What Active Partners does

Active Partners is a London-based consumer-focused venture capital and growth equity firm founded in 2004 by Spencer Skinner and Gavyn Davies (former Goldman Sachs Chief Economist). Operating as Active Partners Investments LLP, the firm is FCA-authorized (FRN 424755) and runs two distinct investment strategies: growth-stage cheques averaging £5-15m for consumer businesses with established product-market fit, and early-stage investments of £200k-£1m in mission-driven consumer brands and enabling technologies. Over 20+ years, Active has built a portfolio exceeding 50 companies spanning food and beverage (Leon, Honest Burgers, Caravan), fashion and apparel (Rapha, TALA, Finisterre), members clubs (Soho House), marketplaces (Vinterior, WhoCanFixMyCar), and education (Code First Girls, MyEdSpace).

The firm's core service is capital deployment combined with strategic brand-building support, operational guidance, and network access for portfolio founders. Active sources deals through direct founder outreach, referrals from its extensive entrepreneur network, and inbound applications via its website. The firm participates as both lead investor (Vinterior £8m Series A, Code First Girls £4.5m Series A, Subdial £4m) and co-investor alongside specialist consumer investors including Redrice Ventures, Venrex, McWin Capital Partners, and White Star Capital. Active distinguishes itself through flexible long-duration capital without strict investment horizons, founder-friendly partnership approach, and a deep bench of operating talent (ex-Bain, Goldman Sachs, PwC, Morgan Stanley professionals plus advisors like Clare Gilmartin, former Trainline CEO).

The firm's revenue model follows traditional private equity mechanics: management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on portfolio realizations. Active has executed several notable exits including Rapha's 2017 sale to RZC Investments (during Active's ownership, revenue grew at 51% CAGR), Leon's 2021 sale to EG Group, Secret Cinema's 2022 acquisition by TodayTix Group, and WhoCanFixMyCar's 2023 sale to Niterra EMEA, plus the March 2025 exit from Caravan Restaurants. The firm is based at 38 Soho Square, London, with its registered office at Heathmans House in Fulham.

Name

Active Partners

Legal name

Active Partners Investments LLP

Website

https://active.partners/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Active Partners is a London-based consumer-focused venture capital and growth equity firm founded in 2004, investing £200k-£15m cheques in mission-driven consumer brands across food, fashion, lifestyle, and consumer-enabling platforms, with a 50+ company portfolio including Rapha, Leon, Soho House, and TALA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Growth Equity Investment

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector/Thematic Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAG)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Growth equity investment
• Consumer brand investment
• Early-stage funding
• Portfolio management services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Management: Active Partners generates returns through traditional private equity/venture capital mechanics including management fees on committed capital and carried interest on portfolio returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Active Partners is a consumer-focused investment firm that provides venture capital and growth equity to UK consumer brands. It offers two core investment services: Growth-Stage Investment with average cheque sizes of £5-15 million for consumer businesses with strong product-market fit seeking to scale rapidly, and Early-Stage Investment of £200k-£1m for mission-driven consumer brands and technologies at seed stage. Beyond capital, Active provides strategic brand-building expertise, operational scaling support, and network access to founders across food and beverage, fashion, travel, health and wellness, and consumer technology categories.

Product overview

Active Partners is a consumer-focused investment firm offering two core investment services: Early-Stage Investment (£200k-£1m) for startups and Growth-Stage Investment (£5-15m average) for established businesses. The firm partners with visionary founders building iconic consumer brands across categories including food and beverage, fashion, travel, health and wellness, and technology. Active provides capital along with strategic support for brand building, operational scaling, and international expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Growth-Stage Investment Equity investment service providing £5-15 million average cheque sizes to consumer businesses poised for rapid growth that have strong product-market fit and high customer engagement. Active Partners partners with these companies through board roles and provides strategic support for international expansion and operational scaling.
• Early-Stage Investment Equity investment service providing £200k-£1m into mission-driven consumer brands, technologies, and platforms reshaping the consumer economy at seed and early stage. Led by Partner Tom Profumo with a focus on education and healthcare sectors alongside consumer brands.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Investing in Women CodeminorOthersActive Partners is a proud signatory to the Investing in Women Code, committing to practices that improve female entrepreneurs' access to finance and resources.
• BVCAminorOthersActive Partners is a member of the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Felix Capital: Felix Capital is a London-based venture and growth fund investing in consumer brands and digital lifestyle businesses across Europe. Directly comparable to Active Partners in sector focus (consumer), geography (UK/Europe), and stage (seed to growth), making it the closest peer.
• Redrice Ventures: Redrice is a London-based consumer-focused early-stage VC that co-invests regularly with Active Partners (e.g., Coopah, Epetōme). Same consumer thesis, similar cheque size at seed stage, and a frequent co-investment partner.
• Venrex: Venrex is a UK consumer and lifestyle-focused early-stage investor that co-led TALA alongside Active Partners. Highly comparable consumer-brand thesis and seed/early-stage cheque profile.
• JamJar Investments: JamJar is a London-based venture firm backing consumer brand entrepreneurs from inception through growth, with a similar founder-friendly approach. Directly comparable consumer-only thesis with both early and growth-stage activity.
• White Star Capital: White Star Capital is a transatlantic early and growth-stage VC with consumer and digital media exposure, having co-led MyEdSpace alongside Active Partners. Comparable in consumer-influenced investing and stage profile.

Broad incumbents

• BGF (Business Growth Fund): BGF is the UK's largest growth capital investor providing long-term minority equity to UK consumer and other SMEs. A broader incumbent with overlapping consumer growth-stage investments but significantly larger AUM and wider sector mandate.
• Octopus Ventures: Octopus Ventures is one of the largest UK VCs investing across consumer, fintech, deep tech, and B2B SaaS. A broad incumbent with material consumer brand exposure but a much wider sector mandate and larger cheque capacity than Active.
• Notion Capital: Notion Capital is a London-based VC investing in B2B SaaS and consumer-influenced technology across Europe. Comparable in geography and growth-stage orientation but focused on enterprise/SaaS rather than consumer brands.
• MMC Ventures: MMC Ventures is a London-based early and growth-stage investor across consumer, fintech, and enterprise. Comparable geography and stage profile but with a more diversified sector approach than Active's consumer-only focus.
• Beringea: Beringea is a UK and US growth equity investor with consumer brand exposure across multiple funds. Comparable in growth-stage consumer investing and geographic footprint but operates at larger cheque sizes with broader sector exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments60 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Active Partners