Firm plans to increase investment after reaching £2bn landmark

Private equity investor LDC has pledged to increase its investment in firms after deploying more than £2 billion of capital since 2020.

Last year alone, the firm invested almost £250 million – completing transactions in almost every region and sector of the economy.

More than half of these deals took place in the fourth quarter of 2025, signalling “positive momentum and confidence returning in the year ahead”.

LDC, which operates from 10 locations across the UK, including the East Midlands, benefits from funding as part of Lloyds Banking Group.

It plans to increase investment in 2026, underlining its ability and long-term commitment to invest “throughout the cycle”.

LDC will also celebrate its 45th year of supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

Toby Rougier, chief executive at LDC, said: “Last year, businesses again faced challenging market conditions and, in times like these, investment is more important than ever.

“We’ve continued to help our portfolio companies to grow and make new investments.

“Our unique funding model combined with our regional network, sector experience and talented team mean we’re able to provide a reliable and consistent source of funding and advice.

“We remain fully committed to supporting businesses in the year ahead and have plenty of appetite to increase our investment, providing the capital and expertise to help small and medium-sized businesses to scale.”

LDC had a successful year in 2025 for exits, generating exit proceeds of more than £600 million and an average money multiple return of 3.3x.

The 11 companies exited in 2025 grew revenues by 155% on average and created 1,223 jobs during their investment partnerships with LDC.

John Garner, managing partner at LDC, said: “We saw a marked improvement in activity in the second half of the year, especially Q4, and expect this momentum to build as we work through a growing pipeline of opportunities in 2026.

“There is pent-up demand from ambitious management teams who have been cautious about taking on investment but are now ready to act with the support of partners with the right experience.”