Foresight upbeat on Wales investment prospects after strong start to 2026

Fersiwn Cymraeg

• Recent deals highlight strength and diversity of the Welsh economy
• Investor has a strong pipeline of opportunities with businesses based across Wales 
• Flexible approach means Foresight can deliver equity funding for businesses across a wide range of deal stages and across all sectors 

Cardiff, 04 June 2026 Foresight Group (“Foresight”), the leading regional private equity and real assets manager, has a "strong pipeline" of opportunities in Wales for 2026 after an encouraging start to the year.

Phil Sampson, Principal of the Investment Fund for Wales, reports there is growing interest from SMEs across the nation looking at private equity for growth after three investments in the last few months by the £130 million Fund from the British Business Bank, which is managed by Foresight.

Recent deals include Play Revolution (March 2026) in North Wales, Advantiv (February 2026), with a £3.5 million investment, and a £2.5 million investment in fast‑growing Cardiff-based agri‑tech company Bloemteknik in December 2025.

Together, these transactions demonstrate the breadth of Foresight’s investment approach – spanning early-stage and growth capital through to opportunities that include partial cash-out for owners and management succession planning. We can support businesses from various Foresight managed Funds with investment sizes ranging up to £40 million, backing companies through multiple stages of growth.

Phil who joined Foresight’s private equity team in autumn 2025, said: "These three deals are significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, they show that in Wales we have some first-class ambitious companies who are making an impression in their respective markets.

"Secondly, they also represent the diversity of our economy. In addition to these investments in manufacturing, industrial services and agri-tech, our pipeline includes companies throughout Wales, reflecting many of the high growth sectors identified by the UK Government, such as advanced manufacturing and deep-tech.

"Finally, these deals demonstrate our flexible approach, as we can do deals like Advantiv and Play Revolution, where there is both funding for growth capital with a planned succession element enabling the shareholders to realise some value from the business. Bloemteknik, meanwhile shows that we can also invest in much younger businesses too. Since its launch in 2023, the Company has scaled rapidly and is now rolling-out a pioneering technology. There are few players in the UK private equity market with the same depth of experience and enthusiasm for investing across such a wide range of deal stages."

Although the wider macro-economic picture has been challenging for some time, Phil is confident of the investment opportunities in Wales.

"Whilst it's still not an easy environment with a lot of risk factors potentially impacting valuations, which naturally breeds caution, we are in great shape and have significant funds to invest in Welsh businesses. These recent deals have given us momentum and we have a strong pipeline for the rest of the year."

Bethan Bannister, Senior Investment Manager, Nations and Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said: “It’s very encouraging to see the strong start the Investment Fund for Wales has made to 2026, with a growing number of high-quality businesses accessing the finance they need to scale and succeed. These recent investments highlight both the diversity of opportunities and the strength of the pipeline continuing to be built.

“Foresight’s progress in deploying the Fund to date is a positive reflection of how the programme is gaining traction on the ground, and it’s clear there is strong demand from Welsh businesses for flexible, growth-focused capital. We’re pleased to see this momentum building and look forward to supporting even more businesses across Wales in the months ahead.”

Foresight, which has more than a dozen offices across the UK and Ireland, is one of the most active investors into small and medium-sized businesses, which it sees as the unsung heroes of the UK economy. Its long-term approach, honed over more than 40 years, spans three pillars – Invest, Build and Grow.

Foresight yn gadarnhaol ynghylch rhagolygon buddsoddi yng Nghymru ar ôl dechrau cryf i 2026

• Mae trafodion diweddar yn tynnu sylw at gryfder ac amrywiaeth economi Cymru
• Mae gan y buddsoddwr biblinell gref o gyfleoedd gyda busnesau ledled Cymru
• Mae dull hyblyg Foresight yn golygu y gall ddarparu cyllid ecwiti i fusnesau ar draws ystod eang o gamau buddsoddiad ac ym mhob sector

Caerdydd, 04 Mehefin 2026 Mae Foresight Group (“Foresight”), y rheolwr blaenllaw ym maes ecwiti preifat rhanbarthol ac asedau go iawn, yn dweud bod ganddo “biblinell gref” o gyfleoedd yng Nghymru ar gyfer 2026 ar ôl dechrau calonogol i’r flwyddyn.

Mae Phil Sampson, Pennaeth y Cronfa Buddsoddi Cymru, yn adrodd bod diddordeb cynyddol ymhlith busnessau ledled y wlad sy’n ystyried ecwiti preifat ar gyfer twf, ar ôl i’r Gronfa £130 miliwn gan y British Business Bank, sy’n cael ei rheoli gan Foresight, wneud tri buddsoddiad yn ystod yr ychydig fisoedd diwethaf.

Mae’r trafodion diweddar yn cynnwys Play Revolution (Mawrth 2026) yng Ngogledd Cymru, Advantiv (Chwefror 2026), gyda buddsoddiad o £3.5 miliwn, a buddsoddiad o £2.5 miliwn yn y cwmni agri-dechnoleg sy’n tyfu’n gyflym, Bloemteknik, sydd wedi’i leoli yng Nghaerdydd, ym mis Rhagfyr 2025.

Gyda’i gilydd, mae’r trafodion hyn yn dangos ehangder dull buddsoddi Foresight – o gyfalaf cyfnod cynnar a chyfalaf twf drwodd at gyfleoedd sy’n cynnwys tynnu arian allan yn rhannol i berchnogion a chynllunio olyniaeth rheolwyr. Gallwn gefnogi busnesau o amrywiol Gronfeydd a reolir gan Foresight gyda meintiau buddsoddi hyd at £40 miliwn, gan gefnogi cwmnïau drwy sawl cam twf.

Dywedodd Phil, a ymunodd â thîm ecwiti preifat Foresight yn hydref 2025: “Mae’r tri thrafodiad hyn yn arwyddocaol am nifer o resymau. Yn gyntaf, maent yn dangos bod gennym yng Nghymru rai cwmnïau uchelgeisiol o’r radd flaenaf sy’n gwneud argraff yn eu marchnadoedd priodol.

“Yn ail, maent hefyd yn cynrychioli amrywiaeth ein heconomi. Yn ogystal â’r buddsoddiadau hyn mewn gweithgynhyrchu, gwasanaethau diwydiannol ac amaeth-dechnoleg, mae ein piblinell yn cynnwys cwmnïau ledled Cymru, gan adlewyrchu llawer o’r sectorau twf uchel a nodwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU, megis gweithgynhyrchu uwch a thechnoleg ddofn.

“Yn olaf, mae’r trafodion hyn yn dangos ein dull hyblyg, gan ein bod yn gallu gwneud trafodion fel Advantiv a Play Revolution, lle ceir cyllid ar gyfer cyfalaf twf ynghyd ag elfen olyniaeth wedi’i chynllunio sy’n galluogi’r cyfranddalwyr i wireddu rhywfaint o werth o’r busnes. Mae Bloemteknik, yn y cyfamser, yn dangos y gallwn hefyd fuddsoddi mewn busnesau llawer iau. Ers ei lansio yn 2023, mae’r Cwmni wedi tyfu’n gyflym ac mae bellach yn cyflwyno technoleg arloesol. Nid oes llawer o chwaraewyr yn y farchnad ecwiti preifat yn y DU sydd â’r un dyfnder o brofiad a brwdfrydedd dros fuddsoddi ar draws ystod mor eang o gamau buddsoddi.”

Er bod y darlun macro-economaidd ehangach wedi bod yn heriol ers cryn amser, mae Phil yn hyderus ynghylch y cyfleoedd buddsoddi yng Nghymru.

“Er nad yw’r amgylchedd yn un hawdd o hyd, gyda llawer o ffactorau risg yn gallu effeithio ar brisiadau, sy’n naturiol yn creu gofal, rydym mewn sefyllfa wych ac mae gennym gronfeydd sylweddol i’w buddsoddi mewn busnesau Cymreig. Mae’r trafodion  diweddar hyn wedi rhoi momentwm inni ac mae gennym biblinell gref ar gyfer gweddill y flwyddyn.”

Dywedodd Bethan Bannister, Uwch Reolwr Buddsoddi, ‘Nations and Regions Investment Funds’ yn y ‘British Business Bank’: “Mae’n galonogol iawn gweld y dechrau cryf y mae’r Investment Fund for Wales wedi’i wneud i 2026, gyda nifer gynyddol o fusnesau o ansawdd uchel yn cael mynediad at y cyllid sydd ei angen arnynt i dyfu a llwyddo. Mae’r buddsoddiadau diweddar hyn yn amlygu amrywiaeth y cyfleoedd a chryfder y biblinell sy’n parhau i gael ei hadeiladu.

“Mae cynnydd Foresight wrth ddefnyddio’r Gronfa hyd yma yn adlewyrchiad cadarnhaol o’r ffordd y mae’r rhaglen yn ennill tir ar lawr gwlad, ac mae’n amlwg bod galw cryf gan fusnesau Cymreig am gyfalaf hyblyg sy’n canolbwyntio ar dwf. Rydym yn falch o weld y momentwm hwn yn adeiladu ac yn edrych ymlaen at gefnogi hyd yn oed mwy o fusnesau ledled Cymru yn y misoedd i ddod.”

Mae Foresight, sydd â mwy na dwsin o swyddfeydd ledled y DU ac Iwerddon, yn un o’r buddsoddwyr mwyaf gweithgar mewn busnesau bach a chanolig, y mae’n eu gweld fel arwyr distaw economi’r DU. Mae ei ddull hirdymor, wedi’i fireinio dros fwy na 40 mlynedd, yn rhychwantu tair colofn – Buddsoddi, Adeiladu a Thyfu.