Research and analysis

The early-stage equity finance journey of potential high-growth companies in the UK

Research on the equity finance journey of 1,200 early-stage UK firms, giving a better understanding of their finance outcomes and challenges associated with scaling up.

• From: Department for Business and Trade
• Published: 27 February 2026

Documents

The early-stage, equity-finance journey of potential high-growth companies in the UK: research report

PDF, 5.81 MB, 86 pages

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Details

This report draws together findings from the first ever quantitative survey undertaken to better understand the characteristics and causes of the equity finance market gap that exists at the initial, early-stage fundings rounds sought by potential high-growth companies.

This report by the Enterprise Research Centre and Middlesex University finds evidence of both demand and supply barriers in such early-stage equity finance in the UK.

Published 27 February 2026