 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| ISIN | GB00B1YW4409 |
| Industry | Corporate finance |
| Founded | 1945 |
| Founder | Bank of England and a syndicate of British banks |
| Headquarters | London, England, UK |
Key people |
|
| Services |
|
 £5,024 million (2025)[3] | |
| £5,038 million (2025)[3] | |
| AUM | £31.9 billion (2025)[3] |
Number of employees | c.250 (2024)[4] |
| Website | www |
3i Group plc is a British multinational private equity and venture capital company based in London, England. 3i is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
History
The company was formed in 1945, as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation (ICFC), by the Bank of England and the major British banks to provide long-term investment funding for small and medium-sized enterprises. Its foundation was inspired by the Macmillan Committee, and resulted from the recognition in the 1930s, given new impetus in the postwar era, that smaller businesses faced a gap in available corporate finance due to banks being unwilling to provide long-term capital and the companies being too small to raise capital from the public markets.[5]
During the 1950s and 1960s, and particularly after 1959 when the shareholder banks allowed it to raise external funds, ICFC expanded significantly. In 1973 ICFC acquired Finance Corporation for Industry, a sister company also formed in 1945 which focused on finance for large companies, and was renamed Finance for Industry (FFI). In the 1980s, FFI became a leading provider of finance for management buyouts, and expanded internationally. In 1983 the company was renamed Investors in Industry, commonly known as 3i.[6]
3i Group was created in 1987 when the banks sold off their stakes to form a public limited company. In 1994 the company was floated on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of £1.5 billion.[7]
Operations
3i invests in mid-market buyouts, growth capital (minority) and infrastructure. Sectors invested in are business and financial services, consumer, industrials and energy, and healthcare.
Current investments
- ACR Capital Reinsurance: 3i bought into this re-insurance business in 2006.[8]
- Action: in June 2011 3i bought a majority stake in this Dutch discount retailer.[9]
- Audley Travel: In December 2015 3i invested in Audley Travel, the lead operator in the tailor-made travel market.[10]
- BoConcept: Furniture company purchased in 2016[11]
- ESP Utilities Group: In June 2017, 3i invested in ESP Utilities Group, one of UK’s largest and longest established Independent Gas Transporters (IGT) and Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNO).[12]
- Formel D: In 2017, 3i invested €155 million in Formel D, a German car parts company, while CITIC invested €72 million.[13]
- George Best Belfast City Airport[14]
- Global Cloud Xchange[14]
- Infinis[14]
- Q Holding Co: 3i are due to purchase the company's three main operating businesses, Qure Medical, QSR and Quadra Tooling and Automation.[15]
- Regional Rail[14]
- Scandlines: 3i purchased a 100% stake in November 2013, reduced to 35% in 2018[16][17]
- Smarte Carte, purchased 2017[18]
- TCR International[14]
- VNU Business Media, acquired 2006[19]
- Weener Plastic Packaging: in June 2015 3i announced an investment in Weener Plastic Packaging Group[20]
Former investments
- Agent Provocateur (80%), purchased 2007, sold 2017[21][22]
- Boxer TV Access (30%) purchased 2005, sold 2008[23]
- Chiltern Railways (26%) purchased 1996, sold 1999[24][25]
- DNA (13%) purchased 2007, sold 2009[26]
- Dockwise, purchased 2006, sold 2009[27]
- ERM (57%) purchased 2001, sold 2005[28]
- Eversholt Rail Group, purchased 2010, sold 2015[29][30]
- Foster + Partners, purchased 2007, sold 2014[31]
- Freightliner (38%), purchased 1996, sold 2008[32][33]
- Giraffe World Kitchen (40%), purchased 2006, sold 2013[34][35]
- Go, purchased 2001, sold 2002 [36]
- Great Western Holdings (25%) purchased 1996, sold 1998[37][38]
- HSS Hire, purchased 2003, sold 2007[39][40]
- Little Sheep Group (11%), purchased 2006, sold 2009[41]
- Mayborn Group, purchased 2006, sold 2016[42]
- MWM, purchased 2007, sold 2010[43]
- NSL, purchased 2005, sold 2010[44]
- Petrofac (16%), purchased 2002, sold 2005[45]
- Salamander Energy (15%), purchased 2005, sold 2006[46]
- SLR Consulting (34%), purchased 2004, sold 2008[47]
- Target Express (70%), purchased 2000, sold 2006[48]
- TelecityGroup (45%) purchased 1998, sold 2010[49]
- Titan Airways, sold 2013[50]
- Tramlink (20%), purchased 1996, sold 2008[51][52]
- Travellers Fare purchased 1989, sold 1992[53]
References
- ^ "3i Group plc overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 1 November 1973. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- ^ "Our People". Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "Annual Results 2025" (PDF). 3i. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ "Why join 3i?". 3i Group. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ The Times, 24 January 1945
- ^ The Times, 5 July 1983
- ^ "Our History". 3i. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- ^ 3i and Khazanah lead investment in ACR’s $620m inaugural private placement Alternative Assets, 1 December 2006
- ^ 3i Proposes Preliminary Terms for Loans to Back Action Buyout Bloomberg Business Week 18 August 2011
- ^ Ratcliffe, Madeline (21 December 2015). "3i hopes Audley Travel will take off with £159m investment". London: City AM. eISSN 2516-5453.
- ^ "Portfolio: Boconcept". 3i. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "About ESP". ESP Utilities Group. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- ^ Turvill, William (17 July 2017). "UK private equity giant 3i sells stake in Barcelona-based funeral services company Memora". City AM. London. eISSN 2516-5453. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Portfolio 3i
- ^ "Sale to private equity firm should bolster Q Holding Co". Crain's Cleveland Business. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ 3i offers to take full control of Nordic ferry group Scandlines Financial Times 12 September 2013
- ^ 3i Group sells ferry operator Scandlines, buys backs stake Reuters 26 March 2018
- ^ 3i Announces First North American Infrastructure Transaction with Investment in Smarte Carte Smarte Carte 16 October 2017
- ^ HG Capital secures stake in 3i-owned VNU Media Reuters 3 August 2009
- ^ 3i invests €250m in Weener Plastic Packaging Group Archived 7 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine 3i 4 June 2015
- ^ Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m The Independent 16 November 2007
- ^ 3i races to clinch sale of struggling Agent Provocateur Sky News 23 February 2017
- ^ 3i divests stake in digital TV operator Boxer 3i 19 November 2008
- ^ MBO preferred for Chiltern Rail Privatisation News issue 32 13 June 1996 page 1
- ^ Last management buy-out rail franchise prepares to be sold Rail issue 350 10 February 1999 page 11
- ^ 3i divests interest in Finnish telecoms operator DNA Oy 3i 18 December 2009
- ^ Dockwise to list in Amsterdam, 3i exits Reuters 19 October 2009
- ^ Eco adviser ERM sold to Charterhouse Capital Partners The Guardian 16 May 2011
- ^ News in Brief Railway Gazette International December 2010 page 21
- ^ Eversholt sold Today's Railways UK issue 159 March 2015 page 14
- ^ Foster once again wholly owned after 3i buy-out Architects' Journal 30 June 2014
- ^ Manager's bid wins Freightliner Rail issue 279 22 May 1996 page 6
- ^ Bahrain investment firm Arcapita buys Freightliner Rail issue 595 2 July 2008 page 19
- ^ 3i invests in Giraffe restaurant chain 3i 23 October 2006
- ^ Tesco buys child-friendly restaurant chain Giraffe for £50m The Guardian 13 March 2013
- ^ BA sells Go for £100m BBC News 14 June 2001
- ^ Wisconsin scoops freight as franchisees are chosen Railway Gazette International February 1996 page 69
- ^ Great Western Trains taken over by FirstGroup The Railway Magazine issue 1165 May 1998 page 11
- ^ Davis offloads HSS tool hire to 3i The Guardian 17 December 2003
- ^ HSS rejuvenated and sold to Aurigo and Och-Ziff 3i 13 June 2007
- ^ 3i concludes successful partnership with Little Sheep 3i 25 March 2009
- ^ 3i Sells Mayborn After 10-Year Holding Period Private Equity News 29 April 2016
- ^ Caterpillar buys 3i's engine maker MWM for $810 million Reuters 22 October 2010
- ^ Webb, Quentin (21 September 2010). "Green light for sale of UK parking-ticket firm NSL". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022.
- ^ 3i backed Petrofac in £742m flotation on London Stock Exchange 3i 4 October 2005
- ^ 3i backed Salamander Energy in $405m IPO on London Stock Exchange 3i 5 December 2006
- ^ 3i to snap up SLR Consulting The Times 8 March 2008
- ^ Target on road to £250m float Manchester Evening News 30 June 2005
- ^ 3i divests stake in Telecity Group 3i 11 February 2010
- ^ Titan Airways' management buyout completed Aviation Week & Space Technology 22 February 2013
- ^ Croydon Tramlink go-ahead Railway Gazette International September 1996 page 547
- ^ Croydon buy out Railway Gazette International April 2008 page 212
- ^ Travellers Fare The Railway Magazine issue 1055 March 1989 page 144
External links
Categories:
- 3i
- Financial services companies established in 1945
- British companies established in 1945
- Financial services companies of the United Kingdom
- Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
- Financial services companies based in London
- Private equity firms of the United Kingdom
- Venture capital firms of the United Kingdom
- Companies in the FTSE 100 Index
