British Business Investments commits €27m to Bootstrap Europe II

British Business Investments, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, has committed €27 million to Bootstrap Europe II.

Bootstrap Europe II invests venture debt with a focus on high growth technology companies, with the objective to be a stable source of capital for the next generation of innovators. The fund aims to provide successful entrepreneurs and their investors with less dilutive funding to help them grow quickly, and scale without giving up significant equity stakes in their business.

The Bootstrap Europe II team has supported entrepreneurs and their investors in more than 230 transactions. The fund includes some of the Britain’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Businesses[1] in sectors such as smart cities, IoT, circular economy, material sciences, power electronics and cutting edge B2B software technology.

Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO, British Business Investments: “Our role is to increase the overall supply and variation of finance in terms of both product and provider, on offer to UK businesses. Venture debt is an important funding option for innovative businesses that want to scale rapidly, without relinquishing control. Bootstrap’s investment strategy is therefore well aligned with British Business Investments objectives.”

The Bootstrap Europe II team has identified that in the UK and Europe, there is a significant funding gap for scale-up companies which, having reached sufficient maturity, prefer alternative funding, alongside equity.

Stephanie Heller, Managing Partner, Bootstrap Europe: “We are delighted to have British Business Investments as a long-term partner. In US venture capital, for every $10 raised in equity, $1.5 is invested in non-dilutive financing. It is time to bridge the financing gap in Europe and to support entrepreneurs in a meaningful way.”

www.bbinv.co.uk
www.bootstrap-europe.com