Tuesday 06 July 2021 8:11 am

Private equity firm Bridgepoint confirms plans to float on London Stock Exchange

FILE PHOTO: The London Stock Exchange offices in the City of London, Britain

Private equity firm Bridgepoint have confirmed plans to raise £300m through an impending float.

The firm dangled the prospect of an IPO last month but have confirmed the move in an announcement to markets this morning.

The buyout group, which has around £27.4bn of assets under management across equity and debt funds, says it seeks to sell a quarter of its shares while a further 15 per cent will be available through an over-allotment option.

The company expects it will be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE UK indices.

The raise will support growth plans, Bridgepoint said.

The move marks a rare entrance into private markets for a private equity firm and will place Bridgepoint alongside London-listed 3i group.

“Over the last 30 years we’ve built the global leader in middle market growth investing, with strength and depth across two very complementary strategies in private equity and private credit,” said executive chairman William Jackson.

“Bridgepoint operates across the middle market at scale, providing access for some of the world’s most experienced investors to attractive growth businesses through its unique local insight and expertise and its well-resourced platform. We have delivered strong and consistent returns for investors and shareholders through different economic cycles.”

JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are joint global coordinators on the IPO, while BNP Paribas, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch are joint bookrunners.