What we’re about

As a certified B Corp, and the most active equity investor in Ireland and the UK, we are dedicated to supporting good growth in entrepreneurial businesses.

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Backed by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank, we have €250m to invest in private SMEs across the country. We aim to support a large, diverse portfolio of businesses to fulfil their growth ambitions, while contributing to the economic resilience of Ireland.
  • Impact in numbers

    BGF was first set up in 2011, to address the UK’s SME funding gap, before launching BGF Ireland six years later. Taken together, our portfolio covers every region of Ireland and the UK.

  • Coins icon

    £4bn+

    Invested in UK&I

  • Handshake icon

    600+

    Businesses backed

  • Exit icon

    200+

    Exits completed

Working together to create value

We provide businesses with an initial investment of €2m-€20m,
in exchange for a minority shareholding. We also have the ability to deploy follow-on funding for further growth opportunities. Alongside this, we offer additional scaleup support to our portfolio, in the form of:

  • Exclusive events and workshops that give you the tools to successfully scale your business
  • Introductions to experienced board members, plus our global network of business leaders and sector specialists
  • Opportunities to connect with and learn from hundreds of other BGF-backed businesses, in Ireland and the UK

 

In doing so, we aim to add value beyond our investments, without taking control.

Meet the  team

Based out of Dublin and Cork, our Irish team has a proven track record of working alongside founders to grow their businesses, bringing extensive industry knowledge and multi-sector expertise.

Leo Casey

Leo Casey LinkedIn

Head of BGF Ireland

As Head of BGF in the Republic of Ireland, Leo leads our Dublin and Cork teams, and is responsible for identifying, investing in, and supporting SMEs across the country. Leo joined BGF from IBI Corporate Finance, where was a director and board member. He has extensive knowledge and experience of helping businesses unlock value in the Irish mid-market.

Adam Crinion

Adam Crinion LinkedIn

Investor

With over a decade of private equity experience, Adam’s responsible for all aspects of the investment process at BGF, including deal sourcing, execution, and portfolio management. Throughout his career, he’s been involved in over 30 deals, previously holding roles at Waterland Private Equity, Melior Equity Partners, The Carlyle Group, and Lonsdale Capital Partners.

Aoife McAdam

Aoife McAdam LinkedIn

Investor

Based in our Dublin office, Aoife drives deal origination opportunities for BGF across the whole of the Irish market. Prior to joining, Aoife worked with KPMG’s deal advisory team, where she focused on managing and executing restructuring scenarios across a wide range of industries for small and medium-sized Irish businesses.

Donagh Rice

Donagh Rice LinkedIn

Investor

Donagh joined our Dublin investment team through the BGF Graduate Programme, having received a first class honours in BSc. Finance from University College Cork (UCC). He supports the team across all areas of the investment process. Prior to BGF, Donagh held roles in equity and macro research for UCC’s student managed fund.

Joe Higgins

Joe Higgins LinkedIn

Investor

Based across our Dublin and Cork offices, Joe focuses on identifying and executing new deals. Prior to BGF, he spent several years in leveraged finance, corporate banking and restructuring at AIB, before working at MML Capital Partners and, more recently, as an investment director at BMS Finance, providing direct lending to Irish SMEs.

Lauren Sharpe

Lauren Sharpe LinkedIn

Investor

Having joined the team in 2021, Lauren has a strong track record of identifying and executing investments in ambitious Irish businesses. Prior to BGF, she spent over a decade working in corporate finance at KPMG. During this time, Lauren focused on (equity and debt) fundraising and M&A across Ireland, the UK and the US.

MJ Murphy

MJ Murphy LinkedIn

Investor

At BGF, MJ sources and executes new Irish investments, supporting management teams on their growth journeys through to exit. Before this, he worked at KPMG in Dublin and, more recently, at finnCap Cavendish in London, where he was a senior associate in private M&A advisory (focused on the technology sector, alongside healthcare and financial services).

Andy Gregory

Andy Gregory LinkedIn

Chief Executive Officer

Andy is CEO of BGF in the UK and Ireland. He is also a member of our Board and Chair of the BGF Foundation. Andy has 30+ years of experience across private equity, acquisition finance and corporate finance. Before BGF, he worked in the Manchester offices of Livingbridge, Royal Bank Development Capital and Bridgepoint, and as the finance director of a PE-backed software company.

Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor LinkedIn

Head of Growth

Richard leads BGF’s Growth investment team across all regions of the UK and Ireland, and is a member of our Investment Committee. Prior to joining BGF, Richard held roles at YFM Equity Partners, Octopus Private Equity and Sovereign Capital, investing in a number of owner managed businesses during this time.

Dublin

60 Fitzwilliam Square North,
Dublin 2, D02 FK58

+353 1 588 2490

Cork

Glandore, City Quarter,
Lapp’s Quay, Cork, T12 Y3ET

+353 21 212 9920

United Kingdom

Visit the BGF UK site to explore our other offices.