UK – Abbey National and JP Morgan have become the first institutional investors to join the British Venture Capital Association (BVCA), following its creation of a new category of membership to include the growing number of institutional investors involved in the private equity market.

The main benefits of membership, the association says, are access to the association’s investment and performance research, the lobbying power provided by an organisation, as well as networking opportunities with other members.

The BVCA and the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) have also been working together closely over the last year in response to the Myners Review of Institutional Investment and in particular its slant on pension funds and venture capital investment.
“ Together we aim to improve pension fund investors’ understanding of the venture capital and private equity industry and how or why to invest in it,” says John Mackie, BVCA chief executive.

The two associations are also publishing a booklet next week: “How to invest in private equity” and NAPF members will be offered jointly organised half day training courses on private equity investment.

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