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On 4 March, ICG hosted and sponsored an International Women’s Day reception in their London office, as part of UK Private Capital’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) series. Suzi Gillespie, UK Private Capital’s Head of Research, reflects on the conversation and how private capital businesses can build inclusive workplaces.

In a new report about diversity within Limited Partners (LPs), UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA) calls on LPs to ensure they are developing the most effective talent within their teams by supporting and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

This report provides a current indication of gender and ethnicity representation within LP firms with presence in the UK. Data was requested on all investment team members who spend over 50% of their time working on private capital investment.

Breeze Haywood, Sustainability Policy Executive, shares insights from UK Private Capital's recent Black History Month Reception. At the event, panel discussions explored existing gaps in the industry with regards to access to finance and career development opportunities. Panellists discussed how embedding DE&I into business and government policies can support innovation and economic growth.

To mark Pride Month 2025, UK Private Capital (formerly BVCA) has released a new podcast episode titled Building Inclusive Workplaces: LGBTQ+ within the Private Capital Industry, exploring how firms can support individuals to be their authentic selves and build inclusive cultures where everyone can thrive.

Meghan Stevenson-Krausz, Co-CEO of Diversity VC shares her reflections on the newly published BVCA/Level 20 Diversity Report and gives her outlook on diversity from a VC perspective and takes a wider look at diversity initiatives that are needed to charter the path forward.

The BVCA’s recent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) series of panel discussions focussed on how network-building, mentorship and risk-taking can accelerate women’s careers. Sustainability Executive, Breeze Haywood, reflects on the event’s discussion and the need for active engagement with diverse talent pools to drive innovation and address underrepresentation in the industry. 

Born out of the UK Government’s ‘Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce’, which published its recommendations in its final report on 28th February 2024, the award aims to inspire the next generation of female entrepreneurs by celebrating the success of leaders from high growth businesses backed by private equity and venture capital.

The BVCA, in partnership with Level 20, recently released a report, Diversity in UK Private Equity and Venture Capital 2025, which shows an increase in the proportion of women working within the industry over recent years - but there is still more work to be done.

This webinar shares the key findings of the latest survey conducted by UK Private Capital and Level 20 which looks at the diversity of GP teams in relation to gender and ethnicity by seniority and function. The panel reflect on the findings, share their experiences and give examples of best practice for how the private equity and venture capital industry can help attract and retain people of all backgrounds.

A new report has found that the proportion of women working in private equity and venture capital has significantly increased over recent years. Diversity in UK Private Equity and Venture Capital 2025 finds that 27% of UK-based investment professionals are women, up from 24% in 2023. The report, which is co-authored by Level 20 and the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA), also reveals an increase in the number of women in UK senior level roles (15%), compared to just 12% in 2023. 

This report marks the fourth edition of Level 20 and UK Private Capital's analysis of gender and ethnicity representation across the UK private equity and venture capital industry.

The BVCA’s recent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) series of panel discussions underlined the importance of reframing neurodiversity as a strength and adapting workplace cultures to drive meaningful change. The BVCA’s Sustainability Executive, Breeze Haywood, reflects on the event’s discussion about critical need for businesses to embrace neurodiversity in the workplace.

Hind Jbala, BVCA’s Senior Research Analyst explores the reception’s key themes in an insight piece produced in collaboration with Sustainable Policy Executive, Breeze Haywood.

This week’s insight article delves into the progress made by industry to improve gender diversity among private capital workforces. According to Level 20’s Head of Industry Impact, Cassie Lloyd Perrin, new data from the US shows that Europe leads in gender diversity progress with a higher number of women in senior roles across industry. Level 20’s most recent report found that ‘nearly one in four investors are women’. Cassie discusses notable findings and trends from ‘European Gender Diversity Report 2024: Women working in European Private Equity & Venture Capital’ and the current opportunities available to drive change.

To coincide with Pride Month, UK Private Capital has produced a new podcast, LGBTQ+ within the private capital industry. The podcast emphasises the significance of DE&I in the private capital sector, with a spotlight on LGBTQ+ representation. Guests share their perspectives on current efforts, challenges, and effective practices for building inclusive workplaces and the positive effects of supporting diversity within portfolio companies.

In a world increasingly committed to sustainability and social responsibility, BVCA's upcoming ESG Conference is a platform for connecting to discuss how we can drive meaningful change. This pivotal gathering will explore the multi-faceted impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria on private capital, policy and practice.

Focusing specifically on the UK based investment teams within Limited Partners, this research provides an indicative understanding of gender and ethnicity dynamics within a crucial segment of the private capital industry.

Private equity and venture capital are on a journey, with only 12% of senior investment professionals in the UK being female. While this is double the proportion 5 years ago, there is still more to do. So, this year we took the opportunity to hear from two inspirational women with experience beyond private capital, to learn from their experiences.

The BVCA has long been an advocate for building a more diverse and inclusive private capital ecosystem, through our own research, events, committees and engagement with wider public initiatives such as the Investing in Women Code. We know that more diverse teams make better decisions and generate better returns. In addition, the industry, along with the wider financial services sector, is under increasing scrutiny to ensure that people from all backgrounds can participate and progress.