Capitalising on the exciting wave of science & technological disruption and the skills and innovation of our partners including best-in-class universities.
For professional investors only. Capital at risk
Our approach
Established in 2016, our venture capital platform manages client-driven strategies focusing on the scale-up of science & innovation, investing predominantly across the UK & Europe. We aim to partner and invest in leading venture capital fund managers and university-linked investment platforms across healthcare & technology, which form an integral part of our active direct investment sourcing programme. We aim to identify and build focused portfolios of some of the most exciting companies as they scale commercially.
The platform leverages the capabilities of L&G and brings together a senior team with an average of over 20 years relevant experience. The team brings together complementary skills across venture capital fund investing, direct investing and deep expertise in our core sectors of healthcare, technology and within the university spinout ecosystem.
This provides us with an opportunity to help our clients capitalise on the next wave of innovation whilst also identifying and directly backing businesses that contribute to achieving positive real-world outcomes.
Partnership approach to scale companies across healthcare, technology (including deep tech and clean tech), and within the university spinout ecosystem
Senior team with over 20 years average relevant experience
Unlocking science and innovation with the potential to make a positive impact on society and the environment
*Source: L&G internal data as at June 2024
**Source: L&G internal data as at September 2024
A long history of investing in university ecosystems
Legal & General has deep relationships across the UK university ecosystem having supported the evolution of the industry for over a decade with £7.7bn* committed to date by Legal & General & partners, including funding real estate, infrastructure, and university spinouts.
In 2016, Legal & General started investing in university-linked investment platforms, and has continued to invest as the industry matures and develops into an institutional asset class. Today, Legal & General has investments and exposure to university technology originating in universities across the UK, including in key hubs of Oxford, Cambridge and the North of England.
The university spinout market is an area of particular focus for the venture capital team, and a sector where we are seeing increasing appetite from our clients and partners to invest alongside us.
*Source: As at 30 June 2023, includes value of L&G direct debt and equity investments and aggregate commitments to be provided by partnerships with others.
What makes funding UK University innovation attractive for institutional investors?
UK universities are at the forefront of world-class research and innovation. As a long-time partner and investor in UK research institutions, we have seen university ecosystems continue to grow, as portfolios mature from established early-stage university-linked investment platforms. These platforms are producing companies tackling global challenges with breakthrough technologies such as gene sequencing, quantum computing, and nuclear fusion.
Watch our team discuss the current market opportunity for the UK universities spinout sector and our upcoming pipeline and market activities below.
Insights
Christopher Hopkins in The Times: Pension funds investment into unlisted equities
Press Release: Legal & General unlocks private markets access for 5.2 million DC members through launch of Private Markets Access Fund
Webinar: What opportunities lie in the UK university spinout sector?
Sifted: Seedcamp, Balderton and Kindred-backer Legal & General is doubling down on spinout investments
Investing in our future: UK university spinouts reach inflection point
Get in touch
To find out more or speak to one of our team, get in touch.
Key risks
The value of an investment and any income taken from it is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up, you may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results