British Business Bank launches £210M fund for South East SMEs
What's the deal? The British Business Bank has launched a £210 million South East Investment Fund to back small and medium-sized businesses across the region. It offers loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments of up to £5 million to help firms start, scale, and grow.
Where does it reach? The fund covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. The FSE GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → will manage debt finance, while Maven Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → handles equity investment.
Why now? The launch, alongside a forthcoming East of England Investment Fund later this month, means the British Business Bank now delivers targeted finance across every UK nation and region outside London.
What's the endgame? The South East is home to 17% of the UK's university spinouts, second only to London, but drew just 5% of national equity investment by value last year. The fund aims to bridge academic innovation and market deployment.
The fund has already made its first move: a £250,000 loan to Basingstoke technology company Process VisionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, backing its commercial growth and international expansion.
"The South East of England is home to some of the UK's most innovative technological and scientific businesses and this fund will ensure that businesses have local access to the finance they need to grow, scale and expand," said David Hourican, incoming interim chief executive officer of the British Business Bank.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds added: "We are determined not to let access to investment be a barrier to success for businesses in the South East."
The signal: With regional funds now covering every UK area outside London, the British Business Bank is pushing to close persistent gaps in access to finance beyond the capital.
Read more: businesscloud.co.uk
Image credit: SLR Jester
