governance. With this mentality to buy and help build, coupled with a disciplined approach to organisational governance, private equity investors display a nimbleness and adaptability that raises the value of their investment and ensures that value can be realised in the future.
Qu: Why would a company want private equity investment?
Ans: The attraction of private equity investment to a company and to the management is the opportunity for managers to own a significant portion of their business. Aligned interests between the managers and the investors fosters the sense of ownership that is central to the concept of private equity investment. Besides the infusion of capital, companies also benefit from the experience and insight that fund managers bring to the board room.
Qu: How do private equity firms add value?
Ans: Private equity adds value to a company in a variety of ways. Thorough due diligence sheds light on a company’s strengths and weaknesses alike, and with it comes a sound initial investment rationale. By targeting growth sectors and new markets, private equity investors can focus on creating better revenue generation and implementing programmes that yield operational efficiencies. In addition to cost reduction, organic growth is now increasing in importance as growth by acquisition is becoming relatively harder to undertake.
It is also critical to establish a structure in which both investors and business managers share a common ownership vision, and are motivated to maximise value. Active ownership, effective organisational change and powerful incentive schemes are all part and parcel to the hands-on governance model that includes constant and keen oversight, defined goals and timing, disciplined decision-making and deep resources to match. Ultimately, this approach leads companies owned by private equity to outperform similar publicly-owned companies with relative benchmarks.
Qu: Who invests in private equity?
Ans: Private equity funds raise money from institutional investors from across the world. This can include international pension funds, sovereign wealth funds or insurance companies, to local authority pension schemes, family offices or university endowments.
Pensions and other institutional investors invest in private equity because they want their investments to outperform the public markets, which it consistently does. Private equity returns were almost double that of UK pension funds and the FTSE All-Share over the last decade according to recent BVCA statistics.
Qu: How is the private equity industry regulated?
Ans: All private equity and venture capital firms in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The industry set up an additional self-regulatory regime in November 2007, in response to the increased demands of its investors and the self-recognition of the industry for it to do more. The Guidelines for Disclosure and Transparency in Private Equity and the supporting Private Equity Reporting Group (PERG) provide a set of rules and established oversight and disclosure comparable to those faced by FTSE 350 companies.
Qu: What is the difference between private equity funds and hedge funds?
Ans: Generally private equity seeks to create value over the long-term, whereas hedge funds have a shorter horizon more in line with movements in the stock markets. Private equity investors usually buy and own all of a company and so have a strict alignment of interests with the managers of the company – this ensures the investors and the company achieve its growth potential over time and indeed they only succeed if the company does well and their investment can be realised.
Hedge funds are pools of capital that invest in stocks, bonds or commodities and do not usually purchase a controlling interest in a company. Hedge funds try to capitalise on short-term market movements, using complex trading strategies involving options, derivatives and other financial instruments. In some cases, hedge funds bet against the shares of the companies they do not own (i.e. short selling), hoping to profit from falling prices.
Guide to Private Equity– BVCA
Demystifying Private Equity– ICAEW
Responsible Investment– BVCA
See how its done in north America (and also generally around the world including the UK)
“Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) is a leading global provider of online financial modeling and valuation courses for financial analysts. In 2017, CFI’s programs and certifications were delivered to 43,188 individuals at top universities, investment banks, accounting firms and operating companies around the world.”
They’re Canadian, (but then so is the Governor of the Bank of England), and they give a good overall idea of what to expect and read CFI’s Terms of Use
Angel investors are individuals who invest in early stage or start-up companies. They usually invest their own money so are prepared to take more risks. They are often successful entrepreneurs who can offer business connections and advice.
Venture capital companies invest other people’s money so usually want a proven investment. They invest at different stages in a company’s growth with more money being available for larger companies.
Corporate venture capital is similar except the investor will be an established company looking to invest its own money. They tend to invest in a start-up in the same industry as a way to keep ahead of industry developments.
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