Patient, flexible capital for social impact businesses
Bridges partners with ambitious, impact-led businesses that are delivering positive, measurable social outcomes for vulnerable groups in the UK.
Bridges partners with ambitious, impact-led businesses that are delivering positive, measurable social outcomes for vulnerable groups in the UK.
Business can be a powerful engine for delivering better social outcomes. By broadening access to essential goods and services, it can promote inclusion, create economic opportunity, and reduce inequality. However, impact-led businesses with ambitions to scale often struggle to find a values-aligned investment partner to support their growth.
Bridges seeks to partner with scalable, profitable, cash-generative businesses that have a compelling impact thesis and a high-quality, values-driven management team. Our flexible capital, value creation focus and dedicated impact management support enables these companies to accelerate their growth and deliver better outcomes for key stakeholders.
“There are some key areas where impact-led business can play an important role in delivering better social outcomes – but at the moment, companies tackling these challenges find it hard to access the values-aligned capital and support they need to scale. Because of our flexible, more patient approach, and because we share their ambition to achieve better outcomes for disadvantaged groups, Bridges can be the investment partner of choice for these businesses.”
Emma Thorne, Head of Inclusive Growth
Get in touchWhat we look for
- Growing, cash-generative businesses delivering positive, measurable social outcomes for vulnerable groups in the UK
- A clear positive correlation between impact outcomes and financial performance
- A strong, mission-driven management team looking for an aligned partner to help scale their business
What we offer
- £5m-£20m equity investment to fund organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and/or a change of ownership (MBOs/MBIs)
- A flexible approach to deal structure
- Hands-on support from a values-aligned investment team with collective decades of experience scaling businesses
- World-leading expertise in measuring and improving outcomes through our close collaboration with Bridges Outcomes Partnerships
- Dedicated value creation and impact management support via our in-house team
- Access to a broad network of business and sector experts
“New Reflexions’ philosophy is that if we take a child in, we never end a placement. With the continued support of Bridges, we aim to continue opening small, bespoke children’s homes and small, bespoke residential schools – and keep on with our philosophy to get the best outcomes for these kids.”
Case Study: AgilityEco
AgilityEco is a pioneering home decarbonisation platform on a mission to eliminate fuel poverty. Its energy efficiency services, delivered through a network of trusted partners, are achieving better outcomes for vulnerable families while also preparing Britain’s homes for Net Zero.
During Bridges’ investment period (2019-2023), AgilityEco worked with more than 200,000 fuel-poor households – increasing turnover more than threefold, to well over £100m, while doubling its number of employees. On average, its energy-efficiency measures save customers about £2,600 in lifetime energy bills, and avert more than than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum.