Firm that has backed Itsu and Burger King’s UK arm is planning to raise £300m in stock market float
Bridgepoint, the private equity group behind the restaurant group Itsu, online cycling specialist Wiggle and the UK arm of Burger King, is planning to raise £300m with a stock market flotation in London.
The listing, expected to value Bridgepoint at up to £2bn in total, gives ordinary investors a rare chance to invest in private equity groups which are generally the preserve of institutional investors or high net worth individuals. Existing listed private equity groups include 3i, which is listed in London, and Blackstone, which is listed in New York.
Bridgepoint recently bought a stake in Itsu, the Asian food chain created by Julian Metcalfe, having previously backed him during the expansion of the sandwich chain Pret a Manger.
The firm, which focuses on mid-sized deals of up to €1bn, was formed in 2000 after a management buyout of NatWest’s private equity arm.
