The Irish branch of equity investor BGF has opened an office on Lapps Quay in Cork with a view to investing in Munster businesses.

BGF was established in Britain in 2011 and set up in Ireland in 2017.  In 2019 the company completed three investments in Irish businesses, with a total of €20m invested in Brindley Healthcare, a nursing home group, Winterbrook, an established house builder, and Team Accessories, a specialist aerospace engineering business.  

The company says it is in discussions with several companies in the Munster region with an eye to investment. BGF makes equity investments of between €1m and €10m, with further funding available to recipient companies, and says it has €250m available for immediate investment.

Chief executive Stephen Welton said: “Our business in Ireland has made huge progress over the past two years and we are delighted now to open a second office here in Cork.  The Munster region has some outstanding companies and we are able to support them to achieve their growth ambitions.”

Ireland director Leo Casey added: “We plan to open a number of offices around the country, and Cork was the perfect location for our second opening. We have a strong Cork presence on our Irish team and everyone knows that the city and region have a thriving business community.  We look forward to investing in some of the region’s most exciting businesses.”

In Association with

Welton added that BGF has invested in c.300 businesses, including technology companies, manufacturers, recycling firms, house-builders, healthcare businesses, retail chains and more. “These businesses collectively generate revenue of over €7 billion and employ more than 48,000 people,” he said.

BGF hhas received invsestment from taxpayers through ISIF, the Ireland Strategeic Investment Fund.

Photo: Stephen Welton (centre) and Leo Casey (right) with Eugene O’Callaghan of the Ireland Strategic Infrastructure Fund.