Yorkshire and North East businesses awarded for outstanding growth

Leeds-based Nexus Vehicle Rental, Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, Hippo Digital and iPac Packaging Solutions in Gateshead, have won the British Private Equity and Venture Capital (BVCA) Vision 2025 awards in the Yorkshire & North East.

Supported by Headline Sponsor, Grant Thornton and Supporting Sponsor, Santander, the annual awards honour the management teams of companies backed by private equity and venture capital, recognising both companies and their investors in three different investment stages and across four categories:

Scale-up:

Gateshead-based iPac Packaging Solutions backed by Maven Capital was chosen as the winner for the scale-up category, with judges praising the business for its client-driven approach and long-term focus on ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Medium and Exit:

Hippo Digital, backed by Growth Capital Partners was awarded the winner for the Medium and Exit categories. Judges praised the business which has offices in Leeds, for remaining competitive through its new private sector offering and senior leadership expansion.

Large:

Leeds-based Nexus Vehicle Rental backed by Equistone Partners alongside Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, also based in Leeds and backed by Inflexion, were awarded winners for the large category.

Nexus was hailed as a fantastic template for how a business can grow through private equity ownership, having been through four buyouts and delivering consistent growth and returns for all its owners.

Rosemont Pharmaceuticals was praised for its business growth strategy, having built a new R&D Innovation Centre in 2024, and upgrading and broadening its manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure. 

A new BVCA report Private Capital in Yorkshire and the North East, published ahead of the awards showcased the economic impact of private capital in these regions. It found that businesses backed by private capital generate £10bn for the Yorkshire and the Humber economy each year and £4bn in the North East. As of 2025, over 230,000 jobs are supported by the industry in Yorkshire and the Humber (162,000) and the North East (69,000).
 

Michael Moore, BVCA Chief Executive said: 

“We are proud to honour the outstanding successes of this year’s winners who have demonstrated the impact that private equity and venture capital has in Yorkshire and the North East.

“These businesses and their private capital backers exemplify how our industry is supporting jobs and growth in every part of the country.”
 

Pete Terry, Head of Private Equity, Grant Thornton UK said: 

“Congratulations to iPac Packaging Solutions, Nexus Vehicle Rental, Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, and Hippo Digital on their outstanding achievements. It is encouraging to see the significant contributions these businesses are making to both the regional economy and wider society in the North East.

“We are proud to support the Vision 2025 Awards in recognising the exceptional leadership of these companies, as well as the critical support provided by their private equity investors in driving sustainable growth and long-term success.” 
 

Adrian Rowles, Director - Financial Sponsors, Structured & Specialist Finance at Santander UK said:

“This year’s winners exemplify the exceptional talent and innovation that exists across the North Region. At Santander, we remain deeply committed to championing the ambitions of UK businesses.

“As a proud supporting sponsor of the Vision 2025 Awards, we’re delighted to celebrate the remarkable achievements of high-growth companies backed by private equity investment.”
 

Jonny Cato, Managing Director at iPac Packaging Solution said:

“We’re honoured to be recognised as the winner of the BVCA Vision 2025 Scale-up category. From the outset in 2017, our mission at iPac has been to drive sustainable change in the UK food packaging industry by delivering high-quality solutions made from recycled and fully recyclable materials. 

“The response from our customers has been incredibly positive, and with the continued backing of Maven Capital Partners, we’ve been able to scale rapidly achieving over 37% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over the last 6 years and exceeding £20m in annual revenue. This recognition is testament to the dedication of our team and the strength of our partnerships. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum as we support customers in meeting their growing demand for high-quality, low-carbon, recycled packaging solutions.”
 

David Nixon, Senior Investment Manager at Maven Capital Partners said:

"A real innovator in its field, iPac is helping businesses achieve sustainability targets by optimising recycled content and product recyclability. Its products are in high demand as consumers are becoming increasingly proactive in their pursuit of packaging consistent with a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Since Maven’s initial investment in the business in 2019, iPac has gone from strength to strength, achieving a number of milestones and tripling revenues. A well-deserved win for Jonny and the team we look forward to supporting the business as it continues to transform the industry with its thermoformed packaging solutions.”
 

Scott Haddow, Chief Executive Officer at Nexus Vehicle Rental said:

“We’re proud to be recognised by the BVCA for our continued growth and innovation in the corporate mobility space. Backed by the support of Equistone, Nexus has remained focused on simplifying vehicle rental through technology, helping businesses move smarter, faster, and more sustainably.

“As a Leeds-headquartered business with national impact, we’re especially proud of the team we’ve built — rooted in Yorkshire, but with a forward-thinking mindset that’s delivering change across the UK. This recognition is a testament to the incredible work of our people, our partners, and our commitment to helping customers ‘Never Stop’.”
 

Andi Tomkinson, Partner at Equistone said:

“We are delighted to see Nexus receive this award after what was a transformational year for the business. A unique business model and innovative proprietary tech platform enabled considerable growth in 2024, and it’s a privilege to work closely with such an impressive management team. With significant investment in technology and people having been made, Nexus is primed for further growth in 2025.” 
 

Howard Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at Rosemont Pharmaceuticals said:

“Everyone at Rosemont Pharmaceuticals is delighted to be recognised with this significant award. Our results have been achieved through tremendous commitment to helping patients who cannot swallow tablets. 

“This commitment has been supported by developing new skills in partnering, integrating acquisitions, ramping up our product pipeline and international expansion. The team has been augmented by people offering a range of diverse skills and backgrounds and collectively, we have been able to improve our sustainability and social credentials while trebling our topline at the same time. Our sponsors from Inflexion have been pivotal in fulfilling our ambitions, offering challenge and support in equal measure. This award is a wonderful way of saying thank you to everyone across Rosemont and Inflexion.”
 

Martin Pederson, Assistant Director at Inflexion said:

“We are proud of the strong growth that Rosemont has achieved since we invested in the business. Rosemont is a leading Yorkshire business which contributes significantly to the local economy and has created over 100 new jobs over the past few years. At the same time, Rosemont has successfully expanded into new geographies.”
 

Adam Lewis, Founding Director at Hippo Digital said:

“Hippo is thrilled to be announced as winner of the BVCA’s Vision 2025 medium and exit categories for Yorkshire and the North East. 

“Throughout our rapid growth journey, Hippo’s culture, values, and people have been central to shaping our approach—building with humans at the heart of every decision. It’s because of this that we’re now a thriving digital services consultancy that champions user-centred design and delivers exceptional services for our clients and their users.

“We couldn’t be prouder of what our team has achieved since Hippo was formed nine years ago. Thank you to Growth Capital Partners for their invaluable support in our most recent growth chapter. We’re excited for what the future holds as we enter partnership with our new backers Exponent.”
 

Alex Thomson, Partner at Growth Capital Partners said:

“Congratulations to the outstanding team at Hippo on winning two BVCA Vision awards—a remarkable achievement that reflects their significant contribution to the Yorkshire and North East business and tech communities. Their continued growth, client focus, and unwavering commitment to social value and inclusion truly embody what it means to lead with purpose. All of these highlight the exceptional qualities of a worthy BVCA Vision award winner. 

It’s been a privilege to support Adam Lewis and the team over the past four years. They’ve not only scaled the business and extended their service offerings but done so while preserving Hippo’s unique culture.”

Notes to Editors 

For further information, please contact:   

BVCA Press Office  
Email: [email protected]   

Background  

About the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association   

The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) (private capital) industry in the UK. With a membership of over 600 firms, we represent the vast majority of all UK-based private capital firms, as well as their professional advisers and a large base of UK and global investors. The private equity and venture capital industry has a vital role to play in driving national and regional growth. Currently over 12,000 companies, employing more than 2.2 million people, are backed by private equity and venture capital investment in the UK.