UK Private Capital recognises leading firms for excellence in sustainability and impact
Outstanding contributions to sustainability and impact across private equity and venture capital were recognised at UK Private Capital's 'Excellence in Sustainability and Impact’ Awards. The awards celebrate the firms that are spearheading responsible investment and impact led initiatives across the private capital industry.
Businesses were recognised across five categories: LP (all sizes), GP (above £1bn AUM), GP (below £1bn AUM), Venture Capital and Portfolio Company.
Commenting, UK Private Capital Chief Executive Michael Moore said:
“We are proud to recognise the companies setting exceptional standards in sustainability. This year’s winners demonstrate how private capital is driving progress on responsible innovation and real-world impact, reinforcing our industry’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”
Excellence in Sustainability Awards 2026 winners
LP Category – Adams Street Partners
Adams Street Partners won the LP category, with judges praising its evolving sustainability approach in important areas such as AI, defence and the energy transition. The panel also highlighted the company’s strong external thought leadership and exceptional GP engagement.
Commenting, Yohan Hill, Principal, Director of ESG and Responsible Investing at Adams Street Partners said:
“Adams Street is honoured to be recognized with the Excellence in Sustainability 2026: LP Award from UK Private Capital. Investing responsibly is an important component of our firmwide ethos as a global private markets manager and is integrated into our investment processes along with our goal of maximising long-term value for our clients. We are grateful for this recognition from the UK Private Capital community and remain committed to working with our investment partners and broader industry to help advance sustainability standards.”
GP above £1bn AUM Category – Triton Partners
Triton Partners won the GP above £1bn AUM category, standing out to the judging panel for embedding sustainability within a dedicated value creation unit. Judges particularly praised the excellent performance of Triton’s portfolio companies, as well as having robust independent review processes in place.
Commenting, Graeme Ardus, Head of Sustainability at Accelerator Unit at Triton Partners said:
"We're proud to be named Top Recognised Firm for Excellence in Sustainability among GPs above £1bn AUM. This recognition reflects the strength of the stewardship programme we've built to support our portfolio companies in embedding sustainability into how they create value. We're equally delighted to see IFCO recognised with the Excellence in Sustainability Award at the portfolio company level - a reflection of the ambition and hard work of IFCO's management team, who we've been proud to support on their sustainability journey. Both awards reinforce our belief that sustainability, done well, is a genuine driver of long-term value, and we'll continue backing our portfolio companies as they build on this progress."
GP below £1bn AUM – Graphite Capital
Graphite Capital won the GP below £1bn AUM category, with their submission demonstrating a long-standing and evolving commitment to sustainability. They highlighted the firm’s clear focus on exit outcomes, transparent external reporting, and emerging risks such as cyber, alongside its innovative kelp restoration carbon sequestration project.
Commenting, Markus Golser, Managing Partner at Graphite Capital said:
“We're delighted to receive this recognition from UK Private Capital. Sustainability has been central to how we invest at Graphite for almost fifteen years, and our focus has always been on making it commercially impactful. The exits we have achieved in the past 12 months — where ESG credentials directly supported premium valuations — are the clearest demonstration of that thesis. This award reflects the hard work of our portfolio companies as much as our own.”
Venture Capital Category – Molten Ventures
Molten Ventures won the Venture Capital category after impressing judges with its early integration of sustainability into investment decisions. Judges highlighted its credible ESG framework, which identifies sustainability-related risks and opportunities before investment and supports long-term value creation across the portfolio. They also noted Molten’s strong external commitments and partnerships, demonstrating its role in promoting responsible investment across the venture capital ecosystem.
Commenting, Ben Robson, General Counsel at Molten Ventures said:
"We are proud of the progress we have made as a responsible investor, and delighted that our efforts have been recognised by UK Private Capital. Whilst we have observed global headwinds in this space, we remain firmly committed to sustainability as a driver of long-term value creation, and continue to use our platform to promote positive change within our portfolio and the venture capital ecosystem."
Portfolio Company Category – IFCO backed by Triton
IFCO won in the Portfolio Company category. The judges praised IFCO for delivering environmental savings at significant scale through its reusable packaging solutions. IFCO also demonstrated a clear alignment of sustainability and commercial success, alongside excellent strategic progress over the past 12 months.
Commenting, Michael Pooley, CEO at IFCO said:
“We are honoured to receive this recognition from UK Private Capital. Sustainability is at the heart of IFCO’s purpose and business model, and this award reflects the dedication of our teams around the world who are helping customers build more resilient, efficient and circular fresh food supply chains. It encourages us to continue driving positive impact for our customers, communities and the planet.”
Commenting, Sustainability Award judge Michelle Lamprecht, Head of Corporate Affairs at Cambridge Innovation Capital said:
"These awards are a signal of the strength of sustainability practice across UK private capital. What stood out this year was the sophistication of the entries, there was a clear step up in how firms are approaching this work. Value creation was one of the key factors we weighed, closely followed by external influence: how far a firm's work is shaping best practice and helping others move forward. The firms recognised here are leading the way, and that's a real credit to the broader ecosystem."
Companies also recognised by judges for the Exellence in Sustainability Awards included: Federated Hermes, PAI Partners, NorthEdge, Aureos (backed by EMK Capital), and Victorian Sliders (backed by BGF).
Excellence in Impact Awards 2026 winners
LP Category – Neuberger
Neuberger won the LP category, Judges praised Neuberger for its long-standing and well-established impact programme with strong foundations and a robust and detailed approach for managing and measuring impact.
Commenting, Jennifer Signori, Head of Private Markets Sustainable Investments at Neuberger said:
“We are proud to be named the Top Recognized Firm for the 2026 Excellence in Impact (LP) Award. Since launching our dedicated private equity impact strategy in 2019, we have sought to deliver an investment solution to help our investors achieve their financial objectives while having a positive social and environmental impact. We are grateful to our investors for entrusting us to execute on the strategy through the diversification and scale of our platform, and we remain committed to robust impact measurement and management and supporting the continued growth of the broader impact investing ecosystem.”
GP below £1bn AUM Category – Clean Growth Fund
Clean Growth Fund won the GP below £1bn AUM category, they stood out to judges for its clear impact strategy focused on climate and supporting regional growth. Clean Growth Fund demonstrated where its investments successfully achieved its intended impact goals.
Commenting, Beverley Gower-Jones OBE, Managing Partner at Clean Growth Fund said:
"We exist to deliver return on capital and return on carbon through investment in UK start-up companies - so to be recognised in the UK Private Capital's 'Excellence in Impact Awards' means a great deal to us. Sustainability isn't a buzzword for our team; it's paramount to our investment strategy - and this couldn't come at a more exciting time as we raise Fund II and begin deploying it into even more brilliant companies."
Portfolio Company Category – Alina Homecare backed by Bridges Fund Management
Alina Homecare (backed by Bridges Fund Management) won Portfolio Company category, they demonstrated a clear and deeply embedded impact-led business model. Focused on delivering better outcomes for service users and improved conditions for staff. This was supported by industry-leading training through its dedicated academy, exceptional performance metrics and a customer-centred approach.
Commenting, James Deeley, CEO at Alina Homecare said:
"Every day our carers support over a thousand older people, enabling them to live independently at home with reassuring, high-quality personalised care. This award is welcome recognition of the wonderful, compassionate care they provide. We're grateful to Bridges for their continued backing as we look to scale our services to reach even more aging people across the UK who need support.”
Commenting, Impact Award judge, Sarah Teacher, Co-CEO at Impact Investing Institute said:
“It's been an absolute pleasure to judge the Excellence in Impact Awards again this year. At the Impact Investing Institute, we work to transform capital markets so they support a fairer, greener, more resilient future, and these awards are a powerful reminder of how much momentum there now is behind that goal. What stood out most this year was the sheer sophistication of practice on display, and the range of ways private capital is being put to work to deliver real impact. Private markets remain one of the most effective tools to connect capital with impact and seeing that breadth and ambition across so many strong candidates was genuinely exciting.”
Other firms that received special recognition for the Exellence in Impact Awards included: HarbourVest Partners LLC, Cura Terrae (backed by Palatine), Springpod (backed by UFI Ventures).
The judging panels for the Sustainability and Impact categories were as follows:
Sustainability
- Michelle Lamprecht, Head of Corporate Affairs at Cambridge Innovation Capital
- Caroline Löfgren, Chief Sustainability Officer at Hg
- Eimear Palmer, Partner and Global Head of Sustainability at Pantheon
- Aga Siemiginowska, Head of Sustainability at Oakley Capital
- Adinah Shackleton, Managing Director and Head of Sustainability at Permira
Impact
- Ellen de Kreij, Lead Advisor, Sustainability at Apax Partners,
- Alex Shadbolt, Investment Manager & Impact Lead at Future Planet Capital,
- Sarah Teacher, Co-CEO at Impact Investing Institute
- Zoë VanderWolk, Partner at ETF Partners
Notes to Editors:
For further information, please contact:
UK Private Capital Press Office
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Background:
About UK Private Capital
UK Private Capital is the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity (PE), venture capital (VC) and private credit ecosystem in the UK. With a membership of 600 firms, we represent UK-based private capital firms, as well as their professional advisers and a large base of UK and global investors. The private equity, venture capital and private credit industry has a vital role to play in driving national and regional growth. Currently over 13,000 companies, employing more than 2.5 million people, are backed by private capital investment in the UK.
