This is VGC. We back you.
That doesn’t just mean financially. It’s a more holistic investment of time, expertise, network – we’ve got your back.
With a finger on the pulse of culture, we empower purpose-driven founders building brands that people love.
We are partners for growth, bridging the gap between Venture Capital and Private Equity.
Our Purpose
VGC invests in mission-led founders of purpose-led brands.
These include:
A digital media company whose tagline is “building a safer internet for the next generation”. It does this by protecting kids’ online privacy and ensuring they are not targeted by harmful content and inappropriate advertising.
A plant milk made from yellow split peas that has a much healthier nutritional profile than any other dairy alternative, combined with a far lower environmental impact. Better for people, better for the planet.
A pioneering food technology company with a vision to build a healthier, more humane, and more sustainable food system. Innovations include an alternative egg brand derived entirely from plants and the world’s first meat made from animal cells instead of slaughtered livestock.
A lifestyle and fitness brand with a mission to change as many lives as possible through training and the power of community.
We are proven doers – transformative, people-first partners who build strong working relationships with the teams we invest in. Our support is tailored to help brands scale, professionalise and often internationalise.
We’ve cultivated a deep bench of best-in-class industry experts to add demonstrable value across all departments of brand building – from finance and compliance to strategy, recruitment, marketing, communications, celebrity/talent partnerships and, of course, mentorship.
This is VGC – fully invested in you.
Our People
Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion at all levels perform better. They’re proven to be happier, more productive, and more profitable.
We challenge ourselves to live this out and we also challenge the founders of the brands we invest in, partnering closely with them to foster an inclusive culture in their teams, and to find and develop diverse talent that truly reflects their audience. Not only is this absolutely the right thing to do, it’s good for business.
We recognise we have continual work to do here in terms of our team and our portfolio. Easy to say, harder to do. But we’re transparently committing to it in writing to hold ourselves accountable in practice.
Our Pledge
VGC is part-funded by some of the UK’s most generous philanthropists. A healthy return on their investments enables them to give even more away. There is a circularity here: this money comes from a good place and then, once multiplied, goes on to fund worthwhile causes.
One of those philanthropists invited our founding partner and CEO Parminder Basran to join him in a pledge to give away a significant portion of his wealth. So, in 2021 Parminder and his wife Charlotte set up The Basran Foundation with a core focus on supporting charities that help children and young people.
An irrevocable initial commitment of 5% of the total carried interest from all funds is being donated to the foundation. An initial £25,000 was deposited to set it up and a further commitment of £50,000 a year will be made from final closing of Fund II.
VGC Partners and the Basran family have supported several causes close to Parminder’s heart since the firm’s inception. These include:
Funding undergraduate scholarships for student athletes at the University of Leeds, where Parminder and Charlotte met
The Andy Cole Fund with Kidney Research UK
Hillsborough Families Support Group